As far as I know, anything saying "solids at 4 months" is outdated.  An easy guide is "The baby is ready on the inside when he's ready on the outside" - when the baby can pick the solid food up, get it to his mouth, swallow it, and reach for more.  

I've seen plenty of babies who didn't start solids until a year or later who were perfectly fine, but I'd also say that if the *mother* chooses the 12-month mark, she's committing the same error as the mother who starts spooning in puree at 4 months - she's taking over the baby's role.

Unless there's a family history of really nasty allergies, it seems to me to make the most sense to have baby-friendly options available daily from about 6 months on, and simply follow the baby's lead.  The baby I knew who fell on solids with actual shouts of joy at 6 months is just not built the same as the one who kept making faces when it was offered and slowly worked his way into a modest amount of solid food by 2 years.  One size doesn't fit all, and the only one who really knows a particular baby's need for solids is the baby himself.  All the research in the world won't help a mother figure out what the baby already knows. 

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY  USA
www.wiessinger.baka.com 

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