Poor health linked to how infants are fed

Health problems affecting many adults here may be due to how they were fed as babies, it has emerged.

A scientific report published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) describes the way in which infants are fed in this country as “far from ideal”.

Childhood obesity, now known to affect toddlers, has its origins in poor infant feeding practices, it states.

Ireland has the lowest breast feeding rate in Europe and seven out of 10 babies are being weaned onto solid foods too early.

The report refers to recent studies suggesting that 45% to 53% of mothers do not breast feed, and for 74%, the decision not to breast feed was made before the birth.

FSAI chief specialist in public health nutrition, Dr Mary Flynn, expressed alarm that some parents feed their babies junk food.

“Of even greater concern, is the use of foods that should never be part of an infant’s diet such as crisps, chocolate pudding and soft drinks which are being given to some babies as young as six months old.”

The report points out that at six months, many infants had a meal pattern more akin to that of an older child, consisting of three full meals with several additional smaller portions of foods.

More than 15% were found to be feeding their children junk food.

Dr Flynn said: “We now know that the timing and types of foods that are introduced during the first year of life can impact on life-long risk of hypertension, heart disease, coeliac disease and even diabetes. Infants are not ‘small adults’ and good feeding practice is quite a complex process.”

Ita Saul, chair of the FSAI expert group that produced the reports, said breast feeding had tremendous potential to protect babies’ and mothers’ health and continued to be the gold standard for infant feeding.

“During the first year of life, babies triple their birth weight and double their surface area making this a period of very rapid growth which is never repeated during the life cycle.

“More work needs to be done to increase the number of babies being breast fed in Ireland today and to improve weaning practices in terms of when solid food is first introduced and what types of foods are used.”

Ms Saul said a new guide for healthcare professionals outlining the practicalities of putting best infant feedings guidelines into practice.

“Healthcare professionals are valued as reliable sources of advice by parents, but they require current information and resources that arm them with the latest in best practice.”

The report provides guidance on how to address issues such as the need to supplement all infants from birth with vitamin D to prevent rickets and guidance on the safe preparation of powdered infant formulae to prevent food borne illness.

* The report and guide are available from fsai.ie or contact the FSAI advice line on 1890 336677.

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