Earlier, later – just in time!?

The breastfeeding world was startled by an article in The Guardian, discussing an article in the authorative British Medical Journal. The researchers state in this article that the worldwide advice to delay the introduction of solids to 6 months at minimum is wrong. Extensive review of the literature leads to a more of certain allergic symptoms if solids are not introduced before the age of 6 months, according to the researchers, who as adamantly deny any influence on their opinion from the connection more than half of them have with the jarred baby-food industry. Opposite to the European guidelines that solids are to be introduced only from the age of 6 months, many jars with fruit of vegetable mush are labeled as suitable from 4 months. (Also  in contradiction with European guidelines in many European countries solids are introduced as early as 4 or even 3 months of age. Formula fed children will receive solids at average a month before breastfed children, Belgian children the earliest of all. Most at risk for too early introduction to solid food are those whose mothers are young or from a low socio-economic status or who smoke.) The emphasis of researchers on the onset of allergies in order to decrease the age of introduction of solids is not to be compared to the vast risks of early introduction of solids, or rather early sessation of exclusive brestfeeding. For instance, early introduction of solids is strongly liked to later overweight and the risk to get some types of cancer rise with the decrease of months of exclusive breastfeeding.
Fresh review of evidence contradicts WHO guidance leaving campaigners outraged and mothers baffled
Boseley S: Six months of breastfeeding alone could harm babies, scientists now say. The Guardian, 14 January 2011
Seach KA, Dharmage SC, Lowe AJ, Dixon JB: Delayed introduction of solid feeding reduces child overweight and obesity at 10 years. Int J Obes, 2010, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.101
Schiess S, Grote V, Scaglioni S, Luque V, Martin F, Stolarczyk A, Vecchi F, Koletzko B, for the European Childhood Obesity Project: Introduction of Complementary Feeding in 5 European Countries. JPGN 2010, 50(1):92–98