MYTH: RICE CEREAL SHOULD BE YOUR BABY'S FIRST FOOD.
reality: Not necessarily. While rice cereal has traditionally been recommended as an ideal first food because it's low-allergy and a good source of iron, it's fine to offer other foods first. "You don't have to do cereal, then vegetables, fruit, and meat last," says Nancy Krebs, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.
In fact, the latest research shows you may want to consider meat for your baby's first bites. It's a particularly rich source of iron and zinc, both of which breast milk doesn't provide enough of, and your baby's stores of them become depleted by 6 months of age.
MYTH: SOY FORMULA IS AS GOOD AS COW'S-MILK FORMULA.
reality: Not true. Cow's-milk formula is the best alternative to breast milk because its protein is closer to that in breast milk. "Soy protein is completely different from animal protein, and human infants are made to grow on animal protein," says Frank Greer, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics's (AAP) nutrition committee.
Soy formula is safe, but usually not needed. For instance, parents often switch gassy babies to soy formula in the hope that they'll be more tolerant of it, but soy isn't easier to digest than cow's milk. For babies who have a confirmed coVs-milk allergy, soy is an alternative, but a better bet is hydrolysate formula, in which cow's-milk proteins have been broken down so as not to cause a reaction. Soy formula is generally only advised for healthy, full-term babies who are being raised as vegans and aren't breastfed, and babies with galactosemia, a metabolic disorder that makes them unable to digest a sugar in cow's milk.
MYTH: IRON-RICH FORMULAS CAUSE CONSTIPATION.
reality: They don't. Infant formulas contain as much iron as they do because it's not well absorbed. The amount babies get is not enough to cause constipation -- and it's sorely needed, since iron is crucial for your baby's physical and mental growth. In fact, some formula companies have recently discontinued their low-iron formulas.
MYTH: STARTING SOLIDS EARLY WILL HELP YOUR INFANT SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT.
reality: Unlikely. Despite what you may have heard, newborns don't wake up throughout the night only because they're hungry; they wake up because they're not developmentally ready to sleep for longer stretches. "By four months, most babies are able to sleep for five to six hours or more," says Laura Jana, M.D., coauthor of Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed With Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup. "If s in part due to a maturing of the central nervous system." Weight and size may also be a factor. "My experience has been that as babies get bigger, they sleep longer -- and bigger newborns often sleep through the night faster, too." One reason for this maybe that smaller babies have to eat more often to catch up in terms of weight gain.
So don't rush solids. Experts recommend that you wait until 4 months at the earliest, and ideally until 6 months. And don't be tempted to add rice cereal to the bottle at night. This will cause your baby to take in unnecessary calories and increase her risk for obesity -- and it won't help her sleep any longer.
MYTH: ONCE YOUR BABY STARTS SOLIDS, HE WON'T NEED MUCH BREAST MILK OR FORMULA.
reality: When babies first start eating solid food, they don't tend to take in enough calories and nutrients to replace either type of milk just yet. Breast milk or formula should still be their most important source of nutrition throughout the first year. Even as your baby eats more solids, hell still need at least 20 ounces of breast milk or formula a day until he's I. If he isn't drinking enough, offer the breast or bottle first at mealtimes, when he's hungriest.
ADDED MATERIAL
Photographs by Gregor Halenda
Peas, yum! Just squish before serving
POP QUIZ! TEST YOUR NUTRITION KNOW-HOW
1) WHICH BABIES NEED VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS?
a) all babies
b) breastfed babies
c) preemies and low-birth-weight babies
d) b and c
Answer: d Some pediatricians recommend a daily multivitamin for all babies, but the AAP suggests it in just a few cases. For instance, breast milk is lacking in vitamin D, so babies who are exclusively breastfed need vitamin D drops starting right after birth. And premature infants and those who weigh less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces at birth need a multivitamin with iron; they require extra nutrients, since they're growing so much faster than other newborns. Being born early also means preemies may not have built up their stores of iron in utero as much as full-term babies have.
One nutrient many experts suggest for all babies: DHA, a fatty acid said to boost brain development and vision. Some formulas contain it, but if you're breastfeeding you'd be wise to take a DHA supplement to pass it on to your baby.
2) I KNOW MY BREASTFED BABY IS GETTING ENOUGH TO EAT IF:
a) he doesn't cry
b) he feeds for at least 20 minutes
c) he has 6 to 8 wet diapers a day
d) he nurses often
Answer: c Plenty of wet diapers means your baby is drinking enough to stay hydrated and gain weight. "What goes in is what comes out," says Ari Brown, M.D., author of Baby 417. Other good signs: If your newborn seems satisfied after nursing and is nursing 8 to 12 times a day. But the definitive measure is a steady weight gain.
3) MY BABY JUST TURNED 1, SO SHE SHOULD BE SWITCHED TO:
a) whole milk
b) 2% milk
c) skim milk
d) any of the above
Answer: a The recommendation is that children need full-fat dairy until age 2 because fat is important for a young child's brain development; afterward, you can switch to 2% or skim milk. But this recommendation might be changing. Because of the high rate of childhood obesity, there's been a lot of talk in medical circles about switching to lower-fat milk sooner -- and recent studies suggest it may be the way to go. "More and more people are realizing it's safe -- and often healthier to do -- especially if your child's weight is a concern," says Dr. Krebs. Just make sure to consult your pediatrician and watch that your child's growth stays on track.
4) MY CHILD'S A PICKY EATER BECAUSE:
a) he sees me being fussy
b) it's in his genes
c) he's not offered new foods enough
d) all of the above
Answer: d A major factor in kids' reluctance to try new foods is genetics; in other words, picky eaters beget kids who are picky eaters. But that doesn't mean your fussy child is destined to shun veggies or nonwhite foods forever. Let him see you eating a variety of foods (yes, your example has an impact) and keep offering him foods you want him to eat. Research has shown that the more a child is offered a food, the more likely it is he'll come to like it. But it may take a while -- as many as 10 to 15 exposures -- so be patient.
5) A SIGN OF A FOOD ALLERGY IS:
a) a pimply rash
b) eczema -- a red, scaly rash
c) coughing
d) a hive (itchy bump on the skin)
Answer: b and d These symptoms, as well as vomiting and diarrhea, can appear within seconds, or as long as 24 hours, of eating an offending food. That's why experts recommend that when introducing solids, you wait three to four days between new foods to see if your child has a reaction. But the reaction wouldn't be a pimply rash -- that's more likely a heat rash or one from an irritating fabric. And coughing suddenly after a feeding usually means food went down the wrong pipe. If your child coughs frequently after meals, however, tell your pediatrician because it could be due to gastroesophageal reflux.
6) WHICH FOOD IS A CHOKING HAZARD?
a) nuts
b) raisins
c) popcorn
d) all of the above
Answer: d Young children's small throats and lack of a full set of teeth mean they can choke easily on many foods. Even if you think your child has a handle on chewing well, you can never be too sure -- many kids bite off more than they can chew. Avoid giving any child under 4 smooth, round foods like nuts, hard candies, whole cherry tomatoes, and grapes (peel and cut them into quarters). Hot dogs are a choking hazard, too. And always peel, pit, and cut up fruits and vegetables. Children's airways get bigger as they do, so most of these foods are safe to give kids by the time they're 4.
OUR DAILY FEEDING PLAN -- OPEN WIDE!
Every baby is different, but here's an estimate of what you can expect your child to consume each day as he grows from infancy to toddlerhood, according to most experts. No need to fixate on the numbers -- look to your child for cues that he's ready for the next step.
age formula/breast milk solids servings per meal
Birth to 18-24 oz 8 to 12 None N/A
2 weeks (2-3 oz nursings
per bottle)
2 weeks to 20-32 oz 6 to 10 None N/A
2 months (4 oz per nursings
bottle)
4 to 6 32-40 oz 5 to 6 1 meal/day 2 to 4 Tbsp
months (6 oz per nursings (optional) of cereal or pureed
bottle) Stage 1 baby food
6 to 9 24-32 oz 4 to 5 1 to 3 2 to 4 Tbsp of 2 foods(FN*)
moths 7 oz per nursings meals/day or up to a whole jar of
Stage 2 baby food
9 to 12 20-32 oz 3 to 4 3 3 to 4 Tbsp of
months (8 oz per nursings meals/day 3 foods(FN**) or up to
a whole jar of
Stage 3 baby food
12 to 15 16-20 oz 2 to 3 3 meals 1/4 of an adult
months (8 oz per nursings and 2 serving size
bottle) snacks/day
FOOTNOTES* Cereal, fruits, vegetables, meats, grains; transition from watery puree to a thicker or chunkier puree. You can go to combo baby foods (such as chicken and sweet potatoes) once you've given the individual foods.
** Same foods as above, plus table foods (see "Finger Foods" box)
For healthy recipes your big kids will love, check out Parenting.com/goodeats.
Parenting.com
13 GREAT FIRST FINGER FOODS
By 7 to 10 months, most babies can sit up and use their thumb and index finger to pick things up. That means they're ready for finger foods. Keep in mind that foods should be easy to chew or soften quickly in your child's mouth. But just about anything can be a finger food as long as you cut it small enough and cook it until it's soft. Some foods to try:
* banana slices
* avocado slices
* cooked peas
* small, peeled peach chunks
* shredded cooked chicken
* Cheerios
* cooked lentils
* macaroni or other cut-up cooked pasta
* cooked carrot slices
* small tofu cubes
* soft tortilla pieces
* cheese slices
* small bites of low-mercury fish, like tilapia
Gina Bevinetto Feld is a health writer whose toddler loves green vegetables.
FOOD STYLING: TONI BROGAN
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