Current recommendation on introduction of weaning food for babies affirms that nothing other than breast milk  should be given to a baby until they are 6 months old. Now…This has been put into question…

Most mothers, very often urge the Paediatricians to “yes” for starting the solid foods early for their babies. They  show their keenness in starting the solids. Paediatricians have  resisted that urge of the mothers, for decades.They have spent an awful lot of time, advising the parents not to start the weaning food early.

Now study done in the UK proves that parents are right. Babies introduced to solid weaning foods early, slept much better and longer, woke less frequently at night and encountered fewer serious sleep problems, than those exclusively breastfed until 6 months of age….

This study is titled as “The Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) study ”


This is not the first time the current advice of “delayed weaning” has been put into question.

The main reason why delayed weaning is advised is to avoid food items that potentially could cause allergy later in life, if they were introduced early in life. But that idea has been proven to be wrong from multiple studies
 
Weaning recommendations
Introduction of solid weaning food into the diet of healthy babies between the age of four and six months is safe and does not pose a risk and does not result in ill health.
Continue to breast feed while solids are introduced

Offer  babies a range of textures as soon as possible.  Pureed food to start with and go onto soft finger foods from around six to seven months of age
Start Iron rich foods such as spinach early ( at 6 months )
Food charts are not mandatory to a successful weaning process.
“It is the process of trial and negotiated settlement between the smart mother and the cute baby”