@the.baby.dietitian: Bottom line: Babies don't need adult levels of pancreatic amylase to digest starches. Their digestive system is designed with multiple pathways to digest starch from early infancy, and as they grow and begin eating complementary foods around 6 months, pancreatic enzyme production naturally increases to meet their changing diet. Research consistently shows that: ✅ Infants produce salivary amylase from birth, and levels increase rapidly during infancy. ✅ Starch digestion involves multiple enzymes, not just pancreatic amylase. ✅ Salivary amylase contributes meaningfully to starch digestion—even in premature infants. ✅ The digestive system matures over time, but there is no evidence that healthy infants around 6 months are incapable of digesting starches. ✅ Current organizations such as the AAP, CDC, WHO, and Dietary Guidelines all recommend introducing complementary foods around 6 months, which commonly include starch-containing foods. #babyfoods #babymeals #babyeats #babynutrition #thebabydietitian

Cindy S. RD, IBCLC

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Tuesday 21 July 2026 01:08:11 GMT