IF babies eat too much protein in their first year of life, they will grow too fast and will become obese when they are teens or adults.

So says Dr Marianella Gonzalez, Pfizer nutrition medical manager for Central America and the Caribbean.

“Research has shown that an excess intake of protein in a baby’s diet can contribute to an unhealthy weight gain during early childhood,” she said.

She said babies should therefore have less protein intake, which is why the breast is best as it contains the right amount of protein needed for the growth of the baby. “Babies should grow up on breast milk as it makes them grow slower and healthy,” Gonzales said. “Then after six months you can start weaning them. Start giving them fruits, chicken and soft foods.”

However, she said, babies can be breast-fed up to two years while they are still given a supplemented diet.

But, she said, in situations where the mother may be unable to breastfeed the baby for whatever reason, then she should give her child the closest thing to breast milk.

She said because of this discovery, the Pfizer Gold line baby formula has been reformulated especially for babies who are unable to be fed from the breast.

“We have recently reformulated the Gold line formulas to be able to reach the best possible balance between nutrients,” she said. “We have reduced protein levels in our growth milk in order to support a proper rate of weight gain in children.”

She further explained that the Gold line formula for babies up to six months mimics breast milk with its inclusion of alpha-lactalbumin, the same protein found in breast milk.

She explained that Pfizer is also now launching a formula specially designed for babies with special needs, as well as soy for babies born to vegetarian parents