Introduction of solids

Fewtrell et al caused quite a bit of fuss with their review of dated literature on the introduction of solids and their claim that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is outdated. Despite the expert comments in the professional journals and on the WWW, media keep on publishing articles for the lay public. The persuasiveness of the Fewtrell-crew, of which ¾ are or once were paid by the baby-food industry, is so huge that some governmental agencies and health institutions already change their advice back from 6 to 4 months to start solids. And all that because some allergic reactions seem to be less after earlier introduction of other foods than mothers milk. This completely fails to take into account the much more substantial risk of much more serious illnesses and conditions that can be caused by too early introduction of solids. Especially in the light of the, in the Western World, pandemic proportions of overweight (along with the accompanying conditions as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases) it is important that as many children as possible are exclusively breastfeed for 6 months and then being sensitively introduced to family foods while breastfeeding continues to be the primary food source up till the first birthday. Campaigns against overweight aimed at schoolchildren and adolescents come too late, even preschool age is late. Anzman et al found that interventions to prevent overweight in school children and adolescents for most of them come too late and that we’d better start focusing on pregnant women and parents of infants. Seach et al found that early introduction led to an increase in overweight in 10 year olds, as did parental smoking around the time of birth. Besides nutrition sleep is an important factor for healthy growth and development of infants and toddlers as well. At Harvard Nevarez et al studied factors that influence sleep duration in children up to 2 years. They concluded that factors that led to decreased infant sleep (up to 1 hour a day) at 12 and 24 months included maternal depression, early introduction of solids (<4m), the child watching TV, and child day care use.
Fewtrell M, Wilson DC, Booth I, Lucas A: Six months of exclusive breast feeding: how good is the evidence? BMJ 342:doi:10.1136/bmj.c5955 (Published 13 January 2011)
WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO child growth standards based on length/height, weight and age. Acta Paediatrica 2006;Suppl 450:76-85.
Ruth A. Lawrence. Childhood Obesity (Formerly Obesity and Weight Management). August 2010, 6(4): 193-197.
Nevarez MD, Rifas-Shiman SL, Kleinman KP, Gillman MW, Taveras EM: Associations of Early Life Risk Factors With Infant Sleep Duration, Academic Pediatrics, 10:3, May-June 2010, Pages 187-193
Seach KA, Dharmage SC, Lowe AJ,  Dixon JB: Delayed introduction of solid feeding reduces child overweight and obesity at 10 years. International Journal of Obesity , (25 May 2010)
Anzman SL, Rollins BY, Birch LL: Parental influence on children's early eating environments and obesity risk: implications for prevention. International Journal of Obesity 34, 1116-1124 (July 2010)