Getting to grips with weaning

I don't know about anyone else but I have heard and been given so much conflicting advice on weaning in the last few weeks I wanted to track down the evidence for myself.

I confronted my hv today and try to get her to give me a straight answer but she couldn't.  Hv's have been given an NHS directive from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that states babies should not been weaned until they are 26wks old which is at the end of the 6mnths.  However, should it be felt the infant needs more food before then 16-17wks is acceptable to start weaning.  Exclusive Breast or Bottle feeding is adequate nutrition until then.

I asked what this assumption was based on and neither the Nursery Nurse or hv could tell me, they had just been given the NHS directive and were following it blindly.  So this afternoon I have spent ages trying to track down the research behind this and the authority behind it.  I found a report after hours of searching, the full report is here: http://www.euro.who.int/document/WS_115_2000FE.pdf I will try and summarise.

There is still no clear answer in this report whether you should wait until 6mnths or start at 4mnths it swings between the 2 ages.  The one thing it does state is weaning should not take place before 4mnths.  Studies have shown that babies do not increase greatly in weight if they are mixed fed before 6mnths ie bottle/breast and solid food.  All nutrients and trace elements they need before 6mnths can be found in breast/formula milk.  The biggest reason for not weaning before the 6mnths is intestinal upsets or belly ache to us normal people.  As we all know you have to sterilise babies stuff, food can not be sterilised, therefore carries bacterias.  Babies are susceptable to infections and bacterias found in foods, can make a baby very poorly.  Baby food is served mostly at room temperature which is the optimal temperature for bacteria to grow.

Having said that, the study shows that in 1996 at least 2% of babies in the UK had had some solid food by the age of 8wks.  What I have come to realise is that we are on our own when it comes to weaning.  The powers that be can not agree.  After having told me 4mnths at the earliest my hv said Ollie is quite a big boy he might benefit from weaning early, when pushed though she wouldn't say to do it before 4mnths, more than her job is worth....

We come under pressure from our parents and other mothers to wean early as that is what they did and certainly in the past it was acceptable to wean at 8wks.

Sorry this is a bit of an essay but I feel strongly that we should be given an informed choice and I don't believe we are being given that from health professionals at the moment.

This is a members article written by MumSam