Feeding one month old cereal and foods?

Question

My sister in law gave birth to twin girls five weeks ago. They were seven weeks early. They now weigh about six pounds.

There was a huge family arguement today after my sister in law left them here with my mother while she went to out grocery shopping. When she came back my mom was feeding one of the babies cereal.

My sister in law says it's too soon and doesn't want to hurt their little stomachs.

My mother says she did it with her three kids and its gets them fuller faster. She says that by the time my brother was a month old he was eating cereal and fruits and veggies.

Now they're both mad at each other. Who's right?

Thanks to all who answered. I agree with my sister in law. I don't think my mother should be giving parental advice to anyone since me and my brothers think shes a horrible mom. All of us have unhealthy relationships with food as well. I'm 21, I know nothing about babies and I wanted to see what others had to say about it. My mother has been telling her sisters and mother about how my SIL is starving the girls and stuff and its just ridiculous.

Answer 1

These babies have the stomachs of a 38-week fetus, not even the stomach of a one month old full-term baby! And one month is too young regardless; others have given good examples of why it is no longer recommended as it was 20-30+ years ago. We know better now.

Does your mom suffer from any digestive problems these days? She should know that if she has any digestive troubles, they are probably linked to early introduction of solids damaging her digestive tract when she was a one-month-old infant and her mother fed her solids starting at two weeks (or whatever the age of the day was back then). Some examples are: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, reflux (GERD), Crohn's disease, and countless others. If she has any of these, I'm sure she wouldn't wish it upon her newborn grandchildren, even if it only comes about later in life.

Chances are, one feeding of plain rice cereal isn't going to be harmful in and of itself, and I hope your SIL can be forgiving and get over it. But your mom really should respect her DIL's choices as a parent if she wants to keep their relationship on an even keel and spend plenty of time with her new grandbabies. If she challenges her every step of the way, goes against her wishes when she cares for them, etc. she will only be alienating herself and also probably causing tension between your SIL and brother. That's the kind of stuff that unfortunately give MILs everywhere a bad rap. :(

HTH! Congrats on being a new Auntie to twins!

Answer 2

Your mother should not have been feeding those babies cereal, or anything other than instructed, without your SIL's say.

However, I work with infants and have a, now 8-month old, infant who was a preemie and has terrible acid reflux. She has been having cereal in her bottle (very thick too) since she was a week old. But, that was under a doctor's supervision while she was still in the NICU of course.

Answer 3

Hell yes it is too soon to feed them cereal! Their little tummies are not ready for cereal. Just because your mother did it with HER three kids doesn't give her the right to do it to someone else's children. Your mother stepe WAY over the boundaries, and if I were your sister in law I'd keep the babies AWAY from your mother until they were toddlers at least. If your mother wanted to risk her children getting sick that was one thing but she had no right to risk someone else's child's health.

Answer 4

I work on feeding with babies and teach parents about it. A baby should not have cereal until they are at least 4 months old, and that should be adjusted for their prematurity. At 6 months fruits and vegetables can be started. Honestly, the only thing a baby needs for 6 months is breastmilk or formula, and anything you give other than that is taking away from that and not as nutritious.

Answer 5

Your sister in law is correct.

Cereal should be introduced when the baby is between four and six months, and baby food when the baby is six months of age.

Small babies need a diet of exclusive breastmilk or formula to be their healthiest. There are rare exceptions where some underweight babies need a supplement prescribed by their pediatrician.

Giving baby cereal does not help with reflux, nor does it help babies sleep longer at night,

People should also respect that she is their mother and is making decisions with their best interests at heart. As long as she is providing safe and loving care, parenting decisions are hers to make.

Answer 6

A baby that young can't digest solid foods. They need all the nutrition they can get after coming almost two months early! I can't imagine what your mother is talking about. Baby will fill up quicker, but he isn't getting any good out of the food, so she's actually starving him. If Grandma's going to insist on this practice, then sis-in-law needs to find another babysitter.

Answer 7

DO NOT DO THAT!! Tell your mom that it is not her baby and not her decision. Study's have shown that feeding baby solid food too early can trigger allergies. Plus the baby's reflexes aren't mature enough yet. Chances are your mom is in her 50's and I seriously doubt she can remember THAT accurately. No one remembers accurately in the first month or so of baby when they're so sleep deprived. Tell your sister to tell your mom that she had her opportunity to be a mother. If she is not conviced, get the pediatrician to back you up.

Answer 8

hard foods at that age is a no no! if she wants to feed him cereal it should be softened so it doesn't get stuck in their throats. 6 monthsish is the age babies can normally start to eat softened table food - def. not this early. babies lived through the middle ages, so most will prob. make it through a few pieces of cereal, but better safe than sorry.

Answer 9

Sister in law for two reasons:

1. Foods too early pose an allergy or gastointestinal problem. (so do foods too late) Babies do not have the ability to break down foods yet. Milk is all they can handle without pain or problems. Babies will show signs that they are ready to eat solids--good neck control, sit up with support, stare at you when you are eating, tongue no longer pushes forward, less drooling, and doubling their birth weight.

2. She is the mother. NO ONE should do anything with a baby without consulting the mother first. Your mom was way out of line.

Answer 10

Infant shouldn't be fed any cereal until they are 6 months old or when they are ready. Their digestive system is not fully develope yet to accomodate solids.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/75/1/199

My son was feed cereal by his nanny when he's 4 months for some selfish reason of the nanny.

I found out only when he has blood in his stool and was diagnose with gastritis after seeing 6 doctors & pediatricians and spending almost a thousand dollar. Of course I fired the nanny and blacklisted her.

Till now coming to 3, his digestive system is very weak and couldn't take in a lot of solid food like sweetcorn, nuts, watermelon, icecream, yogurt and many other food as these will send him either having a constipation or diarrhoea. He is also very colicky.

Note that some fruits and veggies are not allow for infant below one as some may be fatal to them. It may not happen to all but that doesn't mean it is safe to all.