change to advice re. weaning?

[KatyKat]

Had an interesting conversation with my HV today where she told me that they're looking to change the guidance on weaning, and are going back to it being recommended from 4 months rather than 6?

I asked why and was told that the WHO advice is designed more with 3rd world countries in mind, where breastfeeding is a better option up to 6 months as breastmilk is the only food that's guaranteed to be sterile, and food poisoning can be extremely dangerous before a child is six months old.

However, the general concensus is that many children are ready for solids well in advance of the six month mark, and that in this country where food hygiene is much better/easier it's perfectly acceptable to wean from 4 months?

Has anyone else heard anything like this? I thought it seemed odd given that the six month guidance has been in the headlines a fair amount recently, but then they're always changing the goalposts so I suppose I shouldnt be too suprised............

 

[whoops]

In Ireland, current guidelines are 6 months for breastfed babies, and 4-6 months for formula fed.

 

[sapphire1]

I've heard rumours about that too, that they're going to change it to somewhere between 4 and 6 months. I started weaning Holly at 5 months and spoke to the gp first to get his go-ahead (she has various health issues). He said that from 4 months is ok for formula fed babies, but didn't go into why for breastfed babies it should be nearer to 6 months. Maybe someone else knows?

 

[CharlieKeys]

Yep i've seen a few BBC articles on it going back and I've been told by loads of mums nad my HV it's going back to 4months.

 

[starrybean]

It would be a lot easier if they just said wean between 4-6 months and use your own judgement as to when your lo is ready!

 

[Gingerspice]

basically if a baby if BF their gut it 'virgin'. BM does not pass through the gut walls as until 6 months they're kind of holey. Whereas FF babies will already have these things passing through their gut as Formula does this anyway so as their gut will have already had things passing through then additional stuff is unlikely to cause any upset, whereas BM babies may as well keep their gut 'virgin' for as long as possible as they don't *need* to have food from a nutritional perspective. I'm sure somebody ca explain that all much better though.

 

[amy19604]

i havent heard anything like this but i wish they would make up their minds! my first 2 were weaned at 4 months as that was the guidelines then, but i cant imagine if id of had to wait till 6, esp if they only have breastmilk in that time. but i am going to try and wait till at least 5 months with this baby

 

[KatyKat]

It would be a lot easier if they just said wean between 4-6 months and use your own judgement as to when your lo is ready!

I agree - it's like everything else with babies, they all progress at their own speed. It's not like suddenly at six months they're ready and off they go!

 

[MissPiggy]

Had an interesting conversation with my HV today where she told me that they're looking to change the guidance on weaning, and are going back to it being recommended from 4 months rather than 6?

I asked why and was told that the WHO advice is designed more with 3rd world countries in mind, where breastfeeding is a better option up to 6 months as breastmilk is the only food that's guaranteed to be sterile, and food poisoning can be extremely dangerous before a child is six months old.

However, the general concensus is that many children are ready for solids well in advance of the six month mark, and that in this country where food hygiene is much better/easier it's perfectly acceptable to wean from 4 months?

Has anyone else heard anything like this? I thought it seemed odd given that the six month guidance has been in the headlines a fair amount recently, but then they're always changing the goalposts so I suppose I shouldnt be too suprised............

YES!!! i have heard this!! and coming from a mummy who had to start at 16weeks...totally agree xxxxx

 

[stardust599]

Yes, Macy's paediatrician and paediatrician dietitian said this too. They didn't agree with waiting until 6months+ actually but I won't go into it or I'll probably upset someone.

I think they're changing it to say something along the lines of between 4 and 6 months whenever your LO shows signs of being ready such as.... (I actually don't know what the signs are lol)

x

 

[whoops]

It would be a lot easier if they just said wean between 4-6 months and use your own judgement as to when your lo is ready!

Agreed. That's what I'm personally doing, but I'd feel a lot easier if the UK guidelines were the same as the Irish - I'm paranoid about weaning too early, even though my LO's starting to show signs of being ready and I've been told I can go ahead.

 

[Katt]

I do wonder if the formula companies are behind some of the rumours.

Either way, they are only guidelines. You know your baby best!

 

[New Mrs W]

Yes I've heard it. Try to remember that guidelines are just that -guidelines rather than something to be stuck to.rigidly. Obviously there are some "guidelines" such as the SIDS prevention ones that I have stuck to like glue but I felt that I knew my baby well enough to know when he was ready for food etc. And also, when most of us were babies the advice was 4 months and we're all pretty much ok! X x

 

[MissPiggy]

Yes I've heard it. Try to remember that guidelines are just that -guidelines rather than something to be stuck to.rigidly. Obviously there are some "guidelines" such as the SIDS prevention ones that I have stuck to like glue but I felt that I knew my baby well enough to know when he was ready for food etc. And also, when most of us were babies the advice was 4 months and we're all pretty much ok! X x

Speak for yourself

 

[Rósa]

My HV also said to me, I should wean caitlin at 6 months as she is breastfed, but if she was formula fed i would start at 4 months !

 

[KatelynsMummy]

I think they should say 4 month + and stick to it... every baby is different some dont want weaning til 7 month and some want weaning at 4... it can get very confusing if they keep changing it!

 

[bigbetty]

Had an interesting conversation with my HV today where she told me that they're looking to change the guidance on weaning, and are going back to it being recommended from 4 months rather than 6?

I asked why and was told that the WHO advice is designed more with 3rd world countries in mind, where breastfeeding is a better option up to 6 months as breastmilk is the only food that's guaranteed to be sterile, and food poisoning can be extremely dangerous before a child is six months old.

However, the general concensus is that many children are ready for solids well in advance of the six month mark, and that in this country where food hygiene is much better/easier it's perfectly acceptable to wean from 4 months?

Has anyone else heard anything like this? I thought it seemed odd given that the six month guidance has been in the headlines a fair amount recently, but then they're always changing the goalposts so I suppose I shouldnt be too suprised............

I posted a thread in the weaning section about this very subject and put a link to an article I had read that discussed it. The thread was called "interesting reading on what age to start weaning" if you want to see the article and the the replies I got xx

 

[summer rain]

I do wonder if the formula companies are behind some of the rumours.

Either way, they are only guidelines. You know your baby best!

They are (along with some baby food companies), they are the ones hosting these big HV conferences anyway where the HVs come back from them and start saying 'that some people are saying that the age should be changed back to 4 months'. I have seen on pages of said companies that those lecturing about the supposed change to 4 months at these conferences are none other than the contributors to the study in January. There have been similar rumours since the age was changed to 6 months, the government is due to review the weaning age next month but its a routine review; they do it every few years not a reaction to the study in January or any other 'new' information (which when you look into it isn't actually new information at all). I am not anti formula or baby food but it does stink that these big companies are putting profits before the majority scientific consensus and thus the health of babies. Anyway as far as I know since the age changed to 6 months most HVs were saying anytime after 17 weeks is ok anyway and for years they have been sending letters out regarding 'how you may look to wean from 4 months so we are doing x weaning course but the WHO advises weaning at six months' and some of the NHS literature has always said that as well. Most studies do show benefits for EBF for 6 months for BF babies not just for babies in the developing world but ALL BF babies, also with BF babies not only do they have the stores of BF until at least 6 months (some studies have shown that in some healthy full term babies they last a few months longer than that) but the iron in BM is more 'bio-available' than in formula or solids; and if synthetic or other iron is introduced too early then it can rapidly deplete the bio-availability of the iron in breastmilk.

ETA: The NHS know many parents will wean before 6 months anyway; but by making the advised age six months; it does discourage those who would have weaned even earlier than 4 months; I have read the number of babies having solids before 4 months has fallen from 83% pre-2003 to I think it was 51% after. Still too high; but a big improvement. If the age is changed to 4 months being the optimum I do think it will lead some parents to think that a few weeks before 4 months can't do any harm...

 

[PepsiChic]

a very good and informative post summer rain, thankyou!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

yeah funnily enough Ellie had her neonatal check up today and I was so upset that she has lost 1lb in a week as she is off her solids after her op and the paed said that he was attending a meeting in the next few weeks regarding this issue but he wasnt sure what the outcome would be xx