When to Introduce Complementary Foods in Breast-Fed Infants

The WHO recommends that infants be exclusively breast-fed for the first 6 months of life. This recommendation makes perfect sense in low-income countries where water and food might be contaminated or inadequate. However, the rationale for this recommendation in high-income countries is less certain. In a masked randomized, controlled trial, researchers compared the effects of 4 versus 6 months of exclusive breast-feeding on iron status and growth in 119 term infants from healthcare centers in Iceland where about half of the mothers exclusively breast-fed through age 4 months.

Infants who were exclusively breast-feeding at age 4 months were randomized to receive complementary foods in addition to breast milk or to continue exclusive breast-fe…