WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP: When should complementary foods be introduced to the breastfed infant?
A. 3 months
B. 6 months
C. 8 months
D. 9 months
Answer: The best source for answering this question is the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, from WHO and UNICEF.
The relevant passage:
“As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.”
Although six month old infants will take in only small amounts of “solid” food initially, they should be introduced at this time to meet the infant’s changing needs. The answer here is B.
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