The idea of solid food before 6 months does not scare me if it is in
the context of self-feeding, a.k.a. baby-led weaning.  An infant who
only self-feeds solids will not start solids before their motor skills
are ready, and in the very early months very little food will actually
pass into their bodies.  It's a small step up from receiving
breastmilk flavored with mom's diet, and I do think it is reasonable
to train up the gut and immune system this way.  I do worry that
giving the OK to food before 6 months will permit feeding babies foods
in types and quantities that are not readily digestible for them.  I
also worry that with so many of our babies having damaged guts,
encouraging the biological norm in feeding might not be as healthy as
playing catch-up with the societal norm we actually have.

-Rosemary McNaughton, LLLL
Northampton, Massachusetts, USA


2009/5/15 Wendy Blumfield <[log in to unmask]>:

> 2) if one looks carefully, the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for six months and then with continued breastfeeding give suitable solid foods is unchanged.
> 3) what is changed is that they recommend that babies be given "tastings" of other foods from 4 months in order to expose infants to allergens on the basis that they can handle them better later on.    They also recommend that breastfeeding mothers not restrict their diets to preclude allergens unless there is severe cows milk intolerance.
> The issue is allergy prevention not nutritional supplements.
>

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