Appropriate nutrition plays a major role in maintaining an infant’s health. The benefits of extended breastfeeding and the timely introduction of complementary foods have been scientifically proven.
In 2003, the SWIFS (Swiss Infant Feeding Study), a representative cross-sectional study on infant feeding in Switzerland during the first nine months of life, examined the prevalence of breastfeeding, the duration of breastfeeding and, for the first time, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods.
A comparison of the results with those of a study carried out in 1994 revealed a marked increase in the duration of breastfeeding, a phenomenon largely attributable to the promotion of breastfeeding in Switzerland in recent years. With an initial prevalence of 94 per cent, the duration of breastfeeding in 2003 averaged 31 weeks. The introduction of supplementary feeding, meanwhile, occurred between the 5th and 7th month.