By holding off on feeding their babies solid foods for the first four months, parents can decrease the odds their little ones will become obese. The American Academy of Pediatrics says kids who start on solids too early are six times more likely to be obese by age 3.

A study of 847 children by the Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard supports the academy’s guidelines, which say bottle-fed babies are particularly at risk, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The study also found that babies who were breastfed for the first four months were not linked to an increased risk in obesity if they started on solids early.

Parents, when did you introduce solids to your children, and what do you do to manage their weight?

Solid food for infants should be carefully timed to lower obesity risk [Los Angeles Times]

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