> << how long would it be healthy for the child to exclusively receive
> breastmilk?>>

In "The Uniqueness of Human Milk" (I believe that is the name:orange
cover, slim booklet, LLL library - at least ours) by the wonderful
Jellifes, research is reported that showed deleterious effects of bm
only after 9-12 months, as determined by developmental evaluations.
This was in the early part of this century (the research, not the
book.)  Common sense and the anthropological record point to
introduction of foods sometime in the second half of the first year,
as Dr. Newman and LLL leaders everywhere say, "when the child
demonstrates an interest and readiness for solids": the ability to
sit up and to manipulate food digitally; no longer spitting the food
out (gag reflex); a sustained increase in desire to nurse without
fulfillment seeming to be reached (over a period of many days).

One interesting note:  one of LLL leaders, an ob's wife, bf her twins
exclusively for 14 months to no apparent harm; 2 factors worth
considering in this case:  twins, being developmentally younger at
birth (though hers were 7 lbs apiece) may have simply not reached
those developmental milestones until somewhat later; and, her other
children have a high incidence of allergies and her twins' bodies may
simply have been refusing problematic food until their digestive
systems were advanced enough to handle the stuff, as many LLL leaders
say, and for which there is in my experience as a leader a lot of
anecdotal evidence. (Allergic babies starting solids later than
expected by mom or doctor)

I do not think we should get so caught up in what we know are the
magnificent nutritional qualities of bm that we forget that
breastfeeding is one of many important normative behaviors for
humans, including the introduction and ingestion of solid foods at
some point at or after the second half of the first year, generally.

That said, I will digress to mention that personally my son was
extremely large (30 lbs and also tall, >99th percentile) and ate less
than a few tablespoons of food per day until he was well over a year,
yet continued on the growth curve begun as a fully breastfed baby.

One interesting addendum to this info was the Mothering magazine
article which reported research in which babies were given choices on
high chair platters of a variety of whole foods, and over a period of
a few weeks, the babies chose foods that nutritionally were perfect,
even though for two days they might choose nothing but banana, then
another day of all grains etc.

Another reason to listen to what babies have to say:  they are
usually right, if we can shut up for long enough to hear them.

Joy Berry-Parks            "Childhood decides."-Sartre
Anthropology student
LLL leader, LR AR Attachment
Parenting Group of Ar