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Home › Articles › Infants and Toddlers › When Going to Solids, Timing Is Everything

When Going to Solids, Timing Is Everything

Introducing Cereal to Baby

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

"Because infants initially consume only liquids, they develop their sense of fullness by volume," Rethore says. "Adding cereal to the bottle increases calories without increasing volume, which essentially teaches them to overeat. Research has shown that this can establish a life-long pattern of overeating and excess weight gain."

To promote positive emotional and mental health of an infant, introducing cereal should be as relaxed an experience as possible, Rethore says. This is a wonderful opportunity to bond with your baby and strengthen emotional attachment. Parents are encouraged to sit face-to-face and at eye level with their baby, as this helps parents observe Baby and read her cues. It also helps them get to know her feeding behaviors.

Start with a tablespoon of single-grain cereal, such as rice, and mix it with 3 or 4 tablespoons of breastmilk or formula so that it is slightly thicker than the liquid, Johnson says. As Baby gets used to this new taste and texture, you can change the ratio and gradually make it thicker for each feed, until it is about the same thickness as pudding (this will take several weeks or more).

"For the first week or so, parents can give cereal once or twice a day; gradually, over the next couple of months, the goal is to start providing solid foods around mealtimes so that there is some structure introduced into Baby's meal patterns," Johnson says.

Don't force Baby to eat more than she wants. "The process of feeding solid foods at this point is more about a learning experience and less about getting a set amount of food into the baby," Johnson says.

It's All in the Genes

If you have a strong family history of autoimmune disease or a genetic predisposition to celiac disease, you might be wondering if introducing cereal in the 4-to-6-month window makes any difference. Dr. Jill Poole's simple answer is that sometimes we cannot overcome our genes.

"We believe that most diseases have a gene-environment interaction," Dr. Poole says. "However, in reality, some diseases are more genetic and some are more environment." All in all, she says, "it is an 'odds game,' and your best bet is to stake the odds in your favor [by introducing cereal between 4 and 6 months of age.]"


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