comment about baby food?

Question

This is mainly for the people who think it is okay to go against what the doctor says and give their baby rice cereal and other baby foods before age 4 months. Pediatricians, who are licensed doctors, say that feeding your baby any "solids" before 4 months of age can greatly increase food allergies and can also cause them to have digestive problems, since their digestive systems aren't formed enough to handle these. What makes you, someone who isn't a doctor, think that it is okay to go against this and risk your childs health? It's even pushing it mildly at 4 months, because msot doctors think waiting until 6 months is best. if your child isn't "eating enough", then feed the baby more. Feeding a baby before it can even hold it's head up can have serious reprecussions, and some of you diseregaurd that because you want to, and it's ridiculous. I'm not trying to be mean, but you need to think about your child's heath first and foremost. Anyone agree?

"feeding a baby solids before it can hold it's head up" is what it was supposed to say.

I agree that everyone makes mistakes, including health care professionals... but not the ENTIRE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY. If it was just one or two doctors saying this, I would agree. But the entire Academy of Pediatrics are saying this, and you still think they're "making a mistake"???

Answer 1

Some of these answers remind me of my father's stance on smoking "I've been smoking for fifty-odd years, and I turned out fine, doctors don't know anything". By this logic, smoking isn't bad for you at all.

Still on the subject of smoking, in the 1950s my Nana was told by her doctor to take up smoking to help with post-natal depression. By all means, let's all follow medical advice from fifty years ago (as was suggested by an earlier poster).

Yes, the advice of doctors changes with the times. However, it's not as if it's a random decision. These decisions are reached after numerous studies, and learning from the mistakes of the previous generations. The fact that our parents and grandparents survived isn't proof that old medical advice was sound; it's proof of their good fortune. Because while they survived unscathed, others weren't so lucky. Would you want to risk your child being part of the latter group?

Even if the risk of complications due to early introduction to solids is only 10% (I'm just using this figure as an example, I don't know the actual percentage), you won't know if your child is part of this 10% unti it's too late. Why risk this by feeding the child something that isn't even an essential nutrient? Rice cereal is a filler, nothing more.

I'm curious, do parents who choose to ignore medical advice on this subject also ignore the warnings about feeding children under the age of one honey? I know that older family members have told me to put some honey on a dummy (pacifier) for my children to suck on. They are shocked to hear that it could potentially kill my children. Because it didn't hurt the older generation, right?

Answer 2

I am in the medical field and my doctor is also a pediatrician that is a licensed doctor and she told me to do it because all three of my kids had severe GERD. I work as a surg tech and have worked in peds. and most doctors recommend this for children with reflux. All babies are different. Enfamil makes a formula with added rice in it so I guess somebody needs to them tell them to take it off the market. Yes it is rice starch and not just rice but it still does the same thing and has the same effect it's just some people do not want to mess with adding the rice to the formula. Not everything preached in the world of medicine is right for everyone. Doctors do make mistakes I see it all the time. All three of my kids had rice put in their bottles and they all turned out fine. No allergies and no eating problems, in fact, my kids are great eaters.

Lactose intolerance is very common in infants. I was, my sister was, my mother was, all three of my kids are, and i've seen it several times in the hospital where i work. FACTS, maybe you should try to get some.

Answer 3

never!!!they r spacially created for a bobbing up toddler, as i think u r above 12yrs , ingesting toddler nutrition on a popular foundation is disasterous for ur well being . take my advice if u wanna shed pounds: a million)take out ALL junk from ur refrigerator 2)bypass to a food market and purchase purely sparkling friuts and vegetables 3)bypass to a nutritionist/dietion OR for the 1st week bypass on an all friut and milk eating regimen , 2d week initiate juices an vegetables 4)hit the well being center ,heavily that's the appropriate element u can do OR decide for a reliable long stroll for atleast 30min around the neighbourhood 5)if , after 6 weeks this does not help , u heavily would desire to bypass see a doctor , u would have a hereditory/ingesting illness or a ailment thats making u benefit weight 6)remember, my sixteenth b'day is bobbing up i'm 72kgs .i exchange into 97 a year in the past! u can do it too!!

Answer 4

i have fed everyone of my children baby cereal before they were 4 months all with advice from my dr. not all drs are the same and just for your info way back when they also said that your shouldnt give a baby any kind of solid until after they are 1 year now its 4 - 6 months obviously that changed because someone was wrong! all drs will tell you that the best time to start feeding your baby is when they show an interest in food if your baby is watching you bring your spoon, fork or whatever from your plate to your mouth when you eat the it doesnt hurt to try some foods out. they can have allersies to anything just because you do they cant prove it all comes from feeding your child when your baby gave you the signs they tell you to look for!

Answer 5

Doctors RECOMMEND babies try to eat at 6 months instead of 4 to help PREVENT allergies. Does't mean if you feed earlier that your child will get them. Also because it's safer for a child who can sit and support their head to swallow properly. As with any child, their are EXCEPTIONS. Pediatritions do recommend starting a weak mixed cereal for REFLUX to thicken their stomach contents. Simply, use SOUND JUDGEMENT and RESEARCH if your not %100 sure. Remember, YOUR the PARENT, not the doctor (cause even their not always right). I always begin with the doctors orders when i'm in doubt but i still research it basicall to know more about whats going on with my baby, and to be sure.

Answer 6

i think ur crazy, and doctors arent always right. when i was pregnant everything the doctors said and did wasnt right. and this "Feeding a baby before it can even hold it's head up can have serious reprecussions" my baby is 6 weeks and can hold her head up perfectly and she started holding her head up at a week and a half. i think that if someone wants to go agianst doctors wishes they can, just becasue they wen to school for years and years dosent mean they know ur child. if u think they're ready then i say give it a try.

Answer 7

They believe the old wives' tales that their child will sleep longer.

Their moms tell them "you ate food at 2 weeks and you're fine." Yeah....but look at our GENERATION as a whole. Overweight. Lots of diabetics and other problems. Allergies, etc. I don't think, as a whole, our generation is "fine."

RESEARCH shows it's best to wait. I don't understand why people are in such a hurry. Why take the risk?

Answer 8

I think it's up to the parents to decide and nobody else. There has also been research that if you don't have a strong familial history of food allergies, you needn't worry as much about different food allergies. All pediatricians say different things, so who do we actually believe? Believe what you want, it's your kid, raise it how you want to. People have for many years before now started their kids on different foods, and they all turned out ok.

Answer 9

My doctor told me to feed my daughter who was 10 pounds at birth cereal when she was one month. If you look through history, you will see that doctors can never make up their minds on what is right and what is wrong. Lay the baby on its back, lay it on its belly, the debate goes on.

By the way, my daughter has NO allergies to any foods. I did what I thought was best for my child. Moms who live their lives by whatever they read are uptight and over dramatic.

Answer 10

i was told no solids til 6 months not even cereal and i followed that. my baby slept through the night at 7 weeks on just milk. i trust the doctors they went to school to be one i didnt who am i to self diagnoise or do it my way i have no formal training