Laurie writes:

>Hi all,
>I know we talked recently about a "new study" which was really a
>review article that got caught up in the media. It started people
>talking about or advising to start solids at 4 months instead of 6
>months. I'm not at work now, but I followed the discussion and the
>letters to the editor etc. What I hear from a nurse today who sees our
>lead pediatrician (a bf advocate, typically) is that she is being
>advised of a change in peds practice to start solids at 4 months
>(cereal and meat) for the iron. Was this a part of the recommendations
>after that review?


The review - which was talking from a UK perspective only, as it 
makes clear throughout - made no recommendations for a change in 
practice at all.

Their 'suggestions' were these:

"We suggest three prerequisites for devising such a pervasive public 
health recommendation in nutrition; similar to those adopted, for 
example, in the development of policies in other areas such as 
immunisation.

      1) An evidence based approach to appraisal of the available 
scientific data, after prior assessment of the adequacy of these data 
to support change in practice.
      2) A synthesis balancing the risks and benefits of the proposed 
intervention, accounting for a range of plausible outcomes.
       3) An auditing mechanism in place for detecting any adverse 
population effects of the recommendation once implemented."

They go on to say that SACN (our scientific advisory body which 
reports to the UK Department of Health) could commission a 
review/assessment (in fact, SACN already has something underway).

This is the UNICEF statement on solids age:

http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/items/item_detail.asp?item=680

  See also this:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/node/321

  Original BMJ article (see rapid responses for other views on it)
http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5955

Good overview of media coverage:
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/01January/Pages/call-for-breastfeeding-advice-to-be-re-examined.aspx

Hope this helps.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
-- 
http://www.heatherwelford.co.uk

http://heatherwelford.posterous.com

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