There is an interesting article in the Washington Post about day care and unwanted infant weight gain:

Infants cared for by caregivers other than their parents tend to gain more weight than children cared for by their parents, a new study says.
And children receiving regular care from people other than their parents are also less likely to be breast-fed and more likely to be introduced to solid foods early, the researchers found.
Other studies have suggested that breast-feeding for up to the first 12 months of life may confer protection against obesity.
More and more evidence suggests that the threat of excess weight gain and obesity is taking hold in America’s nurseries, Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University School of Medicine’s Prevention Research Center said. “Studies show obesity emerging as a problem even in the first year of life. This, in turn, results in a higher risk of diabetes in youth, and lifelong obesity and its many consequences.”

Given how we are following America’s lead in most things, I would suspect the same will hold true for our Day and Early Care here in Australia.

There was another related article I read the other day (to which I can’t find the link right now) that mentioned that there may be a tangible relationship between allergies and the introduction of foods at an early age (<6 months). The article stated that the baby’s digestive system is not developed enough at less than 6 months to handle solids and especially the chemicals and additives that are found in the food we eat.

So, if you can, breastfeeding gives your baby a fantastic start in life. I know that there is a lot of promotion about only breastfeeding for the first 3 months before cycling you baby onto pre-prepared foods, but I think it would be a great idea to stick with it a little longer.