why do they say not to give babys under 4 months cereal??

Question

my son is 1 1/2 months and he almost seems never full so i was thinking about giving him alittle cereal. i talk to alot of people who give there 2 and 3 months old cereal and they are perfectly fine and healthy.

Answer 1

It increases risks of allergies, and their digestive systems are not ready for it yet. I just went to another training on this last Friday for my job. The only thing a baby needs is breastmilk and/or formula for the first 6 months.

Answer 2

Sure, and there are lots of people who eat fast food every day, and they seem and look "perfectly fine and healthy," don't they?

It's processed garbage, "rice cereal." Wallpaper paste with a vitamin stirred in. Even if your six-week-old infant was magically "not full" (let me guess...he eats often? HE'S A SMALL BABY, that's why), it would not be a good idea to stuff his little tummy with rice flour and additives.

Reasons for not offering anything but breast milk for 4-6 months are an extremely easy Google. Do you just want validation for a poor choice in infant nutrition?

If you absolutely insist on going with what you probably know to be a bad idea, at least boil up some brown rice and throw it in a blender. Please don't, but.

Answer 3

Babies are born with "open gut" or "virgin gut". This means that the cells in the small intestines are not completely closed and this can lead to food allergies, childhood and adult obesity, juvenile diabetes, and many other issues down the road.

While every baby develops differently, the recommended age to start on foods now is 6 months because it's believed that 99% of babies' intestines close by then.

Answer 4

The first reason is that its a choking hazard. Another big reason is that introducing solid foods too soon can increase your child's risk of developing a food allergy, especially if there's already a family tendancy towards allergies. Solid food is hard for a baby to digest if their bellies aren't ready, so they may seem more "full," but in reality, their little bodies are having to work overtime to digest food they're not ready to eat.

Lots of kids didn't ride in carseats when I was a kid, and we're ok, but your baby is only a baby for a little while, wouldn't you rather err on the side of caution?

Answer 5

My mom gave my brother cereal in his bottle to thicken the milk when he was young because he always seemed hungry and the doctor ended up having to put him on a skim milk diet at his six month check up. All is does is make them fat!

Well, I shouldn't say, "all it does" because I've read answers from nurses and such that says the babies tummies aren't ready for anything other than formula or breast milk. Just the way God built them I guess. :o)

Answer 6

Because regardless of whether the babies seem healthy, babies can't digest it properly at that age. Filling them up on things they don't really need will not provide the proper nutrition at such a young age. In fact, a baby does not need anything but breast milk until the first birthday; any solids they eat before then are just for practice. I'm sure your baby is eating enough, so just be patient and don't try to rush him to eat things he's not ready to have yet.

Answer 7

Giving solids to a baby under 4 months can cause massive constipation, gas and lead to food allergies. 6 weeks is way too young to even consider giving cereal.

Some babies are just big eaters. Try giving him more at each sitting. If he's primarily breastfed, try giving him a bottle of formula every now and then. If he's already on formula, try adding an extra quarter or half a scoop of powder to each bottle and then giving him an ounce or two of water about 30 minutes later.

Remember that most babies want to eat every 2-4 hours for the first 12 weeks.

Answer 8

I see there's a new member of the Russian Roulette Parenting Club.

If you think your baby is hungry just give him more breastmilk/formula, that's ALL a baby needs until they are 6 months (or at least 4 months, if you really can't wait).

Answer 9

it did not seem to help my baby honestly and I fed him cereal;he will be 4 mnths old on the 6th and has been eating Gerber Sweet Potatos,Green Beans,Peas for a month now;is tall and skinny and eats a jar a day as well as formula and water ..... but the cereal did not seem to help him earlier

Answer 10

drives you mad the way the advice keeps changing. It used to be to start weaning at 3/4 months, now it's six! If your baby seems very hungry and you have given him all he milk he can drink, I think a small amount of baby rice will do no harm. I weaned my fiften year old at 3/4 months as that was the advic then and he's a very healthy boy! Good luck :)