Diane asks whether it is so, that the Scandinavian countries are long on
initiation but short on exclusivity and duration.
Can't speak for the others, and oddly enough there are distinct and
important differences in custom re: weaning foods.

Here in Norway it is common for babies to be exclusively BF for at least
four months.  Official recommendations were changed, to six months, last
December, in line with the WHO statement, though our Council on Nutrition
and Exercise (same department for both things) declined to recommend
continued BF throughout the second year of life and beyond.  They say
breastmilk should remain part of the infant diet at least for the first
year, and after if mother and baby like.  :-(

Still, very few babies are weaned completely before 9 months of age, and at
last count 40% of one-year-olds in Oslo were being breastfed.  We don't keep
national stats on when mothers actually wean if it happens after age one.
The schedule of well-child visits has a long break between 15 months and two
years, and mothers are not often asked at the two year check whether they
are breastfeeding.  After that, the next check is around age 4, and no one
asks then, but there are children who are still breastfed at that age and
beyond (I sometimes fear I know all of them!).

Here, iron-fortified cereal is the dominant first weaning food.  In Sweden
they give gruel in bottles, and I think the Danes start with potatoes.  I
have no clue what the Finns do (Sanna-Mari, help me here!).

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

             ***********************************************
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