http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/14/six-months-breastfeeding-babies-scientists
This article is from 2011, so has this article talking about a study that found that EBF until 6 months or longer being harmful been talked about before ?
What are your thoughts on this??
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
Nothing terribly new to what I've usually heard (which makes sense if it's two years old). For me the biggest concern would be allergies so I'll be going with whatever my ped says on the matter.
My mil was aghast when I said we probably wouldn't start solids until close to 6 months though.
grapefruit / 4291 posts
Unfortunately articles like this tend to go for the most sensational angle!
I still think six months is a great guideline for introducing solids but like everything in parenting, some babies are ready earlier, some are ready later
papaya / 10473 posts
My ped said 6 months or later, due to the virgin gut theory. Breastmilk is more than adequate!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
Well, if it is IS harmful to wait, then Xander's screwed, because we already did EBF for 6 months before introducing solids! Oh well!
eggplant / 11716 posts
@grizz: @Kemma: what about iron levels and food allergies as discussed in the article? I also read somewhere else on HB recently that new guidelines were coming out in the US that recommend starting solids at 4 months, but now I can't find that post.
Anyone else heard of that?
grapefruit / 4800 posts
I remember this from when I was pregnant with LO1, I think like 3 out of the 4 authors worked as consultants for baby food companies.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10700337
eggplant / 11716 posts
@Maysprout: I read that too, but a girl in my mommy group looked up the lit review for the referenced study and found other, similar studies saying the same thing. And in the article I posted, the researchers address the issue of working for baby food companies.
eggplant / 11716 posts
2013 study on type I diabetes and intro of solid foods: h early and late first exposure to any solid food predicted development of T1DM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.91; 95% CI, 1.04-3.51, and HR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.26-7.24, respectively), adjusting for the HLA-DR genotype, first-degree relative with T1DM, maternal education, and delivery type. Specifically, early exposure to fruit and late exposure to rice/oat predicted T1DM (HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.14-4.39, and HR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.36-6.11, respectively), while breastfeeding at the time of introduction to wheat/barley conferred protection (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26-0.86). Complicated vaginal delivery was also a predictor of T1DM (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.03-3.61).
Conclusions and Relevance These results suggest the safest age to introduce solid foods in children at increased genetic risk for T1DM is between 4 and 5 months of age. Breastfeeding while introducing new foods may reduce T1DM risk.
eggplant / 11716 posts
2011 study links early introduction to solid foods related to obesity only in formula fed infants: Among breastfed infants, the timing of solid food introduction was not associated with odds of obesity (odds ratio: 1.1 [95% confidence interval: 0.3–4.4]). Among formula-fed infants, introduction of solid foods before 4 months was associated with a sixfold increase in odds of obesity at age 3 years; the association was not explained by rapid early growth (odds ratio after adjustment: 6.3 [95% confidence interval: 2.3–6.9]).
eggplant / 11716 posts
2011 literature review of relationship between childhood obesity and early weaning finds no strong link: Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Data from over 34 000 participants were available for interpretative analysis. No clear association between the age of introduction of solid foods and obesity was found. It is likely that a whole family approach to obesity prevention will be most effective and health professionals should continue to promote healthy infant feeding in line with national recommendations.
eggplant / 11716 posts
2009 study out of Finland: After adjustment for potential confounders, late introduction of potatoes (>4 months), oats (>5 months), rye (>7 months), wheat (>6 months), meat (>5.5 months), fish (>8.2 months), and eggs (>10.5 months) was significantly directly associated with sensitization to food allergens. Late introduction of potatoes, rye, meat, and fish was significantly associated with sensitization to any inhalant allergen. In models that included all solid foods that were significantly related to the end points, eggs, oats, and wheat remained the most important foods related to sensitization to food allergens, whereas potatoes and fish were the most important foods associated with inhalant allergic sensitization.
eggplant / 11716 posts
I'd always assumed I'd be waiting until at least 6 months before introducing solids. Now I'm not sure, and I don't always feel like my Ped is super up on the latest recommendations.
Anecdotally, my mom EBF my little sister till she was a yearbooks and she's the only one out of 6 siblings to have food allergies (nuts are the big one, but also eggs and dairy). I was the only other bf baby and I had solids at 6 months, the rest were ff.
eggplant / 11716 posts
And realistically, how do you introduce fish to an infant? Just,,, yuck. And how to introduce wheat?
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
My son was born abroad, and the first foods there are either carrots or pureed meats. I think it just goes to show you that no matter what you do or don't do, there is always information that both supports and contradicts you.
eggplant / 11716 posts
@looch: I know you are right... But I was just so set on waiting until 6 months or longer and now I'm wondering if I should start buying solids stuff-- we have nothing, not even a good food bib. Ugh. I don't even want to start solids.... But now I wonder if I should at 4 months. If my LOs head control is better, that is.
papaya / 10473 posts
This article explains why we've chosen to delay solids. Our pediatrician follows WHO guidelines and is the one who introduced us to information on the virgin gut theory. He is a huge advocate of "food before one is just for fun".
http://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/07/virgin-gut-note-for-parents.html
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@Anagram: honestly, it doesn't hurt you to be prepared. I would also look at what you want to do, purees or Baby Led Weaning. That will dictate what you need to buy, if anything.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@Anagram: I tried to introduce Xander to solids right at the 6 month mark and even then, he just wasn't ready!!! It wasn't until closer to 7 months that he was actually interested in eating solid food!! So even if you think you want to introduce at a certain time, your baby might dictate something different!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@Adira: so true, isn't it? I think we as parents forget that we are not the consumer in all cases, it's our kids!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@looch: Seriously! All these other 6 month old babies were eating solids like champs and had been for a while and then Xander was all "No thanks, I'm cool with just milk - please leave me alone!" It totally stressed me out! Babies can be so fickle. 
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