ABSTRACT
Complementary feeding means introducing solids to an infant’s milk diet. Weaning, in its true sense, is the cessation of breastfeeding, while complementary feeding means introducing solid food to an infant’s milk diet while still giving milk. The Department of Health (DH) recommends that solid foods are introduced at 6 months of age, later than the previous DH recommendation of between 4 and 6 months. Evidence relating to the 6-month exclusive breastfeeding recommendation focuses largely on energy and growth, risk of gastrointestinal infection, overweight and obesity, and the development of allergies. A Cochrane review stated that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months may compromise iron status in developing countries, where the infant’s iron stores at birth may be suboptimal. Antenatal iron supplementation where required therefore appears paramount to enable breastfeeding to 6 months in the absence of infant iron deficiency.
