Solid Sleep

A study recently published in JAMA Pediatrics ties the timing of solid food introduction to an infant’s duration and quality of sleep.  Data was collected from 1,303 3-month-old infants placed in either an early introduction group (EIG) or a standard introduction group (SIG).  

Infants in the EIG were introduced to solid foods, both nonallergenic and allergenic, in addition to breastfeeding.  Those in the SIG, however, were exclusively breast fed and not introduced to any form of solid food until reaching the age of 6 months, thus following current British feeding guidelines.

During this intervention period, duration of the infants’ sleep and frequency of interruptions were recorded. The study’s results reveal that infants in the EIG slept both longer and with less interruptions than those in the SIG. In addition, serious sleep problems were significantly decreased in the EIG as compared to the SIG. 

This research questions the current infant feeding recommendations issued by the World Health Organization and also provides a pathway to which both maternal and infant quality of life may be increased.

Read the full article at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2686726.