Is 4 months too young to start rice cereal?

Question

I have a 3 1/2 month old baby boy, and I was thinking about trying to give him some rice cereal after he turns 4 months. I have read articles that says this is ok, but then other articles say no way. Any opinions out there?

Answer 1

I would start with any cereal other than rice for beginners. Rice is known to cause digestive problems in infants. Starting with Barley or Oat may be better. I started my son on rice cereal at 4 months bc the formula was not enough to fill him, but had to switch to Oat cereal, which he did great with. Speak to your child's doctor if you are unsure. I started on a doctors rec commendation.

Answer 2

I too had read articles saying that the earlier you start giving your baby solids, the more likely they could develope a food alergy, but I haven't had any problems with this. My daughter is almost 5 months old now and up until she turned 4 1/2 months old I had been strictly breastfeeding. With my doctor's permission I started feeding her rice cereal at night and now she's sleeping longer at night. I've only fed her the rice once a day and only at night. When she starts eatting more, I'll add another feeding during the day and so on. I haven't had any problems with this and will probably continue. I hope my experience has helped you out.

Answer 3

I don't believe doctors on this. Why would one say it's OK and another say it's not? To make a baby wait an entire year for solids is very strange- unless there is a digestive problem that is already known.

On the average 4 months is an OK age to start rice cereal. At the latest you could wait until 6 months but I would say only if your baby is opposed to trying solids or is experiencing digestive problems as a result of the cereal. It certainly can't hurt to try a couple of servings and wait to see if you observe allergic reactions (highly unlikely with rice cereal, hence it's recommended as a first food) or constipation or diarrhea. I would also base your decision on whether or not formula was satisfying your baby enough.

PS I started mine on cereal much earlier- but I felt I had to- she just wasn't satisfied with formula- I don't necessarily recommend it to everyone

Answer 4

4 months is perfectly fine to start giving rice cereal. Start with small amounts by a spoon in the morning, and make sure its really runny. Just once a day is fine till they get use to it. My little one has been eating rice cereal by a spoon since she was 2 1/2 months. Formula was not satisfing her, doctor said it was fine, and shes doing great. As long as he isn't showing signs of consitipation, then keep giving it to him. Make sure you mix the rice cereal with some formula in a bowl and never put it in the bottle. Enjoy your baby.

Answer 5

Have you read what is in rice cereal? Blech.

Anyway I did no solids until 6 1/2 months and then only because he was eating the grass at the park. And I did baby-led introduction of solids. Also I did no grains before 9 months because they aren't digestable and not needed, particularly in our carb addicted society. Rice cereal is non-allergenic - not easy to digest.

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/vast_voedsel/rapley_guidelines.html

Won't he start eating solids too early?
The babies who participated in the research were allowed to begin at four months. But they were not able to feed themselves before 6 months. Some of the younger babies picked food up and took it to their mouths; some even chewed it, but none swallowed it. Their own development decided for them when the time was right. Part of the reason for this study was to show (based on a theory of self-feeding) that babies are not ready for solid foods before 6 months. It would seem that we have spent all these years working out that 6 months is the right age when and babies have known it all along!

It seems reasonable to predict that, if parents choose to provide babies with the opportunity to pick up and eat solid foods from birth, they will still not achieve it until around 6 months. The principle is the same as putting a newborn baby on the floor to play: he is being provided with the opportunity to walk but will not do so until about 1 year – because his own development stops him. But: everything depends on the baby being in control. Food must not be put into his mouth for him. Since it is very tempting to do this, it is probably safer to recommend that babies should not be given the opportunity to eat solid foods before six months.

Answer 6

Well I know a lot of doctors wouldn't recommend this, but just sprinkle a lil bit of rice cereal in his formula, to thicken it up like a milkshake so to speak. But they tell you to start introducing baby food around 5 months, so as far as the rice cereal I would wait to spoon feed him the rice cereal closer to 5 months but if you think he can handle it than it's up to you. Remember no one, not even a doctor knows your baby like you do. 4 months isn't too young but I wouldn't rush it, but you can gradually get him into it more and more like once a week than a few times a week and just build up from there. If he is spitting it up than fall back a little.

Answer 7

You should not give him anything else than breastmilk or formula for the first 6 months, especially if your baby is breastfed. Why? Because before 6 months, the baby's immune system and intestines are not fully developed and introducing solids could cause allergies. Why do you want to start solids now? Take your time. At 6 months, his body will be mature enough to eat cereal. The best thing for him right now is breastmilk. Four months is too early!!! Most people start their babies on solids much too early because they believe it will help them sleep through the night. It's better to base your decision on reliable medical information and what's best for your baby. The link below has tons of valuable information. Good luck!

Answer 8

Its up to your doctor really. All doc's tell you something different. I have hear that baby's are fine till they are 6 months with just formula or breast milk. however I fell that is way to long to not give a baby food! My baby will be 4 months at his next doc appointment and my doc said we will talk about a new diet then. So I think 4 months is the average age. I say go for it. Baby's should start getting solids into there belly's between 3-5 months~

Answer 9

I Started feeding my son Cereal at 3 months. feeding him at night and in the morning, this really helped me get some sleep being that it increased the time that he slept being that he wasn't hungry through out the night. after i started feeding him cereal he started sleeping 6 then 8 hours nightly (unless we had stayed at a relatives house b/c it was a strange place to him) soon after i introduced vegetables and i just mixed it in with the cereal, and it will get messy your child only knows the sucking motion. so it will take a few days for him to get used to a spoon. but he will get it down. I hope this works and good luck!!

Answer 10

My son was a week overdue when he was born, and did he grow up fast!! He was even a big baby at birth! Our doctor told us that we could start giving him rice cereal at 4 months.. then we tried him on Barley cereal and I don't remember which other cereal they had us try (for allergy's sake)..but he did just fine.