Complementary Feeding Interventions for Infants and Young Children Under Age 2

Complementary feeding is the introduction of foods other than human milk or formula into an infant’s diet, typically beginning around 6 months of age. Recognizing the importance of optimal complementary feeding for growth, development, and long-term health, the National Academies Health and Medicine Division convened the Committee on Complementary Feeding Interventions for Infants and Young Children under Age 2. This consensus study conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature and publicly available information on interventions in the U.S. and other high-income countries. The interventions were implemented across a variety of settings, including healthcare systems, early care and education programs, university cooperative extensions, WIC programs, and home visiting initiatives. The study provides a framework to inform evidence-based interventions that could be scaled or implemented at the community or state level to improve complementary feeding practices.

Key Features:

• Scope: Examines complementary feeding interventions in infants and young children under 2 years across multiple settings.
• Evidence-based: Summarizes peer-reviewed research and other publicly available studies.
• Diverse settings: Includes healthcare systems, early childhood education, WIC, home visiting programs, and community-based interventions.
• Scalability focus: Evaluates which interventions could be effectively expanded at community or state levels.
• Practical guidance: Offers considerations for designing, implementing, and scaling interventions to improve complementary feeding behaviors in the U.S.
• Comprehensive documentation: Includes appendices detailing committee biographies, literature search strategies, data extraction criteria, and tables summarizing interventions and scalability assessments.