is four months too young?

~Belinda~ · April 26th, 2008, 01:29 PM

Thanks for that advice, I might stop then. She's only had the solids for the last couple of days, would that have caused any harm do you think?

**Jus** · April 26th, 2008, 02:34 PM

Hey there, interesting discussion, as I'm in the middle of deciding what to do for my 4.5 month daughter who's just started waking at night again.
I've decided to experiment with her daytime routine (which seems to be helping with night time sleep - thank you baby whisperer!), rather than start her on solids yet, BUT! my MCHN this week suggested it might be worth trying, and I thought it might be worth throwing her comments into the mix, for everyone to consider...
She's been keeping up with the research in Australia, and said that the 6 month mark doesn't have to be that precise, it's just 'around 6 months', and definitely not before 17 weeks. It all depends on the individual baby and their needs
I also have read that it's good not to hold off later than 6 months because that in turn can also contribute to the development of allergies.
I'm waiting til around 5.5 months before I get DD started, but thought people might like this info for food (he he) for thought!

~Belinda~ · April 26th, 2008, 02:52 PM

Jus, really? You've heard that they can get allergies after? There are so many conflicting stories and I am really confused as to what to do. If it's not BPA causing cancer in baby bottles, it's considered giving solids at 4 months as not advisable!!! Arghhh, I'm about to rip my hair out as our Mums gave us solids when we were so young and we didn't get any allergies! What to do...hmmmm

~Belinda~ · April 26th, 2008, 02:53 PM

This is what I have found:

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has found that feeding your infant solids before they are six months of age increases the chances of your child developing food allergies. Breast milk and/or formula provides them everything they will need until they are six months old. They also say that water, juice and other foods are unnecessary before six months.

You should always start your infant on a cereal first before fruits and vegetables. Do Not add cereal to your infant's bottle unless a pediatrician has instructed you to do so - it can make your child overweight.

Lastly, do not give your baby regular milk before they are a year old, because they may have a milk allergy. Make sure after they are a year old that you give them whole milk and not 2% or skim. The infant needs the fat in the whole milk for natural growth and development of the brain.

As always, make sure you talk to your pediatrician first before you make any decisions. They will steer you in the right direction.

We see our padiatrician on Tuesday for her 4 month check up, I'm going to ask him there....

**MantaRay** · April 26th, 2008, 03:16 PM

Bindy hun, whether you stop or not is up to you. Sushee and I were just pointing out that you don't always know of a problem straight away. I think there are cases where babies are ready before 6 months and these children will display the signs of losing the tongue-thrust reflex, will have teeth and also be showing a real interest in food (which is very hard to tell as they put everything in their mouths). However I personally think, and this is JMO, that before 4 months is always too early.

If you are not sure that you are doing the right thing, I would err on the side of caution and stop. There is no harm done by starting later. If your DD is not ready for solids yet, stopping now will definitely minimise the impact from the solids she has already had. But this has to be your decision. Only you know what is best for your lo.

Jus, you are correct that there is conflicting info about starting solids and allergies. I know many MCHNs advocate starting solids early, mostly because many of them were trained when the recommendation was to start at 3 or 4 months. I think it is important to bear in mind that many people who start solids early to try and improve sleeping, find that it either doesn't work or makes matters worse. IMO that isn't the right reason to start solids early.

Also, I know that a recent study did show that for babies with a family history of coeliac disease, starting wheat/gluten before 7 months seemed to reduce the incidence of coeliac disease. However, this was only when there is a family history. For other babies there was no negative impact to delaying wheat/gluten eating. I know Ambah posted some links to great articles on this a while back, I will see if I can find them.

As with any aspect of parenting, each individual needs to do their own research and make their own decision. What one person does might not be right for another.

~Belinda~ · April 26th, 2008, 03:20 PM

Thanks Manta, I might just hold off for now. I have a gut feeling to just wait a bit longer, thanks so much girls for your input. I really appreciate it!