I often cite the references in LLLI's Breastfeeding Answer Book on
starting solids later than 6 months.
Naylor and Morrow (2001) examined four biological systems in mother
and baby: the baby's immune system, the baby's gastrointestinal
development, the baby's oral-motor development, and the effects of
breastfeeding on the mother's fertility. They concluded that the
appropriate time to introduce solids was six to eight months.
http://www.pronutrition.org/files/Developmental%20Readiness.pdf (44
pages)
Pisacane (1995) found that babies who were exclusively breastfed for
seven months or longer had significantly higher hemoglobin levels at
one and two years of age than breastfed babies who received solid
foods earlier than seven months.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7658275&dopt=Citation>
Borresen (1995) determined that many babies did fine with exclusive
breastfeeding past 6 months, and recommended that "In developing
countries, health authorities and non-governmental organisations
should actively endorse exclusive breastfeeding for eight to nine
months to protect infants against malnutrition and infections."
http://jhl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/3/201
As an LLL Leader, I have known many babies who did not start solid
foods until after 6 months. In my opinion it is actually quite
normal for 'ecologically breastfed' babies to go on exclusively
breastfeeding for 7-8 months, and 9-10-11 months is not unusual. In
the cases I am familiar with, it was clearly the baby's choice to
remain exclusively breastfed, and all of them grew and developed just
fine. In some cases, food sensitivities were an issue.
I am not at all concerned when a baby continues exclusively
breastfeeding as the first birthday approaches, as long as growth and
development are within normal ranges. And even if something seemed
to be amiss with the baby, I would not suspect exclusive
breastfeeding as the problem. I would regard it as a safety net
protecting the baby as we figure out the real problem.
The "Rapley Method" is my personal favorite description of how babies
should begin solid foods.
<http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/vast_voedsel/rapley_guidelines.html>
Margaret Bickmore
mom of 3, LLLL, APL
Longmont, CO USA
>Hi,
>I am the editor of the Swedish breastfeeding magazine 'Amningsnytt'
>and I would like to know how you think about introducing solids. The
>Swedish breastfeeding recommendation says that from around six
>months the breastmilk should be supplemented nutritionally. I would
>like your opinions on children who are not interested in other foods
>than breastmilk even after 6 months. Due to the latest national
>breastfeeding statistics, 1 % of children age nine months were still
>exclusively breastfed. Would you be concerned for the health for
>these children? How should parents think if their child shows no
>interest for solids at age 7, 8 or 9?
>Marit Olanders,
>editor of Amningsnytt
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