ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF SOLID FOODS, AND OTHER FOOD PATTERNS, OF INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Abstract

Serial nutrition histories have been taken since 1946 on 65 children enrolled in the Child Research Council series. As the age of introduction of solid foods into the diet has become progressively earlier over a 10-year period, the number of infants refusing to accept these solid foods when first offered has increased. The average age of willing acceptance of cereal is 2½ to 3½ months, of vegetables 4 to 4½ months, of meat and meat soups 5½ to 6 months; fruit has been accepted at progressively earlier ages and is now accepted at 2½ to 3 months. The age of transition from prepared baby foods to the family's diet has decreased from approximately 2 years to 13 months. No benefit, as reflected by concentration of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume or mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, was observed with high intakes of iron from prepared infant cereals. The curve of intake of nutrients rises rapidly and smoothly in early infancy. During the preschool period there is a marked decrease in appetite and while calorie intake continues to rise slowly, protein intake reaches a plateau and calcium intake decreases markedly. Median milk intake between 2 and 3 years of age is 16 ounces daily. After 3 years the intake of all nutrients rises.