Ive started feeding my child baby rice and she is 11 weeks, is this okay to do?

Question

ive only tried it today as mum said that it wont do her any harm. she didn't have much just a tiny spoonful and then her milk and she seemed to like this. is there any real danger to this as i dont want to put my little one to any harm

Answer 1

She should not have cereal before 4 months unless directed by dr.  

Answer 2

Solids should almost always wait until at least 6 months of age.  Some doctors will still say 4 months.  But 11 weeks is definitely too early.  You are increasing her risk of developing allergies and other problems because her digestive tract is not fully matured and ready for solids.

Answer 3

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/fit3.asp

Attention all Grandmothers:

I know that the experts told you to start feeding your babies cereal after a few weeks of life; and you followed their advice because you loved your children. Now we know that an infant's gut is not ready for solid foods until around six months of age. If you start a food too early, he is much more likely to become allergic to it. This can result in damage to the intestines, weight loss, blood in the stool, and malnutrition. You might argue, "Well, my kids started solid foods at three weeks, and they turned out just fine." The truth is, very few adults have perfectly working digestive tracts. Just look at all the commercials for heartburn remedies and stool softeners... "ever feel gassy and bloated after a meal?"

Here is what the experts are saying now:

    * Breastfeed for at least one year.

    * Start cereal and other solids after six months of age.

Why Delay Solids?

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000...

WHY WAIT? 6 REASONS

Gone are the days when pressured mothers stuffed globs of cereal into the tight mouths of reluctant six-week-olds. Nowadays parents feed their baby on the timetable that is developmentally and nutritionally correct -- as determined by their baby. Don't be in a rush to start solids. Here are some good reasons for waiting.

1. Baby's intestines need to mature. The intestines are the body's filtering system, screening out potentially harmful substances and letting in healthy nutrients. In the early months, this filtering system is immature. Between four and seven months a baby's intestinal lining goes through a developmental growth spurt called closure, meaning the intestinal lining becomes more selective about what to let through. To prevent potentially-allergenic foods from entering the bloodstream, the maturing intestines secrete IgA , a protein immunoglobulin that acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens. In the early months, infant IgA production is low (although there is lots of IgA in human milk), and it is easier for potentially-allergenic food molecules to enter the baby's system. Once food molecules are in the blood, the immune system may produce antibodies to that food, creating a food allergy . By six to seven months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it's particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic.

2. Young babies have a tongue-thrust reflex . In the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, giving the glob of cereal a fighting chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy. Not only is the mouth-end of baby's digestive tract not ready for early solids, neither is the lower end.

3. Baby's swallowing mechanism is immature. Another reason not to rush solids is that the tongue and the swallowing mechanisms may not yet be ready to work together. Give a spoonful of food to an infant less than four months, and she will move it around randomly in her mouth, pushing some of it back into the pharynx where it is swallowed, some of it into the large spaces between the cheeks and gums, and some forward between the lips and out onto her chin. Between four and six months of age, most infants develop the ability to move the food from the front of the mouth to the back instead of letting it wallow around in the mouth and get spit out. Prior to four months of age, a baby's swallowing mechanism is designed to work with sucking, but not with chewing.

4. Baby needs to be able to sit up. In the early months, babies associate feeding with cuddling. Feeding is an intimate interaction, and babies often associate the feeding ritual with falling asleep in arms or at the breast. The change from a soft, warm breast to a cold, hard spoon may not be welcomed with an open mouth. Feeding solid foods is a less intimate and more mechanical way of delivering food. It requires baby to sit up in a highchair � a skill which most babies develop between five and seven months. Holding a breastfed baby in the usual breastfeeding position may not be the best way to start introducing solids, as your baby expects to be breastfed and clicks into a "what's wrong with this picture?" mode of food rejection.

5. Young infants are not equipped to chew. Teeth seldom appear until six or seven months, giving further evidence that the young infant is designed to suck rather than to chew. In the pre-teething stage, between four and six months, babies tend to drool, and the drool that you  

Answer 4

my son started getting a tablespoon of rice cereal in his bottles at about 3 months.  he was drooling a lot of the formula out and the rice helped to thicken it for him.  he loved it!  there are a lot of things that s parents we're not "supposed" to do. rice cereal is not going to hurt your baby.  if hse likes it, keep giving it to her!  but keep it to small amounts for now.  as she gets older, you can give her a full serving of it, and mix some juice with it.  she'll be ready for solids on a regular basis in no time!  i started solids with my son (by doctor's approval) at 4 months.  we started with the rice cereal, and by 5 months he moved to pureed foods.  good luck!

Answer 5

4 months is the earliest a baby should be given rice cereal. It won't do your baby any harm now that it's done, just don't do it again until you get your doctor's approval. Your baby should be able to hold her head up. If she isn't able to do this, she isn't ready for cereal yet.

Answer 6

I don't think you should feed her any solid food until she turns 5 months old.  Then you can give her garber's rice with banana or something similiar to it.  But for now all she need it breast milk or formula.  Her stomach is not ready to digest solid food.  

Answer 7

Yes, I understand that, under 4-5 months the problem is that they have problems with digestion and can get constipated etc. I know it's really hard when they seem hungry but upping her milk might be better. My son was a big hungry baby but managed well on large, frequent milk feeds till 6 months and then went straight onto finger food. (Still doing well at 19 months).  

Answer 8

i dont thionk you should do that again untill s/he is at lest 6 mnths  

Answer 9

I started doing this today as well. My son is 12 weeks and is ALWAYS hungry. He eats 6 oz every 3 hrs.. although he could eat every 2 hrs. I was told by my ped that he is eating enough so not to feed him any sooner...  So I started doing putting 1 tablespoon in his morning bottle and supper bottle... I will try it out for a week or so to see if it changes anything.

Alot of people say its too early but also alot of mothers do it at this time or even sooner. I think it depends on the baby and the circumstance.