Challenging my doctor’s potentially old school advice on solid food for baby

[gizmorazaar]

@lampmark123 The whole period from 6-12 months is basically one long transition. Or 4-12 months if you start then, though a 4 month old is mostly tasting, not really eating.

Keep the diet healthy (breast milk will take care of that for you, but so will formula), make sure he’s getting iron, introduce allergens mindfully, introduce solids as he’s ready, steadily increase them, and don’t let him choke. That’s already 90% of how to feed a baby. The rest is mostly details. But some of those details (and the foods themselves) vary a lot by culture and babies survive all of it.

Whether a 10 month old is getting more of his caloric intake from solids than milk is probably more up to the baby than you. I like BLW because it satisfies their curiosity and need for control, but kids raised on purées turn out just fine. In any case he’ll probably have days when he nopes out of whatever you offer. I wouldn’t sweat the details, just know your kid and keep him fed and happy. You can’t optimize a child by optimizing his early diet, it doesn’t work that way.

 

[onthemoveto]

@gizmorazaar About the most sane feeding advice I’ve ever read, and put so succinctly.

 

[seditthis]

@lampmark123 Honestly, find a doctor whose approach you agree with.

 

[shanrose]

@seditthis Unfortunately in most parts if Ontario there aren't nearly enough doctors to go around, so 'shopping' for a new doctor is not likely an option.

 

[seditthis]

@shanrose ah I see. Sorry to hear it.

 

[danmat777]

@r3b0rn

1. Is solid advice, though. Babies lose their iron stores and iron fortified infant cereal is the easiest and best way for them to get enough iron. Here’s a study that was done that concluded it is substantially reduced iron deficiency anemia in infants.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8474819/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537847/

“Our findings indicate that infant cereal consumption among infants and toddlers in the US is declining and iron rich meat intake remains very limited. The general recommendations for pediatric health care providers are to encourage consumption of meats, iron containing vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals for infants and toddlers between 6 and 24 months of age [3]. A recent study in Western Europe indicates that iron fortified toddler formulas may also play a role in preventing ID [36]. As clinicians continue to endorse the introduction of complementary foods at around six months of age, it is imperative that they emphasize the importance of iron, recognizing the very low intake of iron-rich meats and the declining use of iron-fortified infant cereal among young children in the US as strong reasons to recommend iron rich and iron-fortified complementary foods. “