When did you introduce wheat?

[Fee]

When did you introduce wheat to your baby?

I might ask my MCHN because I've read so many different things.

• A book I own about baby food says 8 months for baby cereals, oats, pasta and 9 months for adult cereals, wholemeal and wholegrain breads, crackers
• The WHO recommends that babies need to be at least 12 months old before introducing wheat and its products (bread, pasta, weetbix, rusks, etc)
• Another website says 10 months for wheat products
• "Baby Love" says 7 months

Who knows what my MCHN will say!

[Snowy Love]

I was wondering that too - My MCHN said 12mths and I think I'll see how long I can go avoiding wheat as MIL has an intollerance to it.

[Fee]

Giving rusks has always confused me because they're listed as being for 4 months plus or 6 months plus (on the box) but then they're made from wheat and I always thought you had to wait until baby was older.

I might wait until 9-10 months? That's sorta in between ages from everything I have read!!!

[MantaRay]

It is confusing isn't it! I can't remember when Jack started on bread, I think it was before 12 months but probably not much before. He was having kids weetbix by about 10 or 11 months. I wouldn't give my kids rusks, I've had 3 different dieticians tell me how bad they are. Also, I don't go by labelling on food as it doesn't mean anything much. Things that are labelled from 4 months are packaged overseas where they are allowed to say that. Anything packaged here will only ever say from 6 months or older. But even then just because something says 6 months doesn't mean it is actually ok at that age. And as we all know from the conflicting advice, who actually does know when is the best time? The manufacturers are the last people I trust!

[Roryrory]

Tanya, you might be thinking of a post I did a while ago. I thought 12 months was a good amount to wait but I did a bit of googling and found that apparently the risk of developing coeliacs disease is increased if you introduce gluten (ie: not necessarily wheat) late (ie: after 7 months) or early (ie: before 4 months). This was based on a study done on kids at risk of developing it though. There are also studies on BF and lowering the risk of coeliacs disease, and the take-home message there was BF at the time of introducing gluten reduces the risk. I can hunt down the studies if anyone is interested - I just deleted the links from my browser the other day.

I split the difference and introduced solids to Flynn at 5 months so I could give him gluten at 6 months (I figured it would take about a month to build up to gluten/wheat/bread). I know it goes against the WHO recs and I don't mean to start a "starting solids" debate here but that was my reasoning. Sorry Fee. long-winded answer to your question.

[Yael]

we didn't start wheat or dairy until after 12 months due to history of allergies in the family

It was tricky, but not impossible to subsitute other things

Good luck.

[Fee]

Oh gosh it's all too confusing!!! I'm seeing my MCHN on Wednesday so I might just see what she says and then I'll decide!

Thanks for all your responses.

[MantaRay]

Sorry Mads, I've only just made it back here. It was a while ago, when Jack was starting solids, but I think it was to do with white flour. I know one of the dieticians said not to give anything with white flour or white sugar until over 12 months. If it wasn't that I can't remember what it was. I'll ask next time I speak to one!

I wouldn't worry too much though, as you say they don't eat much of it, and I'm sure there are worse things.