Weaning guidelines

[Warwickmum]

I know that the guidelines to start weaning have been 6 months for ages but someone said that the guidelines have been changed in the last few weeks to start weaning at 4 months. I have spent ages trying to find a documented change but can't find anything. Does anyone know if this change has happened, or if it is just a hv interpretation of the 6 month guidelines?

It changed to between 4 and 6 months a while ago, but I still like the banana test - give child a piece of banana (pealed), and if they can get it to their mouth, and strat trying to eat it, they are ready for weaning

Thanks next phase. I am guessing this could be an interpretation then as 'they' said the advice is now to wean at 4 months, not wait until 6!

The food packets still say 4 months because the government won't push them to put 6 months on because that is a whole 2 months worth of buying food they don't need that could make babies sick that they would lose out on

I looked into this recently after someone said it on a thread on here. No, there has been no change in UK weaning advice. For years it was 4-6 months. Now it is six months.

There is a study into allergies which is testing they hypothesis that early weaning may help reduce allergies. I looked and it isn't due to even report its findings for a couple of years. At which point those findings will need to balanced with other issues - like gut problems or whatever- before considering whether to change guidelines.

Yes MrsMartin, be assured, I do get all the marketing hype about weaning at 4 months. My children all started weaning just after 6 months so it had no affect on me! I guess I'm just more concerned that the current guidelines (if they haven't been altered in the last few weeks as seems the case from the post below yours) may be being misinterpreted interpreted as 'weaning should be started at 4 months' by health professionals and passed on to new mums, many of whom I can imagine would not question the advice, as obviously it has come from a health visitor or similar who must surely know what the correct advice is!