title: [Food diversification: accepted ideas and scientific proofs].
abstract: Guidelines about complementary feeding should be evidence based. It is now clearly established that timing of the first introduction of solid food should not be delayed in allergy at-risk infants. All complementary food can be introduced between 4 and 6 months of age. After introduction of complementary foods, protein intakes are almost always higher than the recommended needs, but no deleterious effects have been demonstrated. The frequent restriction of lipid intakes after weaning is not justified, especially since recommended needs have been increased. Excess of sweetened foods should be avoided to prevent deficiencies, but it does not increase the risk of further obesity. No dietary intervention during weaning has ever demonstrated any efficacy in obesity prevention. Reduction of infants formulas consumption increases the risk of iron deficiency, which could only be avoided by growing-up milk and meat consumption. A better information of health care practitioners may contribute to reducing the diffusion of erroneous opinions about complementary feeding in infants.
authors.affiliation: Gastroentérologie et Nutrition Pédiatriques, Hôpital Armand-Trousseau, AP-HP, 26 avenue du Dr Arnold-Netter, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France. p.tounian@trs.aphp.fr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tounian
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena