Nursery World - Weaning policy queried as study finds breastfeeding risks

Feeding a baby exclusively on breast milk for the first six months of life could be linked to a higher risk of anaemia, food allergies and coeliac disease, according to a report published in the British Medical Journal.

Current guidelines say that weaning should occur at six months, but an evidence review of breastfeeding studies conducted by researchers at University College London's Institute of Child Health says that it may be better for some children to be introduced to solid foods from as early as four months old.

The Department of Health guidelines were adopted in 2003, following recommendations made by the World Health Organisation. However, the UCL report says that there was 'surprisingly little' scrutiny of the evidence base for such a 'major change' in public health policy.

Since the Government guidelines changed, the mean age for the introduction of solids increased from 15 weeks in 2000 to 19 weeks in 2005, according to the UK 2005 Infant Feeding Survey.

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