In many cultures around the world, weaning progresses with the introduction of feeding the child food that has been prechewed by the parent along with continued breastfeed, a practice known as premastication.[4] The practice was important in human history in that it naturally gave a child a greatly improved protein source and also that prevents infant iron deficiency.[5] The prechewing of food also gives the baby long-term immunological benefits through factors in the mother's saliva.[4] However, premasticated food from caregivers of lower socioeconomic status in areas of endemic diseases can result in passing the disease to the child.[6]