Why wean at 6 months - help needed

[JoshandJamie]

I am doing some research on weaning at 6 months - and specifically want info on why it's better from a health point of view. I know loads of debates have been had on this subject already and I'm not trying to start another one, I just want to read up on some of the arguments both for and against. So if you have any links or info you can share, please can you post them.

this link has links

woops, link is a bit old.

here is newer one

Thanks - that was the one I was looking for. Knew I'd read it before. Any others?

Another question - in that dept of health thing it says the following:

Introducing solids before sufficient development
of the neuro-muscular co-ordination (to allow
the infant to eat solid foods) or before the
gut and kidneys have matured (to cope with
a more diverse diet), can increase the risk of
infections and development of allergies such
as eczema and asthma.

BUT it doesn't say when the gut and kidneys maturation and neuro-muscular co-ordination happen. It doesn't specifically say that this only happens at 6 months - and in fact it says:

Parents should be advised of the risks
associated with weaning before the neuro
muscular co-ordination has developed
sufficiently to allow the infant to eat solids.
Solid foods should not be offered before
four months (COMA 199423). However, if an
infant is showing signs of being ready to start
solid foods before six months, for example,
sitting up, taking an interest in what the rest
of the family is eating, picking up, and tasting
finger foods then they should be encouraged.

So from this can you surmise that although it is preferable to wait until 6 months, the gut/kidneys/neuro-muscular bits are okay after 4 months?

Josh&, I think if you are looking for evidence that solids before six months definitely harms the gut etc in some quantifiable way, you won't find it. All you can do is to look at observational studies that compare many babies who have had solids before/after six months and which list the health outcomes.

You need to go to the original papers, not the DoH re-interpretation of them (not that I am saying this is faulty in any way).

Follow up the refs in that DoH leaflet mears linked to, and look specifically at Cochrane. In addition, look for later stuff such as the paper here

Good luck with this.

More stuff here - kellymom

this discussion paper might be helpful

Thank you all. Now i'll just go sit quietly in a corner and let my head explode.

Hiya

Gave my 18 week DD some EBM and baby rice today. I had been thinking about weaning her earlier than DD1 where I waited for the recommended 6 months and had a nightmare - she was fussy, wouldn't eat, and just wanted boobie... I was afraid that if you leave it til 6 months then they know their own minds and refuse food. Alarmed by the links above :-(

Anecdotal MN evidence suggests that age at weaning has little to do with fussiness later - some babies are just fussier than others - they're all different!

Sounds a bit like dd1 wasn't really ready to be interested in food at 6mo - if getting plenty of bf they shouldn't be hungry for food anyway, just eager for the new experience.

Have a look at the baby-led weaning threads to see how some people do it but be warned - they might shock you even more than the WHO guidelines.

There is no research to link 6 mths with fussiness over food - quite the reverse.

The guidelines constantly refer to exclusively breastfed babies yet they are now adopted wholesale. what should a bottlefeeder do? Is the damage already done? Does any research look at increased incidence of various health problems in bottle fed babies who are weaned earlier?

Yes, puffling - there is some research which looks at the effect of early weaning on formula fed babies, but not much. Seems it's not a good idea for formula fed babies, either, though.

why would you wean earlier than necessary? it's time-consuming, messy and less good for the baby. honestly, what's the point? novelty of weaning wears off after the first couple of spoons have been slopped down yr spotless new t-shirt, you've changed yet another nappy from hell and you've spent hrs pureeing only to find yr LO won't even try it!