Infant feeding is the practice of feeding children under 1 year of age. The World Health Organization recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed until approximately six months of age, followed by continued breastfeeding and gradual introduction of solid foods.[1] This means that no other foods or drinks other than possibly vitamin D are typically given.[2] In developed countries, infant formula is considered to be an acceptable substitute for breastmilk, although exclusive breastfeeding is still recommended.
Methods for introducing solid foods include spoon-feeding the infant with baby food, and baby-led weaning.
References
- ^ Kramer MS, Kakuma R (August 2012). "Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 8 (8): CD003517. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003517.pub2. PMC 7154583. PMID 22895934.
- ^ "What are the recommendations for breastfeeding?". 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.