Nutritional Advice

Alisa - posted on 06/24/2009

I give my baby the Gerber puffs, try one yourself, you'll see that they dissolve easily.. they're a great finger food to start with.. and she doesnt even have any teeth!

Carolyn - posted on 06/22/2009

for Raina i just make sure everything I feed her is soft e.g. well boiled carrots and cut really small (about half the size of a rasin) and I sit beside her so I can help if she does choke. plus I took the baby first aid course so if she does choke i will know what to do

Natalie - posted on 06/20/2009

hi,

rusk is always a good one, i mash it down for my daughter, but when you do give it your bubba whole, it dissolves quiet quickly, so if it did get caught in the throat it would melt, in saying that I have read that babies gag when something is on their tounge and they don't yet know what to do with it, they gag earlier than we would (ie we would gag when something is IN our throat or we really don't like something, they gag to get something off their tounge as well as) thats what I've been told anyway, tho i will say my daughter has gagged twice and even tho i was feeding her purree and it was probably cause she didn't like it, it scared the bjingos out of me !

Linda - posted on 06/18/2009

Hi i use this website it tells all you need to know and why www.wholesomebabyfood.com

Melissa - posted on 06/17/2009

Top food choking hazards are candy and gum, which have sent thousands of children to emergency rooms in recent years. But foods of all shapes and textures--including some of the healthiest fruits and vegetables--present hazards. See Choking first aid for infants up to 1 year and Choking first aid for children 1 year and older.



Choking occurs when food (or any object) becomes caught in the throat and blocks air from getting to the lungs--and oxygen from getting to the brain. Food pieces that are too large can simply block off the airway. But even a small item, such as a peanut, can put more of a young child's respiratory system in jeopardy, since a child's airway tends to be narrower. A blockage down low can cause part of a lung to collapse, and because that portion of the lung is unable to clear secretions, infections such as pneumonia can develop behind the blockage. While choking in children causes 100 times more injuries than it does deaths, parents should remember that some injuries can lead to permanent brain damage.





POTENTIAL HAZARDS



Here are some foods to watch out for:



Rounded, small, or slippery foods. They can slip right down the throat and lodge at a narrowed spot. Such foods include baby carrots, grapes, and raisins.



Firm, but pliable, foods. Items like hot dogs, sausages, and frozen banana pieces can conform to the shape of the throat and lodge there.



Light, dry foods. Snacks such as popcorn, tortilla chips, potato chips, and pretzels can get stuck in the throat, as can hard produce (including those with tough or dry skins), such as raw apples and carrots.



Chewy, sticky foods. These might not be manageable for very young children. They include caramels, gum, gummy bears, fruit "leather" (such as Roll-Ups), dollops of peanut butter, and cheese slices or cubes.



Stringy foods, like celery or spaghetti, may also be hard for little ones to manage.



If a food is tough to chew, like steak or bagels, children might try to swallow pieces whole--an obvious hazard. Steak, chicken, or other meats with bones are also hazardous.



Some medications, including those for teething pain, can numb the mouth and throat muscles, so talk to your child's pediatrician about the safest way to feed your child.





TIPS FOR PARENTS



These easy steps can help prevent choking:

Don't put cereal in a baby's bottle.

Place children upright in a comfortable high chair or booster seat with a table surface that provides support.

Keep portions small. Give your child more if he or she wants it. For spoon-fed babies, wait until the mouth is clear before giving the child more food.

For children ages 4 or younger, make sure solid food is cut into pieces smaller than half an inch. Round foods like hot dogs and grapes should be cut in half.

Cook foods such as pasta, rice, beans, and hard vegetables until soft.

Avoid feeding small foods like nuts to young children. They have few (if any) molars to grind them, and could choke if they unexpectedly laugh or take a deep breath and inhale them.

Watch for "chipmunking"--when a child fills his cheeks with food and doesn't swallow it.

Keep older children from handing easy-to-choke-on foods or small objects to younger children.

Limit distractions during meal time, such as TV, pets, and game-playing, so children can focus on their food.

Never leave a child alone while eating.

Don't feed a child in a car or bus. It will be hard for a driver to pull to the side of the road fast enough to help a choking child.



Ideally, parents and caregivers should learn how to properly respond to a choking child before an incident occurs. See these American Red Cross tips for the relief of choking in children. You can also find a CPR training class near you.

Danielle - posted on 06/16/2009

I plan on taking it slow and doing what FEELS right to us. The other day, I let Tyler suck on a pickle. It seemed right and it went well. Baby steps...

Tracy - posted on 06/16/2009

Hey Tiffiny! I was the same way with my first child. Gerber makes puffs in different flavors. They melt in the mouth. My son has no teeth and he loves them. He gums them til they melt. You still need to supervise because if he pushes it back to far he will gag but it melts with the salvia in his mouth. Target and Walmart make their own brand of puffs that are the same as Gerber but cheaper. I tried them my self with my first child to make sure they melt and they do.