Researchers in the UK have found that infants who were introduced to solid foods early slept longer and woke less frequently than those who were exclusively breastfed to six months of age.
The study compared infants who were introduced to soft foods at six months to those who were introduced at three months.
The Enquiring About Tolerance study was funded by the Food Standards Agency and the UK Medical Research Council.
The early introduction group slept for about 17 minutes longer and waking decreased from two times per night to 1.74 times.
Current advice from the UK is to start solid foods at six months.
The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics in July 2018.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
