[wideminded]

The research showed that cereal introduction before four months of age increased the risk four times of developing diabetes autoimmunity, or the antibodies that are the precursor to type 1 diabetes.

Research also showed children who were not given cereal until after six months of age were five times more likely to develop diabetes autoimmunity.

Either there's a mistake here or you'd better introduce cereal to your baby at exactly 5 months.

[LibWhacker]

Another theory is that infants not fed cereal during the critical developmental stage between four and six months miss out on key nutrients involved in the development of the immune system.

[dagnabbit]

You're right. That paragraph makes no sense.

[ThePythonicCow]

Either there's a mistake here or you'd better introduce cereal to your baby at exactly 5 months.

Looks like the latter - cereal at 4 to 6 months.

Here are some other references for this same story, which state this more clearly:

• PRONEWS7 Medical Breakthroughs
• iVillage Diabetes News

The first reference above states:

The study findings appear in the journal of the American medical association. "We found that timing of the introduction of cereal in the infant diet might play a role in why people get diabetes autoimmunity or type one diabetes." diabetes autoimmunity is a precursor to diabetes. Children fed infant cereal between birth and three months of age were four times as likely to develop diabetes autoimmunity as children who were first fed cereal at the recommended four to six months of age. Not only that, but children who first ate cereal after the recommended age range were five times as likely to develop diabetes autoimmunity. "Not only is there an increased risk with a very early exposure to cereals, but there's an increased risk associated with waiting until a later age to introduce cereals." Harriet Austin’s six-year-old son Alex is at risk of developing diabetes because it runs in his family. Harriet Austin, mother: "it never occurred to me that feeding my child cereal within a particular developmental window would have any effect on his diabetes risk." but this new study says it may have an effect, so starting infant cereal between four and six months of age is the best advice.

[Ditter]

Thanks for clarifying that. I thought it was just me. LOL