The
following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no
cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the
first 4-6 months):
How
could something as harmless as rice cereal be potentially
dangerous?
Feeding a baby that is under 6
months old ANY SOLID food COULD BE dangerous, and rice cereal
is often the first solid food parents will offer their baby. First and foremost
Most babies under 6 months has a digestive system that is not fully
developed; therefore anything other than breast milk or formula will NOT be digested
properly. So, while that little bite of mashed potatoes or rice cereal seems
harmless enough it could POTENTIALLY be damaging to the baby's digestive
system. All that a baby NEEDS, to properly nourish them is breast milk or
formula until 6-12 months of age. The reason we are focusing on rice cereal or
any baby cereal for that matter, is because it lacks the nutrition, so
adding it reduces the nutritional density of their diet. It is safe, however,
to start introducing solids to babies beginning at 6 months, but it is
generally unnecessary. Breast milk will change as the baby grows, offering them
everything they NEED for complete nourishment. If the formula is not giving
them the needed nutrition, as it never changes, then only the parents and a nutritionist
can decide together what it is the baby needs to add to their diet in order to
properly nourish them. [1]
Saying that YOU fed YOUR baby rice
cereal under 6 months and they ended up fine isn't a valid argument. There is
no need to justify or explain why you do what you do. I realize all babies can
develop at a different rate, but the general rule is that breastmilk &
formula is all that is needed for the first 6 months of life. If you feel your
baby is showing signs that they are ready for solids look into Baby Led
Weaning.
Quoted straight from KellyMom- "Health experts and breastfeeding experts
agree that it’s best to wait until your baby is around six months old before
offering solid foods. There has been a large amount of research on this in the
recent past, and most health organizations have updated their recommendations
to agree with current research. Unfortunately, many health care providers are
not up to date in what they’re telling parents, and many, many books are not up
to date."
Rice
cereal potentially could cause-
- ~Obesity- Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician at Stanford University, actually equates feeding white rice cereal with feeding a baby sugar or soda, according to ABC News. Dr. Joseph Mercola, a natural health expert, agrees that giving babies white rice cereal could lead to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, due to an increased risk of obesity when infants taste starch as a first food and therefore grow up craving foods made from white flour, such as breads and cakes. [4]
- ~Constipation- Rice cereal is usually fortified with iron, but some experts argue that all that extra iron isn't needed in infants if they are otherwise well nourished and too much iron can cause constipation. According to KellyMom, babies who are breastfed for the first six months of life per the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines may not need additional iron, unless the child's pediatrician determines that breast milk or formula alone isn't providing adequate iron.
- ~Lack Nutrients- Baby cereal is filling for babies, but it doesn't offer a great deal of beneficial nutrients for the amount of calories it provides. Your physician may still recommend rice cereal, especially if your baby is deficient in iron, of which it is a rich source. According to Dr. Greene, however, many babies are better served with brown rice cereal, since it is also rich in protein, essential fats and minerals. According to KellyMom oatmeal would serve as a better first choice because it offers more of a variety in nutrients and protein.
Adding cereal to the bottle is a choking hazard..
Mixing cereal in the milk
& into a bottle is a choking hazard. If mothers insist the infant has
rice cereal please hand feed it to them with a spoon. Some believe mixing
cereal in with baby's milk will allow the baby to sleep longer as the
baby will remain fully satiated. Babies need to eat every 2-3 hours because
their little bodies need all that NUTRITION to grow. Feeding a newborn isn't
just about trying to keep them full it's about getting them all of the
nutrition they so desperately require to grow. Rice cereal has none of that
nutrition. Rice cereal is simply empty calories. Therefore, feeding them rice
cereal may have accomplished the task of getting them to remain satiated, but
they are not getting the nutrition they need, and many doctors believe there
are links to foods low in nutritional density (like rice cereal) to
obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. [2]
Some
parents feel as if their child NEEDS rice cereal because their baby spits up
milk frequently.
Some mothers assume their baby
has acid reflux and that rice cereal is the cure. New research shows
that reflux is overly diagnosed and over treated, leading to a physical
dependence to the PPI drugs (proton-pump inhibitor) and possible medical
complications later. [3] Some think because their baby spits up after every
feeding that it means their baby has reflux and the baby NEEDS the rice cereal.
There could be a simpler solution, such as: try a different position when they
are burped, mothers can change their diet if breast feeding, or change formula
brands. There could be many different factors at play, so before introducing
rice cereal or ANY solids, especially before 6 months, attempt a process of
elimination first.
Feeding infants cereal or other
grains before 6 months, does more than simply leave them with indigestible
food. They are being fed an indigestible
food in place of a nutrient-dense meal, something their body can’t
use and depriving them of the nutrients they need to grow a healthy brain,
nervous system, and bone struc
