Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet
Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) revised its 2009 Opinion on the appropriate age for introduction of complementary feeding of infants. This age has been evaluated considering the effects on health outcomes, nutrit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-09-01
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| Series: | EFSA Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5780 |
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| author | EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) Jacqueline Castenmiller Stefaan deHenauw Karen‐Ildico Hirsch‐Ernst John Kearney Helle Katrine Knutsen Alexandre Maciuk Inge Mangelsdorf Harry J McArdle Androniki Naska Carmen Pelaez Kristina Pentieva Alfonso Siani Frank Thies Sophia Tsabouri Marco Vinceti Jean‐Louis Bresson Mary Fewtrell Mathilde Kersting Hildegard Przyrembel Céline Dumas Ariane Titz Dominique Turck |
| author_facet | EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) Jacqueline Castenmiller Stefaan deHenauw Karen‐Ildico Hirsch‐Ernst John Kearney Helle Katrine Knutsen Alexandre Maciuk Inge Mangelsdorf Harry J McArdle Androniki Naska Carmen Pelaez Kristina Pentieva Alfonso Siani Frank Thies Sophia Tsabouri Marco Vinceti Jean‐Louis Bresson Mary Fewtrell Mathilde Kersting Hildegard Przyrembel Céline Dumas Ariane Titz Dominique Turck |
| author_sort | EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) revised its 2009 Opinion on the appropriate age for introduction of complementary feeding of infants. This age has been evaluated considering the effects on health outcomes, nutritional aspects and infant development, and depends on the individual's characteristics and development. As long as foods have an age‐appropriate texture, are nutritionally appropriate and prepared following good hygiene practices, there is no convincing evidence that at any age investigated in the included studies (< 1 to < 6 months), the introduction of complementary foods (CFs) is associated with adverse health effects or benefits (except for infants at risk of iron depletion). For nutritional reasons, the majority of infants need CFs from around 6 months of age. Infants at risk of iron depletion (exclusively breastfed infants born to mothers with low iron status, or with early umbilical cord clamping (< 1 min after birth), or born preterm, or born small‐for‐gestational age or with high growth velocity) may benefit from earlier introduction of CFs that are a source of iron. The earliest developmental skills relevant for consuming pureed CFs can be observed between 3 and 4 months of age. Skills for consuming finger foods can be observed in some infants at 4 months, but more commonly at 5–7 months. The fact that an infant may be ready from a neurodevelopmental perspective to progress to a more diversified diet before 6 months of age does not imply that there is a need to introduce CFs. There is no reason to postpone the introduction of potentially allergenic foods (egg, cereals, fish and peanut) to a later age than that of other CFs as far as the risk of developing atopic diseases is concerned. Regarding the risk of coeliac disease, gluten can be introduced with other CFs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T12:03:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f58e5c9f4664760a92fcac4a42dccce |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1831-4732 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T12:03:12Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
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| series | EFSA Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f58e5c9f4664760a92fcac4a42dccce2022-12-21T22:32:23ZengWileyEFSA Journal1831-47322019-09-01179n/an/a10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5780Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's dietEFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA)Jacqueline CastenmillerStefaan deHenauwKaren‐Ildico Hirsch‐ErnstJohn KearneyHelle Katrine KnutsenAlexandre MaciukInge MangelsdorfHarry J McArdleAndroniki NaskaCarmen PelaezKristina PentievaAlfonso SianiFrank ThiesSophia TsabouriMarco VincetiJean‐Louis BressonMary FewtrellMathilde KerstingHildegard PrzyrembelCéline DumasAriane TitzDominique TurckAbstract Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) revised its 2009 Opinion on the appropriate age for introduction of complementary feeding of infants. This age has been evaluated considering the effects on health outcomes, nutritional aspects and infant development, and depends on the individual's characteristics and development. As long as foods have an age‐appropriate texture, are nutritionally appropriate and prepared following good hygiene practices, there is no convincing evidence that at any age investigated in the included studies (< 1 to < 6 months), the introduction of complementary foods (CFs) is associated with adverse health effects or benefits (except for infants at risk of iron depletion). For nutritional reasons, the majority of infants need CFs from around 6 months of age. Infants at risk of iron depletion (exclusively breastfed infants born to mothers with low iron status, or with early umbilical cord clamping (< 1 min after birth), or born preterm, or born small‐for‐gestational age or with high growth velocity) may benefit from earlier introduction of CFs that are a source of iron. The earliest developmental skills relevant for consuming pureed CFs can be observed between 3 and 4 months of age. Skills for consuming finger foods can be observed in some infants at 4 months, but more commonly at 5–7 months. The fact that an infant may be ready from a neurodevelopmental perspective to progress to a more diversified diet before 6 months of age does not imply that there is a need to introduce CFs. There is no reason to postpone the introduction of potentially allergenic foods (egg, cereals, fish and peanut) to a later age than that of other CFs as far as the risk of developing atopic diseases is concerned. Regarding the risk of coeliac disease, gluten can be introduced with other CFs.https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5780complementary foodintroductiontiminginfanthealth outcomedevelopment |
| spellingShingle | EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) Jacqueline Castenmiller Stefaan deHenauw Karen‐Ildico Hirsch‐Ernst John Kearney Helle Katrine Knutsen Alexandre Maciuk Inge Mangelsdorf Harry J McArdle Androniki Naska Carmen Pelaez Kristina Pentieva Alfonso Siani Frank Thies Sophia Tsabouri Marco Vinceti Jean‐Louis Bresson Mary Fewtrell Mathilde Kersting Hildegard Przyrembel Céline Dumas Ariane Titz Dominique Turck Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet EFSA Journal complementary food introduction timing infant health outcome development |
| title | Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet |
| title_full | Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet |
| title_fullStr | Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet |
| title_full_unstemmed | Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet |
| title_short | Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet |
| title_sort | appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant s diet |
| topic | complementary food introduction timing infant health outcome development |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5780 |
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