Paediatric gastroenterologist Pramita Gayatri says early feeding may harm infants, while WHO, UNICEF and Indonesia’s Health Ministry recommend introducing complementary foods at around six months.
Paediatric gastroenterology consultant Pramita Gayatri has urged families not to give solid foods to babies before they are six months old, warning that an infant’s digestive system may not be ready.
Speaking in Jakarta on Tuesday, Gayatri said some families continue to give very young babies foods such as banana or rice, sometimes following advice passed down by older relatives. She said infants should receive breast milk, or formula when medically indicated, before complementary foods are introduced.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, then introducing safe, nutritious complementary foods while breastfeeding continues. Around six months, babies’ nutritional needs begin to exceed what breast milk alone can provide, according to the organisations.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health says complementary feeding should begin at six months and meet four principles: appropriate timing, nutritional value, safe preparation and responsive feeding. UNICEF also notes that introducing food or other fluids too early can increase illness risks, including diarrhoea, and may reduce breastfeeding.
Gayatri, who practises at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta, said early feeding could cause serious digestive harm. She described possible injuries to the stomach lining, pain that may make a baby reluctant to feed, infection and, in severe cases, the need for surgery. These specific outcomes reflect her account; the broader public-health guidance cited above supports waiting until around six months but does not independently verify those injuries or surgical cases.
The Indonesian Health Ministry has also cited family advice, worries about milk supply and beliefs that early food will help a baby sleep or grow as reasons some caregivers start feeding solids early. Its guidance warns that unsuitable foods can pose digestive and contamination risks.
Gayatri said the severe cases reaching referral hospitals may represent only a small visible portion of a wider problem, because digestive disruption may not always cause obvious signs such as a swollen abdomen. She added that some babies had died, while many survived; the materials provided do not include data establishing how common these outcomes are.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
