From breast milk to the introduction of solid foods: nutritional impacts on future metabolic risk

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and adequate complementary feeding are fundamental pillars for healthy development in early childhood and for the prevention of nutritional and metabolic problems throughout life. Scientific evidence demonstrates that the absence of breastfeeding or its early interruption, associated with inadequate complementary feeding practices, significantly increases the risk of childhood morbidities, such as infections, anemia, and metabolic disorders, in addition to favoring the development of obesity and diabetes in adulthood. This study conducted an integrative literature review in the SciELO, PubMed, Ministry of Health, WHO, and specialized literature databases, using the descriptors: breastfeeding, complementary feeding, eating habits, food consumption, and micronutrients. The selected articles reinforce the nutritional, immunological, and metabolic relevance of exclusive breastfeeding, capable of guaranteeing all the nutrients necessary for child growth and contributing to the maturation of the immune and metabolic systems. The results indicate that adequate, diversified, and natural food-based complementary feeding complements the protective role of breast milk, reducing the likelihood of developing chronic non-communicable diseases. However, the growing influence of advertising for ultra-processed foods was also observed, which uses visual and narrative strategies to stimulate the consumption of products with low nutritional value, contributing to inadequate eating habits among children and their caregivers. It is concluded that strengthening actions to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding, as well as providing adequate guidance on the introduction of solid foods, is essential to prevent metabolic problems and ensure a more balanced health trajectory from the earliest years of life.