Warning issued over baby nutrition | nursing times

Biscuits and cakes are being fed to babies who are only a few weeks old when their diet should only consist of breast milk, research has claimed. By the time they reach six months, some

babies have been fed fruit juice, cakes and biscuits by almost one in four mothers, an Australian study shows. Babies as young as four weeks old are being given sugary, salty and fatty

foods, it was revealed. This contradicts international guidelines which state that for the first six months babies should only be getting breast milk. Such an early introduction to poor

diets might have long-term harmful effects and make young children pre-disposed to obesity, it is claimed. Scientists from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Flinders University in

Adelaide, Australia, conducted regular phone interviews of 587 new mothers over a period of 12 months. Lead researcher Dr Jane Scott said: “Almost one in four mothers had introduced fruit

juice, biscuits and cakes to their infants by six months of age. “This is a worry because eating habits developed early in life usually continue throughout a person’s lifetime - and an

overweight child is much more likely to become an overweight adult.” Babies who were started early on solids had a greater chance of eating foods with a high fat, sugar and salt content by

their first birthday. The same was true for those with two or more siblings.