Most babies getting too much salt

Published on Monday 1 August 2011 17:11

MORE than two thirds of eight-month-old babies eat too much salt because they are fed a diet of processed food, a study has revealed.

Tinned spaghetti, baked beans, bread and cows' milk are among the foods blamed by researchers at the University of Bristol.

Nutritionists found that 70 per cent of eight-month-old babies have a salt intake higher than the recommended UK maximum level.

Many babies are also given cows' milk - which has higher levels of salt than breast or formula milk - as their main drink, despite recommendations that it should not be used in this way until babies are at least a year old.

High levels of salt can damage developing kidneys, and can give children a taste for salty foods and establish poor eating practices that continue into adulthood.

Dr Pauline Emmett and Vicky Cribb, who carried out the research into almost 1,200 children, said: "These findings show that salt intakes need to be substantially reduced in children of this age group.

"Infants need foods specifically prepared for them without added salt, so it is important to adapt the family diet. This research suggests that clear advice is needed for parents."