728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Infants and Toddlers › Does Baby Know Best?

Does Baby Know Best?

The Real Scoop on Solids

Part Two

By Ann Calandro, RNC, IBCLC

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  

(Mosby, 1998), a group called the Maternal and Young Child Nutrition of the United Nations/American College of Cardiology Subcommittee on Nutrition reported on just this subject. Dr. Lawrence summarized their findings by writing: "Although practice depends on many biologic, cultural, social and economic factors, when Mother's milk fails to meet the energy and nutrient needs of an infant, inadequate growth and development threaten the child's health and survival. In general, the subcommittee declared that children who are not receiving complementary feeding beyond 6 months do not maintain adequate growth but that infants should not receive it before 4 months."

Oh my gosh.

Intrigued, I sent out an inquiry to mothers in parenting groups and to lactation consultants who had breastfed their babies. I was seeking mothers whose little ones said no to solid foods at 6 months of age. I received 32 replies from mothers scattered throughout the world about their 38 children who "just said NO." Here is the information they shared.

The Maternal Research
Health care providers stress that the main reason solid foods must begin by 6 months is that iron stores may decrease as babies reach this age, and iron deficiency anemia may occur.

Three mothers indeed had their babies' iron levels tested, and the levels were low. Two of them gave an iron supplement for one month, and then iron levels were normal again. One of them added more iron-rich foods for a month, and her baby's iron levels were normal before the next checkup. The other 35 children did not have a problem with their iron levels being low. They were all within normal limits.

There were 19 boys and 19 girls in this group. All of them were full-term babies. Interestingly enough, many of them were a week or two late. Most of the babies exclusively breastfed for at least one year. The babies ranged from eight to 18 months of exclusive breastfeeding. Some of them started solids reluctantly at 8 or 9 months old but only ate small amounts a few times a week.

I asked these mothers if their babies were healthy or suffered from allergies. One theory I have heard for children refusing solids is that they instinctively know they are allergy prone and need to delay starting solid foods. Here is what mothers told me:

  • One child suffered ear infections the first year.
  • Two were diagnosed with severe reflux the first year.
  • Twenty of the children had no allergic symptoms during their first year.
  • Eighteen of the children exhibited signs of allergy. (Nine exhibited dairy allergy, two gluten allergy and one had peanut allergy. Two experienced asthma. Two others had eczema. Two of the children showed an allergic reaction to medications.)

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.