BDx13 - 10-19-2005 at 11:56 PM
http://theedge.bostonherald.com/healthNews/view.bg?articleid...
Long-held baby food rules called nothing but pablum
By Associated Press
Monday, October 10, 2005
Ditch the rice cereal and mashed peas, and make way for enchiladas, curry and even ? gasp! ? hot peppers.
It's time to discard everything you think you know about feeding babies. It turns out most advice parents get about weaning infants onto solid
foods ? even from pediatricians ? is more myth than science.
``There's a bunch of mythology out there about this,'' says Dr. David Bergman, a Stanford University pediatrics professor. ``There's not much
evidence to support any particular way of doing things.''
As research increasingly suggests a child's first experiences with food shape later eating habits, doctors say battling obesity and improving the
American diet may mean debunking the myths and broadening babies' palates.
``Parents have lost touch with the notion that these charts are guides, not rules,'' says Rachel Brandeis, a spokeswoman for the American
Dietetic Association. ``Babies start with a very clean palate and it's your job to mold it.''
Most parents are told to start rice cereal at 6 months, then slowly progress to simple vegetables, mild fruits and finally pasta and meat.
Yet experts say children over 6 months can handle most anything, with a few caveats: Be cautious if you have a family history of allergies;
introduce one food at a time and watch for any problems; and make sure the food isn't a choking hazard.
Dr. David Ludwig of Children's Hospital Boston, a specialist in pediatric nutrition, says some studies suggest rice and other highly processed
grain cereals actually could be among the worst foods for infants.
``These foods are in a certain sense no different from adding sugar to formula. They digest very rapidly in the body into sugar, raising blood
sugar and insulin levels'' and could contribute to later health problems, including obesity, he says.
Voodoobillyman - 10-20-2005 at 08:13 AM
This is good, thanks Big D. I will look into it further as we will be coming up on six months soon
RomanticViolence - 10-20-2005 at 08:15 AM
Good article duane!.
I think it's cool they're finding out stuff like this.. but i think that you should take it slow when introducing new foods to your baby.
I Started with the cereal and vegetables/fruits and my babies turned out great.
I don't know about feeding a baby enchiladas or hot peppers... to me that sounds like hours of gas and crying.. not a good time at all
upyerbum - 10-20-2005 at 08:18 AM
My "little" one has been eating steak since she was about 6 months old. She's a fucking giant. My mom starting me on pablum when I was 2 weeks old.
Feeding a kid will rarely hurt them.
BDx13 - 10-20-2005 at 08:54 AM
i mean, it makes sense, right? whether your talking about different places in the the world or different times in history, kids certainly don't
(didn't) get the same things they do now. i really like the idea of babies in india eating curry, or japanese babies eating raw fish!
as a result of our girl's extreme prematurity, she has a lot of hypo-sensitivity in her mouth, and has a pretty hard time adjusting to new textures or
consistencies of food. so at 18 months, she's still got a pretty basic diet of stage 2 baby foods, milk, juice, and cheerieo's. we make some stuff
for her at home now, but it's hit or miss as to whether she'll wind up choking on it. it's frustrating, but as she get's older, it's getting a little
easier. plus, we just got a speach and feeding therapist that comes four days a week, so that should help catch her up.
Terror Aesthetic - 10-20-2005 at 09:00 AM
best of luck with her man. youre blessed to have her.