There are many posts in the archives from me about solids, so I won't
repeat my views here, except to say that the research suggesting that there
is a narrow window of opportunity for introducing solids which, if missed,
will lead to eating problems later on, is based on a tiny tiny sample of
mentally retarded children. There has never been any research on this
topic with developmentally normal children.
The current WHO/CDC/Ross Labs growth charts are NOT based only on
formula-fed children. Some of the children were breastfed for varying
lengths of time, and most all were started on solids before three months of
age. It is not accurate to say that the current charts reflect the growth
of formula-fed babies.
The breastfed children in the Dewey et al studies, who don't grow as well
as the charts, were, for the most part, fed on a 3-4 hour schedule, and,
for the most part, slept in a crib in a separate room from their parents
and were sleeping through the night by 3 months or so. Thus, given what we
know about how frequency of feeding increases the fat content of the milk
(Woolridge's work) and what we know about how co-sleeping increasesthe
frequency and duration of breastfeeding (McKenna's work) it is entirely
possible that the Dewey et al. breasfed children are growing poorly because
the breast milk is low in fat and they are not being nursed often enough.
We do not have research-quality growth data from children who are cue- or
demand-fed and who co-sleep, thus we don't know how they grow.
Universal statements about children not needing solids until one year of
age are not helpful in an international forum such as LactNet. The
statement may be true about some/many children in the US whose
breastfeeding mothers are well-nourished themselves, and who are feeding on
cue and co-sleeping, and who have immunizations, clean water and
antibiotics. The statement is assuredly not true about many children in
Third World countries whose mothers are marginally nourished and who have
no access to immunization, clean water or antibiotics. That is why the WHO
keeps insisting on a RANGE for the appropriate age for adding solids,
rather than a "one size fits all" approach.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. email:
[log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX 77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html
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