Complementary Feeding Practices and Childhood Obesity
Summary
Complementary feeding refers to the introduction of solid and semi-solid foods to an infant’s diet alongside breastmilk or formula, usually between four and six months of age. This period represents a crucial developmental window during which dietary exposures can influence appetite regulation, energy intake and early metabolic programming. Appropriate timing, diversity and nutrient quality of complementary foods help foster healthy growth trajectories and may protect against excessive weight gain. In contrast, early or inappropriate introduction of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods can disrupt infants’ innate capacity to self-regulate intake, predisposing them to adiposity and obesity in later childhood. Sociocultural factors such as maternal education, socioeconomic status and cultural beliefs further shape complementary feeding behaviours, highlighting the need for tailored guidance. Ultimately, optimising complementary feeding practices is a key strategy for preventing the early establishment of obesity and its long-term health consequences worldwide.
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Complementary Feeding Practices and Childhood Obesity publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in complementary feeding practices and childhood obesity across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Complementary feeding: Introduction of solid and semi-solid foods alongside breastmilk or formula, usually between four and six months.
Obesity: Excessive accumulation of body fat assessed against age- and sex-specific body mass index percentiles in children.
Growth trajectory: The pattern of weight and height gain over time, with deviations signalling potential under- or over-nutrition.
Exclusive breastfeeding: Feeding an infant only breastmilk (no other liquids or solids except prescribed medicines) for the first six months.
Adiposity rebound: The age at which body mass index rises after its early childhood nadir; an earlier rebound is linked to higher obesity risk.
References
- Early Infant Feeding Practices and Associations with Growth in Childhood. Nutrients (2024).
- Factors associated with early introduction of complementary feeding and consumption of non-recommended foods among Dutch infants: the BeeBOFT study. BMC Public Health (2019).
- Early introduction of complementary foods and childhood overweight in breastfed and formula-fed infants in the Netherlands: the PIAMA birth cohort study. European Journal of Nutrition (2018).
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