If anyone is a little confused by this message a few people were interested in some research links as to why the weaning recommendation changed from 17 to 26 weeks and I didnt want to be seen as causing an argument. Here are some of the studies that this choice was based on or have come after that choice.
I am only posting this as people asked for research based evidence not to make some kind of point. If you havent seen the other thread it is from a literature review done for my phd and is in a very draft form. Oh and was written when very sleep deprived with a 2 month old baby lol!
Some blurb and then the actual references...
In 2003 the World Health Organisation published a new set of guidelines for the complementary feeding of the breastfed child, changing its recommendations for the introduction of any complementary foods until at least six months of age with the guideline to ?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?.
This recommendation followed a detailed and comprehensive review of the effects of exclusive breastfeeding until four or six months upon the infant. Conducted by Kramer & Kakuma (2004), the results showed that whilst no deficit appeared to occur either in weight or length by exclusively breastfeeding until six months a significant reduction in risk of gastrointestinal tract infection was found. This finding thus prompted the World Health Organisation to recommend exclusive breastfeeding until six months.
Some questioned these guidelines suggesting that the infant would become deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, namely iron and zinc that breast milk alone could not provide. However, for the majority of healthy infants born full term with a well nourished mother breast milk alone should supply all the nutrients they need for the first six months (Fleisher, Weaver, Branca et al, 2000). Studies have shown that as long as mothers did not become deficient during pregnancy, iron stores in the infant are usually adequate for the first six months (Dewey, Cohen, Landa Rivera & Brown, 1998). Similarly the infant also appears to have sufficient stores of zinc for the first six months (Brown, Peerson, Rovera & Allen, 2002)
Others suggested that those infants delayed solids would become fussier and more difficult to feed. However Cohen, Rivera, Canahuati, Brown & Dewey (1995) compared breastfed infants who had been introduced to complimentary foods at either four or six months acceptance of foods at nine to twelve months. No difference in acceptance, amount or frequency of consumption of foods was seen between the two groups across the food groups of dairy, meats, eggs, grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and tubers)
Waiting until six months to introduce complementary foods has been shown to have additional benefits for the infant. Firstly, the infant is more developmentally ready for solid foods at six months (Naylor & Morrow, 2001) ? baby lead weaning approach (lower risk of choking, can chew better, feed self etc).
Other studies have also revealed additional possible health benefits in waiting until six months (rather than four) to introduce complementary foods including a lower risk of
Pneumonia (Chantry, Howard & Auinger, 2006)
Otitis Media (Chantry et al, 2006)
Respiratory infections (Khadivzadeh & Parsai, 2004)
Gastrointestinal infections (Khadivzadeh & Parsai, 2004)
Gastrointestinal infection (Kramer, Guo, Platt, Sevkovskaya, Dzikovich, Collett, Shapiro, Chalmers, Hodnett, Mezen, Ducruet, Shisko & Bogdanovich, 2003)
Lower risk of overweight (Kalies, Heinrich, Borte, Schaaf, Von Berg von Kries, Wichmann, Bolte & LISA Study Group, 2005)
Better motor development for walking and crawling (Dewey, Cohen, Brown & Rivera, 2001)
References
Chantry, C., Howard, C. & Auinger, P. (2006) ?Full breastfeeding duration and associated decrease in respiratory tract infection in US children? Pediatrics 117, 425 ? 432
Cohen, R., Rivera, L., Canahuati, J., Brown, K. & Dewey, K. (1995) ?Delaying the introduction of complementary food until six months does not affect appetite or mothers report of food acceptance of breast fed infants from six to twelve months in a low incoe, Honduran population? J Nutr 125, 2782 - 92
Dewey, K., Cohen, R., Brown, K. & Landa Rivera, L. (1999) ?Age of introduction of complementary foods and growth of term, low birth weight breast fed infants: a randomised intervention study in Honduras? Am J Clin Nutr 69, 679 ? 86
Fleisher, K., Weaver, L., Branca F. et al ?Feeding and nutrition of infants and young children. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Publications, European Series, No 87.
Kalies, H., Heinrich, J., Borte, N., Schaaf, B., von Berg von Kries, R., Wichmann, H., Bolte, G. & LISA Study Group (2005) ?The effect of breastfeeding on weight gain in infantsL results of birth cohort study? Eur J Med Res 10, 36 - 42
Khadivzadeh, T. & Parsai, S. (2004) ?Effect of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding on infant growth and morbidity? East Mediterr Health J 10, 289 ? 94
Kramer, M., Guo, T., Platt, R., Sevkovskaya, Z., Dzikovich, I., Collet, J., Shapiro, S., Chalmers, B., Hodnett, E., Vanilovich, I., Mezen, I., Ducruet, T., Shishko, G. & Bogdanovich, N. (2003) ?Infant growth and health outcomes associated with 3 compared with 6 mo of exclusive breastfeeding? Am J Clin Nutr 78, 291 - 5
Kramer, M. & Kakuma, R. (2004) ?The optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding: a systematic review? Adv Exp Med Biol 554, 63 - 77