Although formula producers have introduced staged formulas, they have yet to introduce a formula for children 4 to 6 months-the optimal window for introducing solid food-which would contain fewer calories. As a result, formula-fed babies may be eating too many calories, while breastfeeding may help babies and mothers manage the amount and type of calories consumed. While breast milk changes as a baby grows, formula does not change. Another reason may be that formula-fed babies significantly increase their calorie intake when solids are introduced. It may be that mothers who use formula are somewhat less tuned in to their baby’s hunger cues and feed them too much (perhaps encouraging them to finish the bottle) or too often. It’s not clear why the timing of solid food is so important for formula-fed babies, and it is especially surprising that formula-fed babies who begin eating solids late are at almost as high a risk for being obese at 3 years of age as formula-fed babies who start on solids too early. “Late eaters”-babies starting on solids after 6 months-however, were much more likely to be breastfed: 17% of breastfed babies compared to 9% of formula-fed babies.
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