Is yogurt safe for a baby?

Erica - posted on 12/13/2011

Yogurt is milk based to no its too early for him. Just keep with the cereal and you can also use the baby oatmeal too. And if he doesn't really care for it, it is ok to add just a LITTLE bit of sugar for flavor.

Sherri - posted on 12/13/2011

Eeek well okay then. I am just going to leave that all alone.

Jamie - posted on 12/13/2011

Haha! I know I sound crazy right. I read everything I can get my hands on related to nutrition and food production in this country. To clarify:
-Not all yogurt is bad. If it's organic, from cows not treated with antibiotics/hormones and in humane conditions as well as no artificial colors/sweetners, any other chemical, and very little sugar added it is ok with me. But I still don't think babies under 1 yr should get it.
-Yes, I think formula is crap for babies. I think they should be breastfed. Yes, I understand and feel bad for women who cannot make this happen.
I'm a little bit off the beaten path but there's nowhere I'd rather be :)

Sherri - posted on 12/13/2011

Wow Jaime I couldn't disagree with you more. Formula isn't good for babies REALLY?? and yogurt isn't either?? Not sure where you get your information but I think your ill informed.

Darcie Mae - posted on 12/13/2011

I think the healthy yogurt is ok for them. Check close though, because some yogurt is not much different than candy.

Jamie - posted on 12/13/2011

Cultured cows milk is different than drinking a glass of milk but I still don't think babies should have it or have any need for it.

And let's be clear, "they" make yogurt for babies and make formula with cow milk protein to make a profit, not b/c it's inherently good food for our babies.

Kate CP - posted on 12/13/2011

*bangs head on desk* I give up.

Roxanne - posted on 12/13/2011

they make yogurt FOR babies. Babies can have dairy, it just isnt recommended that they have milk instead of formula. Formula is MADE from cows milk. Cereal is easiest to digest, that is why doctors recommend it first. It is formulated with iron which babies need especially if they are breast fed.

Lisa - posted on 12/13/2011

yougurt is not a good starter food ! he should be ready for milk by the time you start yogurt. you can start with beginner veggies and fruits! jarred food tells you which ones are good at what ages!

Kate CP - posted on 12/13/2011

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CULTURED COWS MILK IS DIFFERENT THAN A GLASS OF MILK, PEOPLE!!!

*thud*

Jamie - posted on 12/13/2011

Research suggests that the introduction of cow's milk protein before 1 yr of age could increase risk of type 1 diabetes in children. Your baby only needs mothers milk protein. My son didn't want any rice cereal/pureed fruits & veggies till 6 mos. Every kid is different but your baby definitely doesn't need yogurt. :-)

Kylie - posted on 12/13/2011

In the supermarkets there is yoghurt for babies and all my kids grew up on yoghurt perfectly fine just buy the one for babies

Chrystal - posted on 12/13/2011

I should also mention - that it is untrue that 4 months is "too" young! As I stated my daughter is 13 years old and back then it was the "magical" age for starting them on solids....It only just changed in the past 7-8 years....Only because too many parents were giving their babies "god awful" foods, that couldn't be properly swallowed at 4 months. It is also because 6 months they are able to eat better, rather than push it back out with their tongue! However, how do we think all of our parents and their parents survived? I guarentee there was no magical age back then and they all survived and grew up to be healthy adults!! You got to go by your instincts, not by what others believe in.....

Chrystal - posted on 12/13/2011

Yes and I started my son and daughter at 4 months with the cereal....My daughter is now 13 years old and survived, my son is 14 months old and LOVES yogurt, has since 4 months! There is nothing wrong with yogurt at this age. It is good for them! Remember ALL babies are different, even from their siblings! All you can do is try it, if they don't like it or it causes a bit of upset than you know to keep it off the menu for a bit.... The main thing is it is all trial and error - give it a shot, see how he likes it! Just don't give anything he can choke on but that's a given!!

Cheryl Dawn - posted on 12/13/2011

Why does he 'want' him to start cereal? He is really too young to have it right now. You probably have to spoon it into his mouth and some of it is pushed back out and you have to put it back in. Even if not, there is really no need for food right now. You can really give him anything you want if you're going to feed him anyway. If you wait until he is at least 6 months old start him on avocado, pureed meats, banana's, any nutrient dense food. Rice cereal is really not a great food for him to be eating.
http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/201...

Ksteeger - posted on 12/13/2011

It's pretty easy to make your own yogurt. I'd use orgnanic milk when making it for an infant.

My pedi said I could start both my girls on cereal on the 16 wk birthdays-- and they were tanks, too!

Roxana - posted on 12/13/2011

and...if anyone likes the probiotic youghurts..Im sure you've heard about danone getting fined because their youghurt doesnt do whats said in the ads....but not only that, a german author Udo Pollmer says they do the opposite, http://homepage.univie.ac.at/horst.prill... ...so just in case u dont have the patience to read the article, u should at least know that the bacteria they use for probiotic youghurts comes from " gastrointestinal tract, vagina[1][2] and mouth (B. dentium) of mammals and other animals. Bifidobacteria are one of the major genera of bacteria that make up the colon flora in mammals" ...it was a shock for me when I found out...

Roxana - posted on 12/13/2011

avocado makes a great first food, good for the lil brains developing. mix it with a bit of formula if u dont breastfeed...better try all veggies first, just steam or boil yourself and mash really well..much better and cheaper than baby foods.if you give youghurt you should definetly give just the plain one, so much healthier... dont just go for baby food isle but if u do, read the ingreadints, u would be surprised how almost all baby youghurts have flavours and preservatives..just look for something that doesnt have anything else but milk, milk solids and live cultures...or u can even make your own youghurt

Saesha - posted on 12/12/2011

Health Canada, The World Health Organization, UNICEF, and many other national and international organizations recommend that no other foods besides breast milk be given to your baby until six months of age. They also recommend that you continue to breastfeed after you start giving your baby solid foods at six months.
It is recommended that you breastfeed for two years or longer. This is taken from most recent edition of babies best chance, it is given to all women after they have a baby and it is what we use in the hospital to provide accurate and consistent information to new moms. Go to www.bestchance.gov.bc.ca

Mia - posted on 12/12/2011

hmmm.. the maternity nurse who responded in here needs to look at some up to date research I'm afraid. certainly several years ago the belief was that 6 months was in fact some magical number and that iron-fortified rice cereal was some magical beginning to introducing solids. neither of those are actual true or based in fact in light of all new research and just the facts of a developing human body. the truest reality is that every child (and every parent) is different. some kids may not be ready till 6 months but it has nothing to do with that being the right thing to do or the fact-based thing to do. some kids are ready earlier and some kids still won't eat a variety of solids until later than 6 months. the best thing to do is make sure your child is getting nutrition-packed, safe to eat options from the moment he/she is ready. That may significantly earlier than 6 months and it may be a little later (though you want to make sure he/she is starting to transition to a solid foods diet in combination with breastmilk or formula (if absolutely necessary) by 6 months. If you are breastfeeding and your kid at 4 months seems to need more DON"T GO TO FORMULA and breastmilk or give up on nursing for formula - go to solids and vitamins. If your breastfed baby starts solids and is doing well and by 8-10 months seems ready for an additional supplement go to something other than formula because it's expensive and unnecessary. Keep nursing if you can and maybe use a little iron-fortified rice milk or goat's milk mixed with cereals or small amounts in a cup. All my children were exclusively breastfed and then continually nursed with solids up until 11 months when we introduced homemade almond milk. remember, every kid is different, don't let any one pressure you into believing some standard is normal. BUT be safe and smart when introducing solids or formulas or food groups.

Pamela - posted on 12/12/2011

If your child can digest cereal, he can digest yogurt. Yogurt is less bulky than cereals and more easily digested.. It also contains acidopholous (sp?) which is good for the digestive tract.

Sherri - posted on 12/12/2011

Because April some kids such as my older one was intaking way too much formula a day 56ozs by 12wks so he was put on solids by his doctor to slow the amt of calories he was intaking in a day.

My middle one screamed non stop literally all day by 4mo's until we started him on cereal because breastmilk was just not enough for him any longer.

So really you have to deal with when to start solids by an individual child to individual child basis. Some truly need solids by 4mo's and some may not need solids till almost a year. Every child is soooo different.

Brittany - posted on 12/12/2011

I started giving my daughter yogurt at 6 months. She has started swim lessons and I used the yogurt to replace the bacteria in the digestive track. She went nuts for it. I got plain then added my own fruit to avoid the excess sugar.

If you are really adament about starting table food, I would do a fruit or veggie that is really easy to mash. I wouldn't recommend avacado at this point though (it can cause the runs). I gave my daughter tastes of banana first. Mainly because I could mash it with my fingers and let her taste it off my finger.

April - posted on 12/12/2011

I have read so much on baby nutrition and diet, etc. as well as keeping up with medical info and the Pediatrician. Everything says feeding your baby any foods before 5-5 1/2 months increases the risk of diabetes and obesity. What is the hurry? They get the nutrition they need from breast milk or good formula- be patient. Bad doctor. there bodies do not need and are not ready earlier.

Lisa - posted on 12/12/2011

I have always heard that you should wait for things like yogurt until at least 9 months. And when you do make sure it is whole milk yogurt, because they need the fat. If you want to give your baby something other than cereal, I would gradually introduce fruits and veggies one at a time as there is not a lot of nutrition in rice cereal especially. Though I always mixed oatmeal and whole grain cereals in with my kiddos purees for the extra iron and to and thickness as they got older!

Brianna - posted on 12/12/2011

fundiswa: i have read about studies that link obesity as a adult to being fed to early as a baby. also there are links between developing food allergies because of being fed solids to early. and actually my cusin was fed solids at 4 weeks old and he has ending up devloping deadly allergies to fish, nuts, and egg. where as his sister who was not fed anyting till 6 months has no allergies;.. i mean there no why to no for sure if thats what caused his allergys but it is something interesting to think about :)

Kate CP - posted on 12/12/2011

Even maternity nurses can have old and outdated information, Saesha.

Liz - posted on 12/12/2011

"Rice cereal is an important part of first foods though as it contains iron and should be given at least once a day once they are 6 months."



Rice cereal is JUNK. It's artificially fortified with iron, which is incredibly hard for the body to absorb. It's also constipating.



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"Yogurt is a dairy product and can cause allergies and upset stomach and should be held off until 9 months or so."



You can introduce yogurt to most babies as early as 6 months, says Frank Greer, a pediatrician and former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Committee on Nutrition.



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"Start with vegetables and unsweetened foods so they don't get a taste for only sweet things."



This is nonsense. Breastmilk and formula are sweet. They already have a taste for sweet. Research shows babies are more open to eating vegetables if you mix them with fruit at first, as they're already used to sweet.



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"I've notice a lot of people saying give eggs, egg yolks are fine, but do not give the whites until after a year as they are highly allergenic. These sites are great for conversation but you really should be talking to a qualified person..."



You may be a maternity nurse, and think of yourself as more qualified than the rest of us who are merely "conversing," but your ideas are outdated.



The American Academy of Pediatrics published a report in 2008 stating that - in most cases - there may be NO benefit in delaying the introduction of eggs (including the whites) beyond 6 months of age (unless there is a family history of food allergy).

Brianna - posted on 12/12/2011

cows milk only at 9 months

Anna - posted on 12/12/2011

mashed ripe avocado is a great food for babies and you get to eat the rest of it !!

Bernadette - posted on 12/12/2011

you can get baby yoghurt that is suitable for babies from 6 months. We use the Vahlia My First Yoghurt. Both my kids have loved them!

Fundiswa - posted on 12/11/2011

@ Apryl, there is no such regarding obescity

Fundiswa - posted on 12/11/2011

its not early at all, this thing of babies eating @ 6 months does not work for us black people. My son started eating putity at 2 months, he is now a bouncy healthy 19 month old. Feed the baby but moderately

Debbie - posted on 12/11/2011

I can't believe all this garbage about solids. Both my kids were started on solids at 6 weeks and so was I, my brother was a month old. If i had small ones today i would still start them on solids by the time they were a couple months old and none of us have any food allergies.

Sherri - posted on 12/11/2011

The recommendations Laura are from 4-6mo's. 4 1/2mo's old is not to early from solids.

Michelle - posted on 12/11/2011

NO DAIRY until age 1. Yogurt contains milk, so you should hold off till then to avoid digestive problems. My doctor gave us a sheet with solid food recommendations: start with cereals, trying each new food for three days and watching for allergy before introducing the next new food. Then add liquefied fruit like apples and pears to the cereal. Baby will love that, I know mine does. Avoid berries (& nuts) till after age 2. Then start light-colored veggies. Sweet potatoes are often a big hit. Also cream of corn, squash and carrots. Stick with the cereals, fruits and light veggies until baby is a couple months older, and then you can add meats like lamb and beef, then actual meals like pasta, etc. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Laura - posted on 12/11/2011

Why so early? I wouldn't do anything except breast milk or formula until at least 6 months. Ask doc why. Kids who start solids so early are more prone to food allergies and intolerance. Full fat plain yogurt is fine for a baby over 6 months, but I would introduce veggies and fruits first.

Louise - posted on 12/11/2011

I waited until my son was 6mths old before i gave solids, lucky i did as he has alot of food allergies. Good luck, if uhave any excema come up chances are it was caused by a food he may be allergic too. Our allergy specialist told us that, now my son is ecema free. I just don'tgive him gluten foods now. And it is all good.

Kimberley - posted on 12/11/2011

I say look to your health department for that of your government. That would probably be not recomended where I come from.

Tine - posted on 12/11/2011

Simply, yes it is too early!
It's actually too really for cereal too - babies' digestive systems are really not ready until 6 months at least for anything but breastmilk or at least formula.
Cow's milk is very allergenic for humans and although some plain yogurt (I'd never give kids anything but that. The 'fruit' and flavoured ones are basically junk food, full of sugar and other additives) is fine for older kids who aren't allergic, it's really not appropriate for little babies.

Mia - posted on 12/11/2011

all my kids had at least 2 teeth and interest in food by 4 1/2 months. They all started with steamed broccoli then sweet potatoes then squash then then pureed spinach with fresh fruit juice, homemade fruit sauces, soft tofu, quinoa, and by 7 months, a full range of veggies and fruits. They all nursed (or are still nursing) till at least 2 years old. They are incredibly good eaters. they all eat salad, veggies, quinoa, fresh nut butters, and fruits like crazy. as a nutrition fanatic - we didn't introduce dairy at all till close to a year. be careful with yogurts - we started with organic goat's milk yogurt that i make at home or coconut yogurt and sometimes organic dairy yogurt but only if i has no preservatives or hfcs. kids are so small and though many of them seem like they are bottomless they fill up on things quickly so fill them with high impact foods from the start and they won't know the difference. of course, you should always avoid the major food allergies or anything they can choke on or can make them sick until its developmentally appropriate but many of the standards that have been created are really not taking long-term health and nutrition of children into consideration. I am not saying you're doing anything wrong but a lot of times it's helpful to hear that you don't have to follow some specific rules about what an individual kid can or can't have. every kid is different. one of my kids was eating steamed veggies on her 4 month birthday. she had 4 teeth and she was REALLY hungry! she also walked at 7 1/2 months. she just needed more food and she needed it even earlier than the others at 4 1/2 months. I would be very careful with the starch additives without any substantial nutritional value... There are LOTS of natural supplements (like pure DHA powders) that are much better. if your kiddo is needing more food FEED HIM whatever you think he is ready for!!!!! it is NOT too early!

Apryl - posted on 12/11/2011

I am baffled as to why you need to add MORE food to his diet. If he's a "tank" and is eating enough then I wouldn't try to teach him to stuff himself. You are setting him up for a lifetime of struggling with obesity. Babies don't need solid foods until they are about a year. Anything given prior is just so they can learn to enjoy the flavors and textures and to teach them to appreciate good healthy foods. Please do some research on raising a healthy baby and proper nutrition. He's such a young little guy, it's ok if he's not stuffed at every meal and yes, he will still wake up in the middle of the night because hes a baby. Waking up to feed your child is part of parenthood. His bloodsugar levels need to be leveled out by having a feeding in the night.

Jo - posted on 12/09/2011

I would just start on pureed fruit and veges. I think around 8-10 months is when most recommend starting yoghurt. Egg yolks can be used after around 6 months but the white, not before 1. If you're not sure, go to the supermarket and have a look at the babyfoods there that are recommended as first foods, that should give you an idea at least.

Minnie - posted on 12/09/2011

Research shows that dietary cholesterol has no effect on blood serum cholesterol. The levels of LDL (and there are different types of LDL), HDL and triglycerides are dependent on other factors.

Stifler's - posted on 12/09/2011

There's good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Nothing has cholesterol in it your body makes that out of what you eat. Avocado and eggs and all that has the good oils.

Kelina - posted on 12/09/2011

I don't see any problem with it. My daughter was having yogurt by 5 months. She was ready for solids by 4, on 3 meals a day by 5 months. some kids are ready for it earlier than others. one thing I liked to do was mix veggies one at a time into her cereal. Be wary of bananas though. My son they gave him no problem, gave him the runs so I was't wary with my daughter. BIG MISTAKE! lol, she got so constipated I was terrified of bananas for months. She wasn't allowed them again until almost 9 months or something like that. Now she's fine with them. also you can try whatever's on your plate, just only introduce one food at a time. That way if he reacts you know what he's reacting to. Lol as for the eggs when I had my son they told me only the yolk. I never bothered finding out what the recommendation was when I had my daughter, she got everything but peanut butter, although she did manage to get hold of my peanut butter cookies a few times and had no problems.

Minnie - posted on 12/09/2011

Cholesterol is the concern? What does the doctor think human milk is made of? That stuff is full of it.

Ianina - posted on 12/09/2011

My dr said the same, half egg (yolk and white) once a week. Cholesterol was my guess. My twins love scrambled eggs, not hard boiled...

Liz - posted on 12/09/2011

Eggs are ok, only once a week acording to my dr.

Why?

Anna - posted on 12/09/2011

I'd wait until at least 6 months, just to be sure, and only give plain, preferably organic.