Delaying Solid Food for Breastfed Babies: The Risks

Many breastfeeding activists, or "lactivists" are waiting longer and longer to introduce solid food to their breastfed babies. While the process of waiting beyond the first few months to give a baby solid food is very beneficial, it can be risky to delay solid foods beyond the first seven months or more.

There are important benefits in delaying solids beyond the first few months. Breastfed babies who are given solids very early, before four to six months, run a risk of nutritional deficiency because solid food tends to replace, not supplement, breastmilk in a baby's diet. When solids are delayed until five to seven months of age, a baby will benefit from all the nutritious goodness of breastmilk, and less-nutritious solid foods will not crowd out the important benefits he needs from breastmilk.

Additionally, because some highly allergenic foods like peanuts and egg whites are likely to trigger lifelong allergy problems if they are given to very young children, it is recommended that they not be given to babies until specific milestone birthdays (the specific dates may depend on the opinion of the child's own pediatrician). Some studies also indicate that breastfed babies who do not eat solids until six months of age will have fewer allergies in general.

Many parents think that, because there are benefits in delaying solids until five to seven months, the benefits will be compounded if they wait nine months, a year, or even as long as eighteen months before giving their babies solid food as opposed to an exclusively breastfed diet. However, no research indicates that a baby whose solid meals are delayed for a full year is any less prone to allergies than a child who starts eating baby food at six months.

Nutritionally, there may also be disadvantages to delaying solids. It is certainly true that breastmilk is the perfect baby food, as it has the highest concentration of nutrients necessary for building a healthy child. While it changes composition to meet each child's needs and is still a very healthy source of nutrition for children of all ages, breast milk should not be an exclusive source of nutrition for older babies and toddlers, and solids should be the primary source of calories, vitamins, and minerals after roughly 12-18 months of age.

As a baby grows, his need for calories, iron, and zinc increase rapidly after about six months of age-- around the time when the majority of babies will begin to willingly feed themselves if they are allowed to do so. However, the quantity of breas tmilk produced will only rarely be sufficient to keep up with the needs of a baby beyond this age, and a baby whose solid meals are delayed until after nine months or a year runs a risk of iron deficiency, zinc deficiency, and failure to thrive. Delaying solids in attempt to prevent nutritional deficiency will often cause the very condition it was intended to prevent.

Delayed introduction of solid foods for breastfed babies can also cause them to reject foods later on, since they do not become accustomed to eating a variety of textures in their first year of life. As toddlers, they may continue to refuse solids, instead preferring to nurse constantly, and may run a higher risk of malnutrition and calorie deficiencies as they grow older.

Still, depending on specific circumstances, some pediatricians may recommend delaying solids in breastfed babies with certain medical conditions or family histories. Any parents who have questions about the benefits and risks of delayed introduction of solids should contact a certified lactation consultant or their child's pediatrician to determine when the best time is to begin offering solid foods.