Systematic Review of the Association between Early Solid Food Introduction and Childhood Obesity Risk

This dataset supports a systematic review examining the association between early introduction of solid foods (before 4 months of age) and the risk of childhood obesity. Seventeen observational studies were included following a comprehensive search across five major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar). The review applied the PRISMA 2020 framework and assessed study quality using validated tools (ROBINS-I, AXIS, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale). Findings suggest early solid food introduction is modestly associated with increased BMI or overweight risk, particularly in formula-fed infants and those with shorter breastfeeding durations. Due to heterogeneity in study design, definitions, and outcomes, a narrative synthesis was conducted. All extracted data, PRISMA checklist, and quality assessments are included.