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The new data comes from the EAT study, which involved 1,303 infants and aimed to determine if early introduction of solid foods could help prevent food allergies.
LONDON – According to a new analysis of clinical trial data, babies who start their sleep at three months sleep better than infants breastfed exclusively up to the age of six months.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of infancy after which solids can be introduced.
The new data comes from the study Inquiring About Tolerance (EAT), which involved 1,303 infants. earlier foods could help prevent food allergies. The EAT study showed that introducing small amounts of allergenic foods in younger babies helped reduce the risk of food allergies. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Australian government and others have modified their infant feeding guidelines to reflect the results published in 2016.
Michael Perkin, Population Health Research Institute and St. George's Hospital, both in London, The results of the new analysis suggest that better sleep could be another benefit of solid beginners.
As reported in JAMA Pediatrics, Perkin and colleagues compared infant sleep and maternal quality of life among participants in EAT. Infants in the early introduction group started taking solids at about 16 weeks, on average, compared to 23 weeks in the standard introduction group
In five months, babies who had started to Eating earlier slept longer than those whose mothers breastfed exclusively for six months. The difference peaked at the age of six months, with the early introduction group having slept an average of nearly 17 minutes longer and persisting after the infant's first birthday. Infants who started solid foods early also woke up about 9% less often.
The most clinically important result, according to Dr. Perkin, was that parents of babies who had started eating solid foods earlier were less likely
"There was an extremely strong relationship between quality of life of mother and infant sleep, what you anticipate, "he added. "If the baby sleeps badly, the quality of life of the mother is very clearly affected."
The findings provide strong evidence to support the long-held belief that feeding baby solid foods helps them sleep better, Dr. Jae Kim, a Neonatologist from the University of California at San Diego and Radey. Children's San Diego Hospital, told Reuters Health in a telephone interview. "This is a study well designed to answer this question," he said.
"As for the recommendations for mothers and their children, I think it's still important to aim for exclusive breastfeeding." When frequent nighttime awakenings of an infant cause worry and anxiety, parents can consult their pediatrician to find out if it is appropriate to start eating solid food, "said Dr. Kim.But the results do not mean that parents should feel free to give solid food to infants less than six months to improve their sleep, he added.The early introduction of solids could harm infants who are not ready to chew and swallow, he explained, while solid foods can also lead to early weaning, thus reducing the benefits of breastfeeding.
is actually a good thing for babies – although this can clearly help parents, Kim noted, adding that babies who sleep more can consume less breast milk, he adds.
"There is a bit of polarization around this problem," he said. "It's good to have studies like this one to cut out real data to help manage this problem."
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