A groundbreaking journal article was recently published, First foods: Diet quality among infants aged 6–23 months in 42 countries, which explores the first solid foods fed to infants, month-by-month as they grow. The article draws upon survey data from 42 countries, including Bangladesh.
Diet quality is closely linked to child growth and development, especially among infants aged 6–23 months who need to complement breastmilk with the gradual introduction of nutrient-rich solid foods. In the article, IFPRI researchers link Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data on infant feeding to household and environmental factors for 76,641 children in 42 low- and middle-income countries surveyed in 2006–2013, providing novel stylized facts about diets in early childhood.
This research was undertaken by former IFPRI researcher Samira Choudhury and Senior Research Fellow Derek Headey, and Tufts University under the ARENA project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The DHS is funded by USAID.
PC: Graham Couch