Pablum/ Rice Cereal

Guggie - posted on 02/13/2009

Natalie, although the AAP does recommend waiting until at least 6 months, don't feel that you have to ignore your mommy instincts either.

The 6 month line is an average. Just as some babies walk at 8 months and others walk at 15 months, GI tracts are probably varied as well.

The typical rule of thumb is to introduce fresh, mild fruit or vegetables (such as bananas or avacados) when:

-Baby can sit unassisted

-Baby reaches for food, has interest in the food and tries to eat it

-Baby has teeth

Obviously, that doesn't happen all at 6 months. For example, my baby is 3 months old and will eat anything she can get into her mouth. She is also sitting up on her own. I am debating myself whether to give her some solids or to wait. On the one hand, the benefits are clear for waiting. But on the other, she might just be ready for it.

Since my family members have some food allergies I am probably going to wait until 6 months.

Natalie - posted on 02/13/2009

Yeah, my daughter seems to have quite the sensitive tummy, so I guess I am better off waiting until she is 5-6 months.

Genna - posted on 02/13/2009

Hey this might now be alot of help.. but my first born Now 2 years old.. She just could not get enough to eat so at about 2 months old and my dr said it was fine because she just needed that little more I was only breastfeeding has lots of milk but she just wanted more at night so i have her just a few tps amout of cerel before bed and she sleept much better and was in a better mood. So it all depends on the child and how you feel, like they say most of the time it says about 4-6 months 6 months is better but every baby is different.

Guggie - posted on 02/12/2009

The AAP recommends waiting until at least 6 months. Rice cereal is one of the hardest things to digest. Something soft and high calorie, such as avacado, might be more filling.

The whole point/goal of delaying solids to at least 6 months is to allow the GI tract to fully develop and mature. Before 6 months, the goblet cells (lining) of the intestines are very far apart, with big gaps in between. When you give anything other than breastmilk to a baby when the GI tract is not yet developed (formula, baby cereal, food, even the tiniest taste of something) the proteins (which are pretty "big" in relative terms) can fit through those large gaps. They go right through the gaps between the cells, into the bloodstream, and trigger an immune response, which is why introducing foods before 6 months can cause allergies/asthma/diabetes, etc in later life.

So, even a little lick of something (like an apple, or carrot) will have tons of proteins in it, and surely enough will go through those gaps and cause the immune response. At 6 months of age, the gaps slowly begin to get smaller and eventually close...but it doesn't happen overnight at 6 months all of a sudden! That's why waiting even longer is a better idea, because when you allow all of baby's developmental signs of readiness to tell you that baby is ready to begin solids, you will know that by that point your baby is truly ready and that baby's GI tract is fully formed.

Kellymom.com has great information on when to start solids, how to know baby is ready, and when you should just wait it out. Waiting a few months is worth it for the benefits your baby will receive when they are older!

And BTW, by "proteins", I don't really mean protein as in meat, or beans, or nuts. Proteins are almost everything...like tiny bits of pollen, plants' sexual organs, plant "markers" for bees/butterflies, they give color/odor to plants. I don't want someone thinking "well, apples have no protein, they're safe"...because it's not protein in that sense of the word, like we usually think of it.

Diann - posted on 02/12/2009

My grandmother told me I needed to start feeding cereal to my son (now at 2 1/2 ) because he is not getting enough to eat with just formula.  He now sleeps about 7 1/2 hours every night.  He was eating 4-6 ounces of formula every hour, since he started cereal it's 5oz every 3 to 5 hours.  It makes the day a bit easier.

Carolyn - posted on 02/12/2009

I heard at 4 months - 7 hours is awesome!! Max sleeps the same way -we are really luck they sleep that long. Back in the day moms did give cereal me doc said NO