>In a message dated 97-08-24 22:02:56 EDT, you write:
>
><< I was fed solids at an outrageously early age by today's standards (like
> I think cereal by 2 weeks and all kinds of stuff by 6-8 weeks -- then they
> decided that I was "allergic to everything" and took me off everything for
> a while).  So even though I was breastfed, this early exposure to foreign
> proteins may have been implicated in my development of a leaky gut.
>  >>
>
>Good point.  This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that
>babies from allergic families be exclusively breastfed for one whole year.
> This means nothing at all except human milk for the entire first year.

I've never heard this position from the AAP.  They do recommend no milk
other than human milk, but I've *never* heard them recommending no solids.
Developmentally it's not a great idea because babies are "primed" to learn
to eat at around 6-9 months of age.  Giving no solids until the first
birthday *may* make sense from an allergy standpoint but not a developmental
one, IMO.  Of course allergic babies should be introduced to only the most
hypo-allergenic solids first.  Also, my baby was back to nursing every 2 hours
day and night by 6.5 months, when we finally introduced solids.  He really
did seem to need more than just breastmilk at that stage, although it took
several months for him to "get into" eating, and we never pushed (at 14
months he still eats only about 15 different foods, but now loves to eat
and is moving along well introducing 1-2 new foods/week).

Anyhow, if this is truly the position of the AAP I'd be very intersted
to see a reference!  My ped was barely supportive of what I thought the
official position was, of delaying solids until at least 6 months.

--Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/7/93 and Matthew 6/16/96)
** Check out the misc.kids.moderated RFD in news.grops! **