Researchers studied the baby feeding practices of medieval Italian families by examining tooth samples from 64 adults who lived between the 1100s and 1400s. Using a special technique that reads chemical clues in teeth, they discovered that boys were breastfed for shorter periods and switched to solid foods earlier than girls. Interestingly, this difference in feeding practices didn’t seem to hurt girls’ health or survival. The study suggests that families may have treated boys and girls differently based on the social roles they were expected to have as they grew up, but these feeding differences didn’t create the health problems historians once thought might explain why there were fewer women than men in medieval Europe.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether the way medieval families fed their babies and young children—specifically how long they breastfed and when they introduced solid foods—was different between boys and girls, and whether this might explain why there were more men than women in medieval Europe.
  • Who participated: 64 adults (both male and female) who lived in three medieval towns in Tuscany, Italy between the 1100s and 1400s. Researchers studied their teeth, which still contained chemical records of what they ate as babies and children.
  • Key finding: Boys were breastfed for about 4-9 months less than girls across all three towns studied. Boys stopped breastfeeding around age 2.2-2.3 years, while girls continued until about 2.6-3.0 years old.
  • What it means for you: This research suggests that medieval families made different choices about feeding boys versus girls, likely based on what roles they expected them to have as adults. However, these feeding differences don’t appear to have harmed girls’ health or survival, so they probably weren’t the reason there were fewer women in medieval Europe. This is a historical study that helps us understand ancient family practices rather than providing modern health advice.

The Research Details

Scientists examined tooth samples from 64 adults who lived in medieval Tuscany. They focused on the first molars (big teeth that grow during childhood) because teeth create a permanent record of what a person ate as they grew up. The researchers used a technique called stable isotope analysis, which detects tiny chemical differences in tooth material that reveal what foods were eaten at different ages.

The technique works like a timeline written in the tooth itself. As a tooth grows, it records the chemical signature of the food being eaten. By analyzing different layers of the tooth from the center (formed when the child was very young) to the outer edge (formed when the child was older), scientists can figure out when a child stopped breastfeeding and started eating solid foods.

The researchers studied people from three different medieval towns to see if the patterns were consistent. They compared the results between males and females to look for differences in how boys and girls were fed.

This approach is important because it gives us actual physical evidence of what happened in the past, rather than just guessing based on old writings or assumptions. Teeth don’t lie—they preserve a chemical record that scientists can read hundreds of years later. This method is much more reliable than trying to guess what families did based on historical documents, which often don’t mention everyday details about feeding babies.

The study examined samples from three different locations over several centuries, which strengthens the findings by showing the patterns were consistent across different communities and time periods. However, the sample size of 64 people is relatively small, so the results should be considered preliminary. The study is published in a peer-reviewed journal (PLoS ONE), meaning other scientists reviewed it before publication. One limitation is that we don’t know if these three towns were typical of all medieval Europe, so the findings may not apply everywhere.

What the Results Show

The most striking finding was that boys were consistently weaned (switched from breastfeeding to solid foods) earlier than girls across all three medieval towns studied. In Aulla, boys stopped breastfeeding around 2.2 years old while girls continued until 2.6 years. In Badia Pozzeveri, the difference was larger: boys at 2.3 years versus girls at 3.0 years. Montescudaio showed a similar pattern with boys at 2.2 years and girls at 2.9 years.

This difference of about 4-9 months is consistent and meaningful. It suggests that families made deliberate choices to feed boys and girls differently during their early childhood. The researchers believe this likely reflected the different social roles that boys and girls were expected to have as they grew up in medieval society.

Interestingly, when the researchers looked at what foods were eaten, both boys and girls consumed very similar diets early in life. The differences only became noticeable after weaning, when children started eating more varied foods. This suggests that the difference wasn’t about the quality of nutrition but rather about the timing of when families introduced solid foods.

The study found evidence that breastfeeding and weaning patterns changed over time across the medieval period studied (1100s-1400s). This suggests that feeding practices weren’t fixed but evolved as society changed. Additionally, the researchers noted greater variation in diet among children after they were weaned, meaning that once solid foods were introduced, different families fed their children somewhat differently. Before weaning, however, all children had very similar diets, which makes sense since they were primarily breastfeeding.

Historians have long noted that medieval Europe had more men than women in the population—an imbalance that seemed unusual. Some researchers suggested that girls might have been fed less well or weaned too early, which could have made them more likely to get sick or die. This study challenges that idea by showing that girls were actually breastfed longer, not shorter. This suggests that poor feeding practices for girls probably weren’t the reason for the imbalanced sex ratios that historians observed.

The study only examined 64 people, which is a relatively small sample. We don’t know if these three medieval towns were typical of all of medieval Europe, so the findings might not apply everywhere. The study also can’t tell us why families made these feeding choices—it only shows that they did. Additionally, the research focuses on people who survived to adulthood, so we can’t know if the feeding patterns were different for children who didn’t survive. Finally, stable isotope analysis can tell us when weaning happened but can’t tell us other details about how families cared for their children.

The Bottom Line

This is a historical research study, not a modern health study, so it doesn’t provide recommendations for how to feed babies today. Modern pediatricians have evidence-based guidelines about breastfeeding and weaning that are based on current health science. However, the study does suggest that medieval families had flexibility in their feeding practices and that different approaches didn’t necessarily harm children’s health. If you’re interested in infant feeding, consult with your pediatrician about what’s best for your baby based on current medical evidence.

This research is most interesting to historians, archaeologists, and people studying medieval Europe. It may also interest parents curious about the history of infant feeding practices. However, it shouldn’t influence modern feeding decisions, as medieval practices and modern health knowledge are very different. Modern parents should follow current pediatric guidelines rather than historical practices.

This is a historical study with no timeline for modern benefits. It describes what happened 600-900 years ago and doesn’t predict future outcomes or health changes.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • While this historical study doesn’t apply to modern feeding, a nutrition app could track breastfeeding duration and weaning timing for parents interested in documenting their own infant feeding journey and comparing it to historical patterns for educational interest.
  • This research doesn’t suggest behavior changes for modern users. However, it could be used in educational content within an app to help parents understand the history of infant feeding practices and appreciate how modern guidelines are based on scientific evidence.
  • For historical interest, users could log information about their own family’s feeding practices and compare them to the medieval patterns described in this research as a way to understand how practices have changed over time.

This is a historical research study examining medieval feeding practices from 600-900 years ago. It does not provide medical advice for modern infant feeding. Parents and caregivers should consult with their pediatrician or healthcare provider for current, evidence-based recommendations about breastfeeding, weaning, and infant nutrition. Modern medical guidelines are based on contemporary scientific research and are different from historical practices.