Doctors recommend starting solids at 4 months

[xXHopeXx]

I saw this today..

Solids minimise baby food allergies

what do people think of this? makes me wonder whether i should start my DD earlier than 6 months if she's showing more signs of being ready?

[Swoop]

I'm a bit skeptical... We did bls but following DD's lead started very slowly at around 4.5 months. Now at 20 months she has asthma, is showing signs of eczema, and a new food allergy or intolerance seems to show it's face every day. I always wonder if she might have been better off if we'd made her wait til 6 months.

It's the age old debate, isn't it?!

[Liz]

I think it's best to go by whether baby has signs of being ready such as losing the tongue thrust reflex, can sit up unassisted etc.

[Lisa]

I agree with Liz that I wouldn't start solids until they are sitting up unassisted. Lucinda is starting to sit unassisted but I am not starting her on solids until 6 months.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Liebs started around 5m and has eczema and cow milk intolerance - but had these pre-solids too.

We started food when he could sit up and stick it in his mouth and eat it. Because he was ready. I was happy to go for a year before introducing solids, Liebling was not.

[onthefly]

I reckon it's best to wait till baby is ready and able to eat. Allergies are just one piece of the puzzle (and there are lots of other variables involved there)
Heinz et al will be clapping with glee With the recommendation dropped to 4 months, a significant proprotion of parents will start from 2-3 months. I think that's probably the best reason to leave the official guidelines unchanged. Many parents don't wait till 6 months now anyway, with a significant number starting at 4-5 months, so they're already hitting the 'allergy sweetspot', apparently.
Anyway, maybe it's time to go out and buy shares in the baby food companies

[Asparagus and Lemons]

Pfft!!!
That's all.
Only mother knows when baby is ready.

[Epacris]

This is the advice put out by the ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) last year.

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy - ASCIA INFANT FEEDING ADVICE

It does say 4-6 months but also clearly says not before 4 months.

I think they key new recommendation with regard to allergies is that:

- There have been some suggestions that delaying introduction of foods may actually increase (rather than decrease) allergy, however at this stage this is not proven.
- There is insufficient evidence to support previous advice to specifically delay or avoid potentially allergenic foods (such as egg, peanuts, nuts, wheat, cow's milk and fish) for the prevention of food allergy or eczema. This also applies to infants with siblings who already have allergies to these foods.

And with regard to breastfeeding:

Exclusion of allergenic foods from the maternal diet has not been shown to prevent allergies.

[luna moth]

Pfft!!!
That's all.
Only mother knows when baby is ready.

Even that's not foolproof. My baby only eats because I can't stop her. She's not 6 months yet, and I had wanted to wait.

[Roryrory]

I agree with Liz that I wouldn't start solids until they are sitting up unassisted. Lucinda is starting to sit unassisted but I am not starting her on solids until 6 months.

Only thing I would say to that is some babies may be ready for food but can't sit up unassisted. My DH was apparently 9 months before he could sit alone, as he has a very long back. But he had teeth and was self-feeding by that age, apparently.

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

DS is allergic to some tree nuts, we started solids at 6 months. You have to be careful with trying to feed your baby foods to overcome an allergy. Do so with medical advisement. I have heard of many stories of where parents thought they could raise the immunity by slowly giving the food only to cause a severe allergy. Then the baby was not be able to eat it for a really long time, if at all, because of it.

DS was allergic to egg when he was a baby, we didn't give it as per medical advice for a long time and now he can have it.

[Twin Sister]

I think 4 months is too early personally but both my kids were not ready at that age. DS started at 6 months and DD....well we tried to start her at 6 month but she was not ready, and it has only been in the last few weeks (she is now 10m) that she has shown real interest and started actually eating some of the things we offer.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

We know that any breastfeeding reduces the risk of allergies. And we know that early introduction of solids correlates with the early cessation of breastfeeding (before 6 mnths food tends to displace breastmilk in the child's diet - they don't want as much breastmilk if they are filled up with solids.
We are far from knowing the real causes of allergies.The World Health Organisation review the evidence every 2 years and have found no evidence to change the guidelies.

[courts&munchkins]

Well dd is 4 months next week and she is nowhere near ready. I started my boys at about 5 months when they were trying grab food off our plates. I'll probably wait and do the same thing with her.