The duration for which exclusive breast-feeding is adequate. A study in Jordan

The object of this study was to determine the length of time for which exclusive breast-feeding supported adequate growth in a cohort of infants from families in and around Amman, Jordan. The infants were described as "faltering" if their incremental growth over 4 weeks fell below -2 standard deviations of the increments reported by Fomon in the USA. The infants were examined every 2 weeks until they faltered, or, without faltering, were started on supplementary foods. In general, up to the time of faltering, growth was satisfactory by international standards. The median time of faltering was 6 months. The results support the view that, at least in this relatively well-nourished community, exclusive breast-feeding is satisfactory for 4-6 months. However, further examination is needed of the risk factors that lead to early faltering in some breast-fed children.