4 or 6 months?

[wysiwyg]

I think Analytical Armadillo had a good article on this and also ABA perhaps.

I did BLW, didn't give food till 6 months but didn't prevent them taking it from my plate from about 5 months. From that point they could have any food at all and I do believe things like delaying eggs and milk etc and saying foods must be introduced in set order (many of my peers were introducing egg not until 10 months and then white before yolk or vice versa even when no family history of allergies) can have an influence on allergies. E.g. The delayed introduction to way after six months instead of being baby led right from six months.

Go with what you feel is right and from six months let them be exposed to if not eating a variety of foods.

[onthefly]

Nope, the recommendation is 6 months. It was updated earlier this year. It is not currently under review. It has not changed.

The reason it's 6 months isn't really anything to do with allergies, it's about ensuring babies get optimal nutrition and *don't* displace breastmilk with other foods until they're ready.
Babies' iron stores begin to deplete sometime after 6 months, so sometime in the 2nd half of their first year most babies will need a complementary source of iron. But this still doesn't necessarily mean babies need to be eating masses of food early on as breastmilk still provides the best and most complete nutrition until 12 months.