On 22/10/2004, at 9:24, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Got an e-mail from a friend who wonders about this scenario:  baby
> born at
> 8-9, is now 3 months old, exclusively breastfed, and weighs between 17
>  & 18
> pounds and is 25 inches long.

Is the baby healthy, in proportion and developing normally? It sounds
like she is the weight she is supposed to be.
Breastfed babies follow a different pattern: they usually grow faster
than artificially fed babies in the first 3-4 months, then grow slower
in the 3-4 months after that. If it were me, I would continue feeding
this baby normally and expect the growth to flatten out very soon,
rather than taking the risks of introducing foreign foods at this early
age.

> Of course, I don't think it is -- but I don't know that I have
> research to
> back it up (other than the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed
> for 6
> months).

Maybe I'm being dense,  but I don't see why you really need much more
than this. Normal feeding is exclusive breastfeeding. Anyone
recommending an deviation from the norm needs to support that with hard
data; we already have the hard data in favour of the norm (WHO, AAP
etc). The recommendations don't say "exclusive breastfeeding for six
months, unless the baby is smaller or larger or fussier or quieter than
average", they says "Exclusive breastfeeding for six months". Full
stop.

Lara

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