Unit 2: Health Effects of Complementary Feeding

• Excess consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and the resultant increase in energy intake, is associated with childhood obesity. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda and fruit drinks should be discouraged.
• During infancy, adding salt to food is inappropriate and gradually introducing infants to family foods is recommended.
• It is prudent to avoid both early (<4 months) and late (>7 months) introduction of gluten and to introduce gluten gradually while the infant is still breast fed as this may reduce the risk of celiac disease and  type 1 diabetes mellitus.
• Evidence suggests that early introduction (<3 months) of complementary feeding may increase the risk of infectious morbidity but there seems to be no effects of introduction of complementary foods after 4 months.
• Consumption of juice and sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to the development of dental caries.
• Consumption of juice and sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to a reduced intake of formula-milk and solids in the first year of life, exchanging calories of valuable nutrients with refined carbohydrates.
• Complementary feeding in developing countries and especially in low-resource settings poses particular challenges to caregivers.
• Infants and young children, especially in developing countries, should be fed meat, fish or egg as often as possible.
• Hand washing with water and soap and the use of alcohol hand sanitizers after hand washing is the simplest and most effective measure to prevent gastrointestinal infections caused by food-borne illness.

According to the current literature and evidence base, the following can be further summarized:

• Overall, the evidence is insufficient to define the exact age at which complementary foods should be introduced to infants to minimize the risk of adverse health effects in later life.
• There is no clear association between the timing of introduction of complementary foods and the risk of overweight or obesity in infancy and childhood.
• Currently there is limited evidence that the age of introduction of complementary foods influences infant growth.
• Given the current level of evidence, it is not possible to make specific recommendations for choices or composition of complementary feedings based on cardiovascular outcomes.
• There is no evidence that the age of introduction of complementary food has an effect on the risk for type 2 diabetes.
• Avoidance or delayed introduction of potentially allergenic foods has not been convincingly shown to reduce allergies.