----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christine Bussman" 
> Babies are different.  They will be ready for solids at different ages. 
> All that research can do is tell us what is the _average_ age of 
> readiness.  Should we deny a baby solids when he is ready because he's 
> ready early?  Should we force-feed a baby solids before he is ready if he 
> becomes ready late?

I don't think 6 month is the average, but the lower end of average and that the average is somewhere in the second half year of life. I stand with Marianne on this: the gut needs those 6 months for closing enough to tolerate other foods than human milk and his gut function to be able to process non-milk foods. Just like a fetus needs the full 40 weeks, give or take a couple, to mature enough to be born and function well.

Warmly,

Gonneke, IBCLC, LLLL in southern Netherlands

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