Not giving solids to a year old

[beeper]

I have been reading on the benefits of not giving solids until a year old. DS2 is a 'big baba' and is six months old. Having lots of night feeds. Has anyone gone down this route of waiting and how has it turned out?

THX

I thought there were problems with the babies not getting enough iron after 6 months if solids aren't introduced, plus problems with developing their chewing (and therefore talking etc, presumably) muscles properly.

But I'm certainly not an expert and haven't read any other research on the matter.

DD2 didn't eat any solids other than the odd bit of soft fruit until after a year.

I kept offering food but she just never wanted it. Her weight was normal and she was bright and happy so we assumed everything was ok. She is now 2.5 and still doesn't eat a lot but is in fine fettle.

I think if you should watch your baby's cues and start solids whenever he shows an interest.

What are the benefits of holding off that you mention out of interest?

Have you got a link to what you've been reading?

Ds is 21 weeks and last week I was told by the health visitor (whose advice I frankly take with a pinch of salt after all her bilge about bf) that I had to start solids within the next month. WHen I asked why she was very vague but basically said that at 6 months babies needed solids and to wait would be A Big Mistake. I have been giving him some banana this week, and he has wolfed it down, grabbing the spoon and shoving it in himself. He is a big boy and has been waking up more than normal, and tbh I can't see him waiting til a year to give food. I am just confused as to why I am supposed to start weaning right now?

beeper, I'd be concerned about anyone deliberately delaying solids until the age of a year, and deeply unconvinced that this would have any benefits to most babies. A few babies may need to delay for medical reasons and some will not show much interest beyond a few nibbles and chewings for a while - but they should be given the chance of solids, as the evidence is most of them will need it, and will be demonstrating their own needs by happily accepting a range of different tastes and textures.

IIRC, there is no magical window

ie if you don't wean at 6 months your baby won't learn to chew/talk

i saw a great phrase on MN - food is for fun until they are 1; meaning that milk should still make up a large part of their diet anyway

i would be interested to see the research as well

Chewing helps them with speech, forming words too.

I would have thought chewing helped with chewing and speaking helped with speech, tbh.

xx

Not so. According to my extremely good HV. Chewing food makes your tongue and mouth muscles work in much the same way as speech does and babies usually chew before they start speaking. Chewing solid food will help babies/toddlers form their words. Makes sense to me.

This is from WHO pamphlet guiding principles complementarry feeding of the breastfed child

Practice exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months of age, and introduce complementary foods at 6 months of age (180 days) while continuing to breastfeed.

In environments where environmental sanitation is very poor, waiting until even later than 6 months to introduce complementary foods might reduce exposure to food-borne pathogens. However, because infants are beginning to actively explore their environment at this age, they will be exposed to microbial contaminants through soil, etc. even if they are not given complementary foods. Thus, the consensus is that six months is the appropriate age at which to introduce complementary foods

Start at six months of age with small amounts of food and increase the quantity as
the child gets older, while maintaining frequent breastfeeding. The energy needs from complementary foods for infants with ?average? breast milk intake in developing countries (WHO/UNICEF, 1998) are approximately 200 kcal per day at 6-8 months of age, 300 kcal per day at 9-11 months of age, and 550 kcal per day at 12-23 months of age.

In industrialized countries
these estimates differ somewhat (130, 310 and 580 kcal/d at 6-8, 9-11 and 12-23 months, respectively) because of differences in average breastmilk intake.

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They have a pamphlet for the non breastfed child, information is basically the same

I read it as saying you should start a 6 months

I downloaded the pdf's from WHO website, they are easy to find and interesting to read

Credit crunch, perhaps?

xx

PMSL, I do that Maria. Especially as I always give DD the nicest bits and it makes me cry when she chucks it!