<p>The University of North Carolina study found that fussy babies get introduced to solid foods earlier than laid-back infants, which may lead to consumption of excess calories and childhood obesity.<br /><br />Based on standardised growth curves, the study found that one-third of nine-month-olds and one-third of two-year-olds in the US are overweight for their height.<br /><br />“Moms are definitely giving kids a lot more to eat than just breast milk, which is the recommended thing up to three months,” said lead author Barbara Goldman, a psychologist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina.<br /><br />“What we’re finding is that even if they’re not breast feeding and they’re doing formula, they’re doing formula plus other things very early,” Goldman told LiveScience.<br /><br />For their study, the researchers recruited more than 200 first-time moms and visited the families every three months from the time the infants were three months old until they were 12 months old. A final visit took place when the babies were 18 months old.<br /><br />It was found that about 70 per cent of babies got at least some breast milk in their first month of life, and a total of 20 per cent got breast milk exclusively. However, those numbers dropped off quickly, with just 25 per cent being breast-fed by three months of age.<br /><br />The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that babies should be breast-fed exclusively until four months of age, and six months if possible. It also recommends that solid foods be introduced after four months.</p>
<p>The University of North Carolina study found that fussy babies get introduced to solid foods earlier than laid-back infants, which may lead to consumption of excess calories and childhood obesity.<br /><br />Based on standardised growth curves, the study found that one-third of nine-month-olds and one-third of two-year-olds in the US are overweight for their height.<br /><br />“Moms are definitely giving kids a lot more to eat than just breast milk, which is the recommended thing up to three months,” said lead author Barbara Goldman, a psychologist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina.<br /><br />“What we’re finding is that even if they’re not breast feeding and they’re doing formula, they’re doing formula plus other things very early,” Goldman told LiveScience.<br /><br />For their study, the researchers recruited more than 200 first-time moms and visited the families every three months from the time the infants were three months old until they were 12 months old. A final visit took place when the babies were 18 months old.<br /><br />It was found that about 70 per cent of babies got at least some breast milk in their first month of life, and a total of 20 per cent got breast milk exclusively. However, those numbers dropped off quickly, with just 25 per cent being breast-fed by three months of age.<br /><br />The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that babies should be breast-fed exclusively until four months of age, and six months if possible. It also recommends that solid foods be introduced after four months.</p>