Avocado, bananas, and chicken. The ABC's of introducing real food to wee ones.

Starting your baby on solids can be new and exciting, however there is a lot of misguided or outdated information and providers who push parents to start solids (infant cereal) too early. Here is some information on why you may want to hold off on the solid food craze and why you also may want to make better choices for first foods.

a better choice for first food is obviously a donut...

Many articles state that solids can be introduced between 4 and 6 months, however there are also studies that show parents are starting solids even earlier than 4 months( CBS news article ). Years ago, I'm talking in the 40s and 50s, parents left the hospital with cereal in their babies bottles. Times have definitely changed since then but some parents are still misguided when it comes to food introduction. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding for at least 6 months (AAP), which is contradictory to how many pediatricians practice, encouraging parents to start solids at 4 months.

Many pediatricians still recommend starting baby on infant rice cereals as their first food, mainly because the cereals are fortified with iron. FORTIFIED=not naturally occurring. When people talk about cereals, it most often refers to infant rice cereal (regular oatmeal is a healthier option for babies). Grains/starches are typically harder to digest because you need amylase to break them down. Infants are born with very little amylase and continue to produce more in the 4-6 month range, which is why many providers say it's okay to start these starches, however the amylase that a 4 or 6 month old produces, is still considerably less than and adult or even a toddler. Hold on hold on, saliva contains amylase which can help break down the starches, and also breast milk contains amylase as well, so maybe babies can digest starches and grains fine? Possibly, however should this be their first food? Are there any nutritional values in these processed cereals?

Many people want to attack the baby cereal industry, however there are a few things to look at first. Cereals are fortified with iron and other vitamins/nutrients that babies need, especially starting at 6 months. Some research points to gluten intolerance with babies that are introduced to grains too late in life (8+ months), so maybe there's a balance that we need to understand. Yet, infant cereals are still a processed food, and breast milk contains iron, but is it enough past 6 months? Maybe the processed infant cereals are not the starch or grain that should be introduced. So then what? Healthy Children, an informative website by the American Academy of Pediatrics states that there's no medical evidence that cereal should be the first food introduced, it's just tradition. TRADITION! (Healthy Children).

How about starting with real food!? Before baby cereals were produced by the big food companies, babies were eating real food, sometimes steamed, sometimes blended, and other times whole. Baby led weaning (BLW) is a new phenomenon yet an old one. Don't confuse the term "weaning" with weaning a baby from breast. BLW starts at 6 months or later when baby shows an interest in food- this is key. What does that mean? Your baby should be able to hold head up properly, baby should have the absence of the tongue thrust reflex which is a reflex to push things out of their mouth- a protective mechanism in babies that eventually goes away, allowing them to swallow food that is placed in mouth. Some babies do not show an interest in real food, so no need to force them, we should take cues from the baby, not the calendar. For example, my babe Avielle is just about 5 months, and like other moms, we got the green light from our pediatrician to start baby cereals. I know that Avi still has the tongue thrust reflex and is just not mature enough to start solids, she's still happy and healthy with her all you can eat breast milk buffet.

Baby led weaning does not talk about blending, mashing, or steaming foods- no need to buy that baby blender or steamer! It's simply offering babies regular food, often parts of the meal the family is enjoying (with some discretion). For example, if the family is eating chicken, then give piece to baby to explore. Obviously at the early stages, more food is going on the floor or on their face then in tummies, so this is not for major nutritional value at first, more to help baby learn eating habits and build dexterity with hands and fingers. As a bonus they get to eat good tasty food, not weird veggie fruit mashed combos that would make anyone else gag, and mamas don't need to spend time prepping baby food. WIN WIN. This is yet another reason babies must be at least 6 months, so they are able to reach and hold pieces of their own food. Baby Led Weaning website offers a ton of information on how to start. Iron is an important part of infant development, which is why iron fortified cereals are pushed. After the age of 6 months, it's thought that babies need more iron than breast milk can provide, however there are healthy foods that can be added to the diet that are iron rich, such as:

• winter squash
• sweet potatoes
• prune juice
• meat & poultry (beef, beef & chicken liver, turkey, chicken)
• mushrooms
• sea vegetables (arame, dulse), algaes (spirulina), kelp
• greens (spinach, chard, dandelion, beet, nettle, parsley, watercress)
• meat (pork)
• shellfish (clams, oysters, shrimp) *be aware of food allergies
• tuna, sardines

Once you start introducing foods to your kiddo, it's important to be aware of food allergies or sensitivities. If you have a family history of a food allergy, especially an anaphylaxis reaction, you will want to delay offering that food and talk to your pediatrician before starting that food. You may also want to introduce one food at a time over a few days (about 4) to make sure no allergy or sensitivity develops. Start with low risk allergen foods and start new foods in morning so an allergy doesn't develop overnight (you would hate to wake up to see a rash filled baby). Food allergies can be terrifying and there's no way in knowing if your little one will develop an allergy or not, so it's best to be prepared and observant. I would also recommend starting with organic foods so that all the gross additives or pesticides are not in the food you're giving little one, those can cause reactions as well. This is a good food allergy chart that shows when you should introduce high sensitivity foods.

Is your head spinning yet?

The most important take away points are to hold off on feeding your baby until they are absolutely ready (at least 6 months) and know that there are better choices of food other than infant rice cereal.

HAPPY EATING!