Thoughts on Baby Porridge

Geordie is exactly right. One of the risks of starting food early is allergies. [u'>[b'>Now I don't care particularly what you do to your child but [/b'>[/u'>... Allergy Risk Tied to Early Solid Foods Exclusive Breastfeeding for Six Months Is Protective, Top Allergy Group Says July 28, 2006 -- New moms should breastfeed exclusively for six months to help protect their babies against developing food allergies later on, one of the nation's leading allergy and asthma groups says. Solid foods of all types should be avoided for the first six months, and certain items -- like cow's milk, eggs, fish, and nuts -- should not be introduced until even later, according to a consensus statement on infant feeding released this week by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "It is important to understand that we are talking about exclusive breastfeeding, with no formula, soy or anything else," researcher Amal Assa'ad, MD, tells WebMD. "This appears to be important for protecting against allergies." The ACAAI committee came up with its recommendations afte Really ! ! ! but you went to the trouble to Google, read and then Cut & paste here! Kudos for your concern!

Geordie is exactly right. One of the risks of starting food early is allergies. Now I don't care particularly what you do to your child but ... Allergy Risk Tied to Early Solid Foods Exclusive Breastfeeding for Six Months Is Protective, Top Allergy Group Says July 28, 2006 -- New moms should breastfeed exclusively for six months to help protect their babies against developing food allergies later on, one of the nation's leading allergy and asthma groups says. Solid foods of all types should be avoided for the first six months, and certain items -- like cow's milk, eggs, fish, and nuts -- should not be introduced until even later, according to a consensus statement on infant feeding released this week by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "It is important to understand that we are talking about exclusive breastfeeding, with no formula, soy or anything else," researcher Amal Assa'ad, MD, tells WebMD. "This appears to be important for protecting against allergies." The ACAAI committee came up with its recommendations afte

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me! Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs. Don't understand what's your problem if she doesn't want follow what you have provided. My two both started at 5.5months. Didn't have any issues. No need to be rude,Dollymadison. Each to their own.....this forum is to share ADVICE.....and NOT about imposing your views... As most have indicated, each to their own, each child is different...different things work for all.....as for researches....always take them with a pinch of salt, as after few months there would be a NEW Research which contradicts the existing one! Exactly, research changes on a regular basis. I would love to know how many of these researchers actually try living with a hungry, crying baby long term. totally agree.. our grandparents survived.. our parents survived.. and we survived.. and back then nothing was safe.. seriously get a grip of yourself.. And I'm probably going to be shot for this, but I don't feel that there were ever the same amount of allergies and illnesses then as now.

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me! Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs. Don't understand what's your problem if she doesn't want follow what you have provided. My two both started at 5.5months. Didn't have any issues. No need to be rude,Dollymadison. Each to their own.....this forum is to share ADVICE.....and NOT about imposing your views... As most have indicated, each to their own, each child is different...different things work for all.....as for researches....always take them with a pinch of salt, as after few months there would be a NEW Research which contradicts the existing one! Exactly, research changes on a regular basis. I would love to know how many of these researchers actually try living with a hungry, crying baby long term. totally agree.. our grandparents survived.. our parents survived.. and we survived.. and back then nothing was safe.. seriously get a grip of yourself..

Just in case I was confusing in what I wrote, even at 6 months you do not want solids to result in lower milk intake, and it should always be milk feed first and solids offered after, until at least 9 months. After 12 months milk tends to complement solids, but at 6 months solids are definitely the dessert not the main. You might also want to look into the "from 6 months" formulas, that is a whole other can of worms ;) but they are not better for your baby than the from birth formulas and have cheaper ingredients that are not allowed in the from births. Since you are giving formula, your baby is already receiving iron supplementation, it is harder for a baby to get their nutrients from a vegetarian diet as they do not tend to be consume the quantities necessary so milk will be particularly important and eggs are a valuable source of protein and nutrients. Obviously it is personal choice but I know a lot of my vegetarian friends actually did give their babies meat since the nutrition is so important at that age. Try not to rely on a grain based diet, you will need to do your research into nutrient dense weaning foods.

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me! Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs. Don't understand what's your problem if she doesn't want follow what you have provided. My two both started at 5.5months. Didn't have any issues. No need to be rude,Dollymadison. Each to their own.....this forum is to share ADVICE.....and NOT about imposing your views... As most have indicated, each to their own, each child is different...different things work for all.....as for researches....always take them with a pinch of salt, as after few months there would be a NEW Research which contradicts the existing one! Exactly, research changes on a regular basis. I would love to know how many of these researchers actually try living with a hungry, crying baby long term.

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me! Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs. Don't understand what's your problem if she doesn't want follow what you have provided. My two both started at 5.5months. Didn't have any issues. No need to be rude,Dollymadison. Each to their own.....this forum is to share ADVICE.....and NOT about imposing your views... As most have indicated, each to their own, each child is different...different things work for all.....as for researches....always take them with a pinch of salt, as after few months there would be a NEW Research which contradicts the existing one!

Feeding a baby solid food to "get it through the night" is purely for your own convenience and quite selfish, actually. Yes and I've just amended it to say she was ready as she was desperate to get a hold of and suck on whatever I was cooking in the way of veg. If I hadn't given her solids at this stage my GP was beginning to worry about her and it was due to an excellent HV that I / we made the decision. If you've ever had to deal with a permanently crying baby at 4 months old, who has absolutely nothing wrong you would realise that beginning solids early was a blessing in my case.

Feeding a baby solid food to "get it through the night" is purely for your own convenience and quite selfish, actually. A mother already feels like she is not doing enough for her child.. then you come here and rub it in their face.. just give them a break wil you.. you are like on fire today.. putting everyone down? seriously what is your problem.. you fed your children at 6 months good for you.. people want to start at 4 let them... i fed mine at 6 even tho the doctor told me to start at 5.. but i didn't listen because according to MY research i was convinced.. some are not... jupiter.. consult your peds and do what you feel is right.. good luck

Feeding a baby solid food to "get it through the night" is purely for your own convenience and quite selfish, actually. Yes but if the baby is waking more hungry than normal then who's being selfish. Only a mum knows what is best for the child and why criticise what someone is doing that is different to you. Op came on here for genuine advise not for you to sit and judge everyone.

Feeding a baby solid food to "get it through the night" is purely for your own convenience and quite selfish, actually.

Different things for different kids. Both have grown up healthy and happy with no allergies or problems. My attitude and that of my Health Visitor was, go with how you and the baby feel. Happy baby happy mum :) I second that, the most important thing is that you do what you feel is right. If you think baby is ready for porridge at 5 months then go for it.

There is debate amongst health professionals regarding how dangerous and beneficial starting solids at 4 months is vs waiting until 6. At this stage though, based on the current research,the guidelines HAVE NOT changed. The major health bodies (American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organisation etc) review all the research and their guidelines are based on that. For various reasons (premature birth, premature cord clamping etc) some babies may have nutrient deficiencies before they may be physically ready for complementary foods, in that case supplements can be added to their milk if neccessary. Since babies do develop differently, it is quite likely that some babies will be developmentally ready for solid foods before 6 months, if you are informed as to the reasons why the guidelines exist (i.e not reducing milk intake, potential for malnutrition due to nutrient poor weaning foods and avoiding gut infection)then you are more able to make an informed choice that is safe for your baby. If you are unsure, there is no risk in waiting even if your baby is ready for solids. In a nutshell if your baby can crawl over to a piece of food, pick it up and eat it themselves then they are probably developmentally ready for food, (my babies both actually could do this at 5 months although I still delayed until after 6 months and my daughter actually showed little interest in eating despite be able to self feed until she was close to 10 months) if you are propping them up with pillows and thinning food to the point where they are drinking it rather than eating it in order for them to take it then they are not really ready. Motor skills and desire to eat should be your guidelines as to readiness, not how your baby is sleeping. A baby who is not ready, but is hungry needs more milk (again milk is very high in calories, fat and protein). If you are breastfeeding and you feel there may be some reason your baby is not getting as much milk as they require, you might want to speak with a lactation consultant as to how you can get more milk to them. Sometimes there are obstacles such as tongue tie, sometimes babies become distractable during the day and you may need to change the feeding environment so that they take longer feeds etc.You could add milk via formula but you would need to be mindful that your supply will not increase to match your baby's needs this way and may decrease if the formula is reducing the amount of breastmilk taken.

Both my DDs were BF until about 9 months old. One was having pureed veg as well as being BF from the age of 4 - 5 months, purely to get her and me through the day and night. It got to the point where she was up wanting to be fed every hour/hour and a half and no one was getting any sleep. And yes she was ready as she was more than happy to suck on whatever I was cooking in the way of veg. Youngest was fine and only BF until around 9 months old when she decided she wanted/needed more. Different things for different kids. Both have grown up healthy and happy with no allergies or problems. My attitude and that of my Health Visitor was, go with how you and the baby feel. Happy baby happy mum :) PS they never had "baby food" only whatever we were eating. edited by Geordie expat on 01/04/2014 <em>edited by Geordie expat on 01/04/2014</em>

Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs. Your intense beliefs are always a delightful addition to our discussions on EW, dolleymadison. You definitely add to the wide spectrum of views on the forum, which is one of the many reasons I love EW!

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me! Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs. Don't understand what's your problem if she doesn't want follow what you have provided. My two both started at 5.5months. Didn't have any issues.

OP, your original post doesn't say whether your bfeeding or using a bottle. If you're bfeeding you could try topping up with bottled milk which babies often find more satisfying. I was advised by everyone I know to start my baby girl on solids when she was 4 months old, as it would "make it easier to get her to eat properly". But it didn't feel right to me or my husband, partly because she enjoyed her milk and partly because I don't believe in forcing her to do things to make my life easier, so I continued bfeeding and then started introducing solids around 6 months, when she got curious. Only a few months later the expert advice changed and it was no longer considered best practice to start introducing solids at 4 months, so I'm glad I stuck to my guns. LO is now 2 and eats and develops really well. I stopped bfeeding at 8 months.

The first thing I'd like to mention is that eating 2.5-3 hour intervals is totally biologically NORMAL for a human baby (and most human adults eat that often too!), I'm concerned that you are maybe thinking to replace some of the milk feeds with solids, which is really not a good idea at such a young age. There are very few foods that are gram for gram (or ounce for ounce depending on where you are from) as packed full of fat, protein and nutrition as milk is. Porridge is absolutely NOT one of them. Babies under 6 months don't need more calories than they can get from milk, so when given solids there is a tendency for them to reduce milk intake. If you are filling them up on low fat, low nutrient, high starch bulky foods like rice or oats (I'm assuming by porridge you mean oats or some other grain?) then they are likely to overall have a lower fat diet and receive less of the important micro-nutrients they need for this period of rapid brain growth. This is one of the reasons the World Health Organisation give for delaying solids until after 6 months, and for giving either fortitifed (with vitamins added) foods or nutrient dense foods like eggs, meat and dairy daily as soon as you start solids. The other major reason WHO recommend waiting is that introducing solids increases the chance of your baby getting sick from gut infections, which can be dangerous in young babies. Once your baby is crawling then they are exposed to a lot of germs and bacteria on the floor anyway and from 6 months their stored iron (again important for brain growth)is often starting to deplete and they need to start replenishing it from either (and preferably) iron rich foods like meats or from fortified cereals so the need for iron/zinc rich food outweighs the dangers from gut infection. Despite what you might have heard, YES you CAN and SHOULD give meat from 6 months or whenever you start solids, research shows babies score higher on developmental tests when given meat as a first food from as early as 4 months. Again though, porridge/rice is not rich in iron and zinc unless it is fortified, so if you make your own, it will be nutritionally poor. Your best option is to give either a fortified cereal or real food which is nutritionally rich. I personally never gave baby rice, I feel it's better to get natural nutrients than eat what is basically pure starch (which babies don't digest well so they can get constipated and have sore tummies from gas) plus synthetic vitamins. When you do feel the time is right to add complementary foods (they should not be resulting in reduced milk intake, but rather given on top of the milk and always offered after a milk food not before, to make sure that this happens), then consider lamb, chicken, fish, eggs, as well as fruits and non starchy vegetables. Grains and starchy vegetables should be given only in small amounts. The wait until 6 months rule has nothing to do with allergy risk. The research as far as allergies shows that if solids are given before 4 months then there is increased risk. After 4 months the main factor in reducing allergy risk is breastfeeding with breastfed babies at lower risk of developing allergies to certain foods (gluten for example). You can cook lamb or chicken on the bone and puree it with a little broth, or if your baby is able to sit unaided and lean forward themselves then you can offer tender meat shredded for your baby to feed themselves. As a final note, it's better to introduce solids in the morning so you have the day to observe for any reactions rather than a midnight rush to emergency or having a baby who won't sleep all night because a certain food proved difficult to digest. Once you are sure a food is safe then you can offer an evening meal.

I fed my DS baby porridge and the cereals from Hipp (starting from 4 months) from the age of 4 1/2 months because he screamed his head of every time I took a spoon to my mouth. He was like a little birdy and just wanted to eat. We initially introduced it in the evening around 5pm and he was absolutely fine. No digestive problems or anything. However my little girl is now close to 6 months and she is still on solely milk as she has shown no interest what so ever in anything else. I'm sure both my children will be just fine whether they start solids earlier or maybe even at 7 months. You will know what's best and most probably your child will have a way to show you too.

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me! Fine. You go right ahead and discount the experts based on your own biased beliefs.

Thanks, dolleymadison. As I said, there are many views on this and many research studies done in different ways on different populations. You won't find a definitive answer in the medical journals. Sorry - but that's the reality of research studies. They all have biases and limitations. I believe that parents need to make their own informed decision. My view is based on talking to my pediatrician, my own research and my friends' experiences. That was enough for me!

My son was also super hungry at 5 months. he used to take feeds very frequently and i felt like i am just sitting and feeding whole day and doing nothing else. They are going towards growth spurt at 6 months so its natural for them to increase their food. As for starting solids in my opinion 6 months is the best age. till today i have not given any baby porridge to him. As daza said start from pureed vegetables like pumpkin or carrots. mine likes all types of vegetables even today (23 months old and he has started becoming fussy ) and wants soup atleast in 1 meal.just search some more and instead of porridge you can try cooked semolina in little fresh orange or apple juice but after 6 months.

I wouldn't start with porridge. Try proper food such as puréed butternut squash or pear. Feeding that often at that age is totally normal and doesn't on its own mean your baby is ready for food. If your baby is showing other signs too then they might be ready.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/25/news/la-heb-solid-food-for-infants-too-early-20130325 No Rawla, the latest is that babies should wait until 6 months. Read below: [b'>Four out of 10 mothers surveyed began feeding their infants solid food when they were only 4 months old and their still-developing bodies weren’t able to process it -- and more than half the moms said they had been advised to do so by a medical professional. [/b'> Those are the findings of a survey released Monday by the journal Pediatrics. Considering that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology all recommend that parents wait to introduce solid food until their babies are about 6 months old, the results suggest that many parents -- along with the doctors and nurses they rely on -- are woefully out of step with the latest medical advice.

Jupiter, I would check with your pediatrician first, but mine encouraged me to introduce solids from 4 months since DS was ready. The latest thinking is that babies can be introduced to solids anywhere between 4 and 6 months depending on their growth and nutritional needs. I even have a friend who started Cerelac at 3 months with her DS. While some of my friends make their own (mashed) food for their children, others rely on ready-made rice or what porridge. In all cases, the children are doing well. There are many views on this and IMHO you should do what works best for your child, after consulting your pediatrician.

Hi Ladies, I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on baby porridge please. I don't think it's as bad as baby rice. My 5month old is super hungry and still feeding at 2.5-3hr intervals, and I really feel ready for something more substantial. I'm thinking of introducing porridge with the evening feed in the hope he will sleep through/wake less, not just for my benefit, but for his too. :) Try some organic and healthy alternatives such as millet or spelt, there are many organic and natural types of porridges for babies starting 4 months that you can use. some baby are ready for weaning at 4 months and not necessarily at 6months. But it is always best to ask your pediatrician first :) But if you don't want to give rice, there are several options in the grains that are very helpful for babies post 4 months - AS LONG AS THE BABY IS READY, AND THE DR RECOMENDS IT :) GOOD LUCK!

That at five months he should be drinking milk not eating rice or porridge.

That it's a processed food and you should make your own.