Breastfeeding and complementary feeding in fragile settings: the case of Syrian refugees and their host communities in North Lebanon

Table 3 Mean age and percentage of introducing first foods (in months) among study population children (n = 353)

Type of food	mean ± SD	Recommended age of introduction^a	% Children introduced to food not according to recommendations
Refined grains	6.7 ± 2.5	6 months	21.5%
Iron-fortified baby cereals	5.8 ± 1.4	6 months	28.8%
Dairy products	6.6 ± 2.6	6 months (except cow’s milk)	29.2%
Fruits	6.5 ± 2.0	6 months	25.8%
Vegetables	4.6 ± 1.2	6 months	75%
High sugar foods [7]	5.8 ± 0.4	As late as possible (not before 24 months)	100%
Fried foods	11.0 ± 2.2	As late as possible	100%
Protein foods	8.5 ± 2.5	6 months	0%

^aRecommendations were derived from the European Food Safety Authority, 2019 [24] and the American Academy of Pediatrics, 2020 [25]

ISSN: 1746-4358