Infants were introduced to complementary feeding earlier in 2018 compared with 2003

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Allergy Prevention
• Public Health Recommendations

Background:

• Swedish food allergy prevention guidelines shifted towards earlier introduction of complementary foods after 2001.
• Previous advice recommended delaying introduction of eggs, fish, and peanuts until age one to mitigate allergy risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess adherence to current Swedish recommendations for complementary feeding.
• To investigate changes in the timing of introducing allergenic foods between 2003 and 2018.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of two prospective, longitudinal, population-based cohort studies of children born in 2003 and 2018.
• Parents completed comparable questionnaires at 6 and 12 months of age regarding infant feeding practices.

Main Results:

• In 2018, significant proportions of infants received eggs (67.2%), fish (78.9%), gluten (89.1%), and cow's milk (76.6%) by 6 months.
• Introduction of gluten, fish, and eggs was significantly earlier in the 2018 cohort compared to the 2003 cohort (p < 0.01), even after adjusting for hereditary factors, parental education, and child's allergic history.

Conclusions:

• Complementary feeding of eggs, fish, and gluten occurred earlier in infants born in 2018 versus 2003.
• This trend suggests potential reduction in allergic disease risk and indicates adherence to current public health guidelines for infant feeding.