THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD INTRODUCTION IN THE FIRST 2 YEARS OF LIFE: LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The period from pregnancy to two years of age is known as the first thousand days of life, a time characterized as a window of opportunity for establishing healthy eating habits and preventing future diseases. This study aimed to investigate the importance of adequate food introduction in the first two years of a child's life through a literature review. Ten articles published in the last ten years, selected from the BVS, SCIELO, PUBMED, and LILACS databases, were analyzed. The results highlighted that adequate food introduction is associated with better child growth and development, greater dietary diversity, healthy gut microbiota formation, better nutritional quality, and a reduced intake of ultra-processed foods. Furthermore, it was observed that inappropriate feeding practices and early or late food introduction can increase the risk of obesity, childhood diseases, and neurodevelopmental delays. The conclusion is that correct complementary feeding, planned and guided by nutritionists, favors the formation of healthy eating habits, contributing to proper development and maintenance of child health in the short and long term.