AbstractObjectiveTo assess the most important sociodemographic determinants of age at introduction of complementary foods in infancy.DesignA prospective birth cohort with increased risk of type 1 diabetes, recruited between 1996 and 2004. The families completed at home a follow-up form on the age at introduction of new foods and, for each clinic visit, a structured dietary questionnaire with 3 d food records.SettingData from the Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Project, Finland.SubjectsA cohort of 5991 infants (77 % of those invited) belonging to the DIPP Nutrition Study.ResultsSixty-three per cent of the infants were introduced to complementary foods, including infant formula, before the age of 4 months. The median age at introduction of infant formula was 1·5 months (range 0–18 months) and that of the first other complementary food 3·5 months (range 0·7–8 months). All sociodemographic and lifestyle factors studied were associated with the age at introduction of infant formula and/or first other complementary food. Female sex of the infant, being born in the southern region of Finland, living in a rural municipality, the presence of siblings, the mother or the father being a high-school graduate, high maternal professional education and maternal non-smoking during pregnancy predicted later introduction of complementary foods.ConclusionsCompliance was relatively poor with the current recommendations for the age of introducing complementary foods. Small-sized young families with less well-educated parents were most prone to introduce complementary foods early.
Sociodemographic determinants of early weaning: a Finnish birth cohort study in infants with human leucocyte antigen-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes
