Following
new WHO advice issued in 2001, the UK Department of Health now recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life as it provides all the nutrients a baby needs. Previous advice was that the majority of infants should not be given solid food before the age of four months and a mixed diet should be offered by the age of six months (COMA 1994).
The BDA Paediatric Group (click on Media Resources and then on Strategy and Policy documents) comment that infants weaned at or near six months will need to be moved onto a mixed diet more quickly than those weaned earlier to ensure continued development of normal feeding behaviour and continued nutritional adequacy.
Department Of Health.
Weaning and the Weaning Diet. London:HMSO1994 Report on Health and Social Subjects 45.
