Well, other foods are *not* more important than nursing. That's the attitude
of someone who sees breastmilk as food only. But it isn't just food. It's
immunity, it's growth factors, it's an expression of love.

I think the introduction of food should be a natural process, based on the
baby's show of readiness. Some of us have tangled about this before, but the
easiest way to allay the pediatrician's anxiety (the mother should charge
for this--I hope his insurance covers it), is to introduce meat, because
that will make him/her breathe easy about the iron.  If it's being done, no
worry. A hemoglobin of 10 is almost certainly normal at this age, especially
if it's coming up from the "physiologic anemia" of a couple of months
earlier. Why was it done?

Check the handout on starting solids at the websites below.

The baby does not need vitamins.

http://www.erols.com/cindyrn/drjack0.htm

http://www.bflrc.com/jn_arts.htm

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC