The food and nutrition of infants is not only essential for the maximum expression of their potential for growth and physical and cognitive development, but also plays a decisive role in promoting health and preventing numerous chronic diseases. It is now known that the modulation of both food preferences and human eating behaviour begins at the very early stages of life.
Milk is the primary food in the first year of an infant’s life. The World Health Organization, as well as the various national and international pediatrics and nutrition committees, recommend and encourage the exclusive use of human milk (commonly known as breast milk) during the first 6 months of life, as it is perfectly suited for energy needs, nutritional and hydric properties of the newborn and small infant, in addition to the many other properties that are greatly recognized. Nonetheless, from the end of the 1st semester, exclusively dairy food is no longer sufficient to meet all the nutritional needs of the infant, and the introduction of complementary foods alongside milk is therefore indicated. The transition from an exclusively dairy-based diet to one that includes milk and other foods of progressively greater consistency, particularly semi-solid and solid foods that integrate a dietary pattern similar to that of adults, constitutes a unique moment for the development of the child. This is a crucial phase for learning and training of chewing (motor development), as well as for recognizing flavours and training in taste, textures and consistencies (neurosensory development). The order of introduction of food does not have to be rigid, but rather gradual and phased, respecting the maturity of each infant while ensuring nutritional adequacy and safety, whether when the food is offered to the baby by spoon (traditional method) or when it is presented completely and the baby's self-feeding is promoted (Baby-Led Weaning method).
The Practical Course on Complementary Baby Feeding: from the traditional method to Baby-Led Weaning, has as main objective to train health and education professionals, with tools for adequate guidance and follow-up in The First Steps of Baby Feeding, with particular emphasis on the different methods of offering and presenting semi-solid and solid foods. A course that is a challenge for all those who want to know how nutrition influences the health of future generations.

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