Piggybacking on Kathleen Auerbach's comments, I quote often from a study
that was done at Baylor, I think, (I don't have notes in front of me)
that indicated that breastfed babies 9 mos and younger - when they were
given solids that their intake stayed roughly the same re: calories, etc
but the amount of breastmilk they ingested was diminished and since that
should be the primary source of nutrients in the first year that this
should be considered when introducing solids.

It amazes me that it's taken all this time for the medical community and
studies specifically to 'catch up' with what La Leche League
International has been saying for 40 years and now someone wants to
suggest going backwards?

In my over 20 years working with mothers and babies I have seen mothers
relax a bit and watch the baby not the calendar re: solids and have seen
especially in the last 10 years that babies (in general) when they are
left to their own devices tend to not be interested in solids until they
are closer to 7-9 mos, and even longer if they tend toward allergies.

Knew one family that found that their 3rd child, a son, got sick any time
they tried to introduce anything other than breastmilk, and they check
him out with a well-known pediatrician/author and were told he fit the
general pattern for being food intolerant, so they relaxed and followed
their son's lead - at about 14 mos. he just went wild and started eating
anything in sight - with no allergy problems.  Imagine if they had
followed the recommendations of this particular study and had started him
on solids at 3 months. . . .

Are the children is this study being followed long term to check for
allergies, other health issues, as others mentioned.  I'd be interested
to see what issues they are dealing with as adults.

Katherine Catone, LLLL, IBCLC