[Influencing Factors for Early Weaning]

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[Date]Influencing Factors for Early Weaning

Introduction

Introducing an infant to solid food, is often called 'weaning', or sometimes known as complementary feeding (World Health Organisation (WHO) 2003), should start when the infant is around six months old (26 weeks) (Great Britain (GB) Department of Health (DH) 2003). Infant's only need breast milk or infant formula for the first six months of life, although breastfeeding is recommended to continue for up to two years. This gives their digestive system time to develop so that they cope fully with solid foods (this includes solid foods made into purees and cereals mixed with milk). Introducing solid foods is a really important step in an infant's development. (Kramer et al., 2002 343-7)

There are many discussions about weaning and they are fraught with difficulties. First there is a dual interpretation of the word 'weaning', whether the introduction of solid foods or cessation of breastfeeding or formula feeding. For most infants, the introduction of solid foods marks the beginning of weaning. Weaning is a gradual process, which can be expected to take from several months to a few years (Rapley 2011). If complementary foods are not introduced when a child has reached six months, or if given inappropriately, an infant's growth may falter.

Parents are offered guidance on when, what and how to wean, however advice has changed over the past decade and there has been some confusion, especially when maternal experience conflicts with government guidelines. (Noble & P Emmett 2006 303-313) It would seem that despite changes to the guidance on solid food introduction, most mothers do not follow recommendations, with as few as 1% of British mothers weaning at or after six months. Guidance about when to introduce complementary foods to the infant diet is critically important but advice to mothers can vary across countries, perhaps reflecting cultural differences in the method and timing of this process. (Kramer et al., 2001 413-20)

Early weaning is also associated with significantly increased risk of obesity by the age of three years and this effect can be independent of rapid weight gain. Therefore early solid food introduction poses risks to immediate health and can increase the later risk of obesity. (Sloan 2007 98) Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five is estimated to be over 42 million. (Forsyth et al., 2003 1572-6)

In recent years, governments including those in Australia and the UK have adopted the WHO guidance to offer solid foods to infant's at around six months of age. Research on weaning practices since 2003 should reflect the impact of this change from the earlier WHO guidance, which suggested that solid foods be introduced after the fourth month but before the sixth month of life (WHO 2003). However, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA 2007) there is no right or wrong way to wean a child.

Literature Review

The aim ...