Do you want the "official" line on solids, or what we've found in practice?
The official line says that breastmilk is the preferred exclusive food for
babies until the "middle of the first year of life".  That is clearly open
to interpretation.  Now, mind you, in the time that I have had kids (and I
have a 8.5 yr, almost 4 yr, and  10 mo old) the AAP has changed their
position twice (One of the reasons that fortified cereal is recommended is
because of the fear of anemia; but that doesn't make sense when we look at
the bioavailability of iron in brst mlk).  The unofficial side of me (not
that I represent the AAP or LLLI) is that I've seen several babies thrive
exclusively on brst until after their first birthday.  Again, I think we
really need to stress that parents "watch their babies" for signs of
readiness.  The fact that our society sells reclining high chairs so you can
spoon food into their mouths while they are lying down drives me nuts.
Personally, after buying all sorts of expensive organic baby food with my
first and having to give it away, I found that kids who are really ready for
solids don't need baby food.

Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, IBCLC, CHES
HSR & Educational Consultant   email: [log in to unmask]
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