Complementary feeding and micronutrient status: a systematic review.

Study answer

What this study found

Overall, iron-containing complementary foods helped maintain iron status or prevent iron deficiency in the first year among infants at risk of low iron intake, while benefit was less clear for infants with adequate iron stores. Moderate evidence also supported zinc-containing complementary foods for zinc status and complementary foods with different fatty-acid profiles for fatty-acid status. Across timing studies, introducing complementary foods at 4 months versus 6 months showed no long-term advantage or disadvantage for iron status in healthy full-term infants. Evidence for vitamin D,…

Study & population

Systematic review of studies in generally healthy, full-term infants and toddlers, mainly from developed or high-HDI countries.

Intervention

This systematic review evaluated complementary feeding strategies in infancy, including earlier versus later introduction of complementary foods and beverages and different complementary-food compositions.

Key limitation

The evidence base was heterogeneous in interventions, outcomes, and reporting, with many studies providing incomplete arm-level dosing or demographic detail.

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Original abstract