The timing of complementary feeding of infants in Switzerland: compliance with the Swiss and the WHO guidelines.
BACKGROUND
The importance of adequate complementary feeding of infants is increasingly acknowledged. Little is known of the actual complementary feeding practices in Switzerland.


OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence of adequate timing of complementary feeding, comparing the compliance to Swiss and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and to investigate factors influencing infant complementary feeding.


METHODS
In 2003 a cross-sectional study was conducted of mother-and-infant pairs in Switzerland. The mothers, randomly chosen by local community mother-and-child health services, completed a 24-h dietary recall questionnaire and reported the infant's age at the first introduction of various foods. Descriptive analysis, group testing and regression analysis of data collected were conducted.


RESULTS
Introduction of solids mainly occurred between the 5th and 6th months. Five per cent of the mothers introduced complementary food before the age of 4 mo. The main influencing factors for infant feeding were maternal age, language regions, mother's BMI and smoking status, the presence of siblings, and an allergic predisposition of the infant.


CONCLUSIONS
The timing of the introduction of complementary foods meets with Swiss guidelines. WHO recommendations, however, are not met. This may be due to a misunderstanding of the Swiss Paediatric Association's age-range recommendations or insufficient promotion of the WHO recommendations.
Dratva
Julia
J
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. julia.dratva@unibas.ch
Merten
Sonja
S
Ackermann-Liebrich
Ursula
U
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000592:standards; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000592:standards; D007802:Language; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D013557:Switzerland; D013997:Time Factors; D014944:World Health Organization