Welcome to LactNet Yvonne.  One of the first things you should do is learn
how to do archive searches, so you can read some of the conversations we've
had in the past about recommendations for adding solids.  I will just give
a brief response here.

Yvonne Lyn Choy Fun writes:

>A pediatrician friend of mine was not at all convinced when I informed him
>that babies should be exclusively breastfed for at least 6 mos. or more

He was right to be unconvinced.  4 to 6 months continues to be the World
Health Organization recommendation world-wide, with the 4 month end
applying to babies in adverse environmental conditions and the 6 month end
applying to babies in good environmental conditions.  Specific individual
babies MAY DO FINE on exclusive breastfeeding for longer, just as specific
individual babies may need to have solid foods started earlier.  But for a
general rule, one cannot say that "all babies should be exclusively
breastfed for at least 6 months or more."  This does not fit what the
research shows about the need for solids to ensure good growth and health.

>and
>that introduction of solids should not really start at 4 mos. of age which
>is usually recommended.

I also don't think most people recommend solids starting at 4 months as a
general rule.  Most pediatricians suggest the 4-6 month window.  The new
AAP recommendations say "about six months" with the "about" on the younger
side.

>Can anyone please site me some
>references whereby it states that an infant can actually breastfeed
>exclusively for 6 mos or more without being iron depleted, malnourished, etc?

The issue of iron deficiency is a separate one.  I do believe there is
research showing OK iron status with no solids before 6 months.  Again, for
specific children, exclusive breastfeeding for up to 12 months may be fine,
but not as a general rule.

Someone else wrote in response:
>Yvonne Lyn asked: Can anyone please site me some
>> references whereby it states that an infant can actually breastfeed
>> exclusively for 6 mos or more without being iron depleted,
malnourished,etc?
>
>WHO,  Division of Child Health and Development: Evidence for the ten steps to
>succesful breastfeeding, WHO, Geneva, 1998, is a book full of references
about
>exclusive breastfeeding, rooming-in, demand-feeding, risks of supplemntation,
>etc. Highly recommmended to use to slam unwilling HCPs around the ears with,
>perhaps even literally ;-)

The World Health Organization continues to stand by the 4-6 month
recommendation for the addition of solids to the diet.

If you want to contact them directly, send email to [log in to unmask] and he
will confirm this.





----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
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

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html