Different mothers have different opinions regarding breastfeeding versus formula, and the time at which parents introduce solid food seems to vary as well. In fact, over 40% of moms are giving babies solid food earlier than is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, this was true of 53% of moms who fed their babies formula, and 24% of moms who breastfed their babies.

The AAP recommends that mothers wait until their infants are 6 months old before starting them on solid food. The AAP previously recommended that moms wait until their children reach 4 months of age, but that recommendation has now changed. Breast milk, formula and vitamin supplements are the only foods an infant should consume before reaching 6 months of age.

Why Wait When Giving Babies Solid Food?

There are several problems with giving babies solid food too early, according to the researchers:

• Infants under the age of 4 months may not have properly developed the mechanisms for swallowing solid food, presenting a choking hazard.
• Babies who start on solid food too early may be more likely to develop chronic diseases such as eczema and obesity later in life.
• Moms who switch their infants to solid food too early may, as a result, discontinue breastfeeding too early as well. Breast milk contains vital nutrients that infants may not receive through solid food.

According to Kelley Scanlon, one of the lead researchers behind the study, health care providers should do more to educate new parents about these risks, as well the proper time to begin feeding solid food to a baby.

A Lack of Awareness: When to Switch from Breastfeeding to Solid Food?

A total of 1,334 women were involved in the study, which lasted from 2005 until 2007. Researchers surveyed the women while they were still pregnant, and on a near-monthly basis after giving birth to their children. The researchers did not give the women recommendations as to when to begin feeding their babies solid food; rather, they were expected to learn this information on their own or through their health care providers.

In each survey, women were asked to list the solid foods they’d fed to their babies in the prior week. When researchers asked mothers to state why they started their children on solid food when they did, the most common answer was “My baby was old enough to begin eating solid food.” This proves Scanlon’s belief that too many moms are simply misinformed when it comes to timing the switch to solid food.

Other popular answers to this same question included:

• “I wanted to feed my baby something in addition to breast milk or formula”
• “My baby wanted the food I ate”
• “My baby seemed hungry a lot of the time”

Are Doctors Misinformed About Solid Food for Babies Too?

Alarmingly, about 50% of the moms surveyed said that their doctors gave them the OK to feed their babies solid food before they reached 4 months of age. According to the researchers behind the study, many health care practitioners feel that they haven’t been appropriately trained when it comes to making infant feeding recommendations.

When new moms are given conflicting advice about when to start on solid food, all from seemingly reliable sources, they begin to wonder what other things their doctors could be wrong about. This can lead to a lot of undue confusion about what’s best for a baby at any given stage in their development, and reduces the perceived credibility of the health care provider. For these reasons, and for the sake of infant nutrition as a whole, the researchers behind the study say that health care providers should do more to ensure that they’re providing only the most accurate, up-to-date information to new mothers when it comes to feeding advice.

Giving Babies Solid Food Too Early: The Bottom Line

About 4 out of 10 moms begin their infants on solid food too early, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently refined its guidelines to say that babies should not be fed solid food until they’re 6 months old.

The full text of the study can be found online in the medical journal Pediatrics.