Rice Cereal with formula or breast milk?

Question

My daughter on breastmilk and soy milk, her doctor recommended to put rice cereal on her formula or breastmilk for her spit up.

Does it really work?

and she's still on level 1 nipple, i should change to level 2 or?

thank you!

Answer 1

I'd like to know what doctors are recommending rice cereal for babies under 4 months, and in the bottle!

That's unreal...

Babies spit up. It's a fact of life. It's her tummy's way of saying "I've had enough." Just get some good bibs and keep a spit-rag handy.

Good luck!

Answer 2

my son spits up a fair and and his doc recommended this too unfortuntly it didnt work for my son.

but i had to put a level 2 on my sons bottle. you could try it with a level one teat and see how your daughter goes just have a level 2 handy incase you need to swap over.

Answer 3

yea .. my son has the same problem. and yes you should change to level 2 or else it will be super hard for the baby to suck it out.

Answer 4

i give my son rice cereal with formula and it works for the spitups and your not suposed to give rice cereal in a bottle you feed them with a spoon...and if she is content with the stage one then keep her on it

Answer 5

i dont kno they spit up cuz of the gas i dont kno its gonna help or not but u can try + yh u should change the level cuz u r baby is growing and wants to suck up more.

GOOD LUCK

Answer 6

My doctor recommended the same thing for my son for his spitting up.  We put the cereal in his bottle and it does help alot.  We are still using the level one nipple.  It slows him down, which also helps the spitting, I think.

I love all the know-it-alls who know more than doctors.  Yes, babies spit up.  Not all babies vomit with every ounce they drink and projectile vomit.  There IS such a thing as reflux and it is not uncommon for doctors to recommend that babies get a tiny bit of cereal in their bottles to thicken up the formula so it doesn't all come back up.

Answer 7

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/ref...

What about thickened feeds?

Baby cereal, added to thicken breastmilk or formula, has been used as a treatment for GER for many years, but its use is controversial.

Does it work? Thickened feeds can reduce spitting up, but studies have not shown a decrease in reflux index scores (i.e., the “silent reflux” is still present). Per Donna Secker, MS, RD in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease PDF, "The effect of thickened feedings may be more cosmetic (decreased regurgitation and increased postprandial sleeping) than beneficial." Thickened feeds have been associated with increased coughing after feedings, and may also decrease gastric emptying time and increase reflux episodes and aspiration. Note that rice cereal will not effectively thicken breastmilk due to the amylase (an enzyme that digests carbohydrates) naturally present in the breastmilk.

Is it healthy for baby? If you do thicken feeds, monitor baby’s intake since baby may take in less milk overall and thus decrease overall nutrient intake. There are a number of reasons to avoid introducing cereal and other solids early. There is evidence that the introduction of rice or gluten-containing cereals before 3 months of age increases baby's risk for type I diabetes. In addition, babies with GERD are more likely to need all their defenses against allergies, respiratory infections and ear infections – but studies show that early introduction of solids increases baby’s risk for all of these conditions.

http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochra...

Plain language summary

There is no current evidence from randomised trials to show that adding feed thickeners to milk for newborn infants is effective in treating gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Many newborn babies (in the first four weeks of life) suffer from gastro-oesophageal reflux, especially if they are born premature. Thickening the milk feed is a simple manoeuvre and commonly used as first line treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux. Thickening the feeds can be used with or without other treatments such as positioning babies on their stomach or side, and using medications that suppress acid in the stomach or cause food to move more rapidly through the stomach. No randomised controlled studies of sufficient quality were found in this review. Therefore, there is no current evidence to support or refute the use of feed thickeners in treating newborn babies with gastro-oesophageal reflux.

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVFeb...

Thickened feedings are suggested by many doctors. However, thickened feedings do not always work (Bailey et al 1987), can interfere with breastfeeding, and may increase the risk of food allergies. Some studies have shown that thickened feeds can have an adverse effect on growth in some babies and increase the risk of respiratory involvement (Orenstein et al 1992). Because thickened feeds remain in the stomach longer, they may actually cause more reflux. For these reasons, mothers should consider their options very carefully before deciding to use thickened feeds. If a mother does want to try this, she can use her expressed milk thickened with cereal and offer it with a spoon before regular feedings at the breast. Surgery on the LES is a rarely used treatment except in the most extreme and unresponsive cases.

Studies have shown that formula-fed babies are more likely to exhibit symptoms of GERD than are breastfed infants. Weaning from the breast should not be regarded as a good solution for GERD. Non-thriving babies should be evaluated for underlying illness. In most cases, GERD can be handled through proper breastfeeding management, positioning, mother’s diet, and education. When these steps do not bring about relief, more extensive testing and other treatment options may need to be explored.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/4706...

Thickened Feeds

Thickening feeds with rice cereal (one tablespoon per 2 to 4 ounces of formula) is associated with a decrease in the number of vomiting episodes, but does not improve reflux index scores (Rudolph et al., 2001). Jiang, Ewigman, and Danis (2001) report that thickened formula may reduce the frequency of regurgitation and total volume of emesis. It may also reduce time spent crying and increase time spent sleeping.

Rice cereal used as a thickener increases the caloric density of formula and may cause constipation. Thickened formulas also require enlarged nipple holes to feed, potentially resulting in greater ingestion of air or formula, which can favor regurgitation. Because rice cereal- thickened feedings have 150% of the caloric density of un-thickened feedings, only 65% of the volume needs to be fed per meal; thereby decreasing gastric volume (Orenstein, 2001). In an infant who is solely breast-fed, it is not possible to thicken the feeds unless the mother uses a breast-pump and then feeds the infant, which can be tedious and less desirable.

Answer 8

Yes, if she has reflux, rice cereal is a good choice.

I wouldn't put it in her bottle though.