Is There a Right Way to Feed a Baby?

This morning I opened “The Four Month Visit” email sitting in my mailbox from my pediatrician’s practice. Under the topics for the approaching visit is “solid foods.” The blurb reads “Solid food: Since Brandon looks hungrily at your food and tries to grab it, how about starting him on a little solid food? Don’t waste your time with cereals, since they offer little added nutritional value. Read more about when, how and why to start your child on solid foods.” Don’t waste my time with cereals? I spoke with some friends whose doctors told them to start with rice cereal. My mother claims my preemie brother was put on rice cereal at five weeks to gain weight. She says I was put on rice cereal when I was consuming 32 ounces of formula, which was probably around four months since I was quite the plump baby. Fast forward some 32 years later — my nanny, a 50-something Trinidadian, asked when we would be starting rice cereal. Confused by the contradicting information, I set out to learn the intricacies of the rice cereal debate. Dr. Frank R. Greer, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition stated that “by the 1960s, most U.S. infants (70%–80%) were fed cereal by 1 month of age. By 1980, rice cereal predominated, as it was considered to be well tolerated and “hypoallergenic” – given growing concerns about food allergies.” One of the reasons rice cereal is recommended as a starter food is that it is ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Children and Teens Disorders Eating Disorders Family General Habits Health-related Parenting Research Alan Greene Breakfast cereal Childhood Obesity food little solid food Nutrition Nutritionist Rice rice cereal starter Source Type: blogs