What is the rush to feed infants solid foods?

Question

Each day there are questions on here as to when to start solids. Some of these babies are as young as 6 weeks! All the research I have done says that it is better to wait. So just curious as to what the rush is?

It doesn't help them sleep better - "Your baby won't be able to sleep through the night (defined as a five-hour stretch) until his central nervous system has fully matured; it has almost nothing to do with whether he has a full tummy." http://www.babycenter.com/404_will-my-baby-sleep-better-if-i-add-cereal-to-his-bottle-at-n_9155.bc

We know now 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. Some 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?" See "6 reasons to wait" on Ask Dr Sears http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

Answer 1

Maybe people are tired of having to spend to much money on formula? Or maybe because they are tired of making so many bottles? who knows. people are crazy sometimes. :P  Maybe they get tired of breastfeeding so much???

Answer 2

I think it's a combination of factors;

1. Simple lack of knowlege.  If a mother has never read a parenting book or pamphlet, she may have NO idea of when solids are supposed to be started. So they may assume that baby needs solids much earlier than he really does.

2. Outdated advice (often from relatives or friends) about when solids are supposed to be started, or on how much formula is 'too much' or 'too often' or when baby is 'supposed to be' sleeping the night.  So if baby is taking more than a certain amount of formula, or not sleeping the night by 2-3 months, they may believe that something is wrong, and baby 'needs' solids.

3. Outdated advice from peds.  Despite clear recommendations to the contrary there are STILL peds who tell moms to start solids early.

(Quote from an AAP document on infant feeding: (It specifically addresses breastfed babies, but there is no logical reason that a formula fed baby would 'need' cereal any earlier.  It's just starch and iron...)

"Complementary foods rich in iron should be introduced gradually beginning around 6 months of age. Preterm and low birth weight infants and infants with hematologic disorders or infants who had inadequate iron stores at birth generally require iron supplementation before 6 months of age.Iron may be administered while continuing exclusive breastfeeding.

Unique needs or feeding behaviors of individual infants may indicate a need for introduction of complementary foods as early as 4 months of age, whereas other infants may not be ready to accept other foods until approximately 8 months of age."

4.  A desire for baby to be 'advanced.'  Someone pointed out on another site that starting solids is one of the few milestones that parents can, to a large extent, control. YOu can't make a baby walk before he's ready, or talk, but you CAN stuff cereal down a baby's throat, either by putting it in the bottle, or forcefeeding from a spoon or 'infa-feeder.' So a baby who is getting solids by 2-3 months may be seen as 'better' than a baby who gets only milk.  (Way back in the 1940's,-1950's in the early editions of his books, Dr. Spock talked about this. Even then, it was recognized that babies didn't need solids until around 4 months [these were formula fed babies on home made formula, so they DID 'need' solids earlier].  But mothers gave solids earlier and earlier because 'they didn't want their babies to be one day later than the baby up the street.'

Of course we also see a bit of reverse competition in this area too, where the mother of a baby exclusively on breastmilk at 10-12 months will brag that HER baby isn't interested in anything but breastmilk...

5. A wish to avoid spending so much on formula.  It's seen as better to give baby useless starch than healthy nutrition.  

EDIT:  I also notice that there is this weird belief that if baby isn't 'average' he needs solids earlier.  And again, it goes both ways.  As you noted, your baby was small, so the doctor told you to start solids early.  (Presumably because 'she needs more calories.')  But Tyler's mom writes that HER doctor told her to start solids because he was too BIG -- 'obviously formula wasn't enough for him any more.'  So  you can't win.  Evidentally, unless baby is in the 50th percentile, some doctors will tell you that baby 'needs' solids early. Sigh...

(FWIW, my daughter was petite.  Always around the 3rd-10th percentile and exclusively breastfed for 5 1/2 months.  At her 4 month check up the doctor told me I could start solids when I wanted to. [This was 16 years ago, when older recommendations of '4-6 months' were still in place.])

Answer 3

but it's so CUTE!!!! to see a 3 month old baby eating a fudgesicle!  who cares about open gut and food allergies and anemia and choking and caffeine??  my baby is a toy to be used however i want for my amusement.

Answer 4

Agreed, we didn't start on solids till six months. For simply that same reason you just said, starting too early can develope allergies to it much more easier.

Answer 5

thank you for saying this....

so many put the poor kid on cows milk and formula and wonder why the kid is sick?

giving babies table food, fast food, meat before their systems can handle rice!!

they want a baby but do not want to take the time to eat properly themselves and breast feed...

their kid turn out just fine...not really,,,check the medical problems that are showing up as the use of formula increases...

Answer 6

my mom started spoon feeding me cereal at 1 month and i have the most normal system of anyone i know a little tmi but anywho the only time i was ever constipated or had diarrhea was one time with each while i was pregnant and i actually thought i was going to die or something. my husband got a huge kick out of it though. but do you really think over the years they've waited to give things to children? cave men let their kids suck on a wad of fat tied to a stick! 20 years from now everything will change again

Answer 7

The rush is that not everyone educates themselves. Years ago it was recommended to start solids around 1-4 months of age. So, some people are taking information from grandparents and using that.

Answer 8

"We know now that an infant's gut is not ready for solid foods until around six months of age."

Not true...There is nothing magical about 6 months.  Granted, I do think that some people rush it because they think their child will sleep longer or be less fussy...but if a baby is ready, they are ready.  Why wait for some arbitrary age?  Most parents know their babies and know what they need.

Answer 9

i think they just think its cute and want to start it to show the baby something new...also yes formula is crazy expensive

Answer 10

People ask these questions because there are so many contradicting answers and recommendations.  The most common one is that in the olden days babies were weaned as soon as they were born :)  unfortunately people think that babies wake up in the night because they are hungry which is true so by giving them solid food it should make them less hungry so they should sleep through.  But it is unrealistic to expect any baby under the age of 6 months to be sleeping through (which not many know is only technically 5 hours and not 12 hours).  

Answer 11

back in past generations it was customary to start solids as soon as possible as the majority of women formula fed. years back formula wasn't high quality like it is now. many women also made their own formula out karo syrup and evaporated milk. it was best to get baby on solids since it had a better nutritional value. in this last generation we have been abandoning the old ways of feeding a baby. more women are breastfeeding.there really shouldn't be a big rush to feed solids. they have there whole life to do that.

Answer 12

i started my kids early but they had huge appetites. formula wasn't enough for them.

Its personal choice really on what people want to do and most parents don't care what other parents opinions are on it. they are gonna do what they are going to do cause they know their baby better then anyone else does.

i know that my parents and the kids of my generating where given solids at early ages...there was no hype back then on dangers or anything. scrambled eggs at 1 month old was common. My kids were off formula and on cows milk before one. My youngest was on cows milk at 6 months, and actually healthier then she was on formula. she threw up formula all the time, didnt matter what kind it was.

Yes i am healthy, my sister and brother are healthy, my kids are healthy, no allergies....there is going to be controversy over this topic for years to come. I didnt substitute because formula was expensive either. Every parent is different when it comes to raising kids...allot think breast is better then bottle...but i know a number of people who prefer bottle...

As for allergies, here is something for you to ponder. a mother of 2 boys, one was breast fed, the other formula, the formula fed baby, completely fine, breastfed baby, allergicic to everything....

Answer 13

My doctor told me I needed to start solids at 4 months.  Said my son needed the food.  He was big in height and weight and needed more than formula.  Also, he had bad acid reflux and had rice in is formula at 2 months so we could try that without meds.  If you are wondering, I had to stop breast feeding due to medications at 2 months.  Every baby is different and has different needs.  So people don't know what to do and come on here looking for answers.

Answer 14

For my first 4 children, they didn't start solids until at least 6 months, maybe 5. Cami was adopted at 2, so she was obviously already on solids. Emmi, Gabi, and Nate are 4 months. The ped. said to start Emmi and Nate on baby cereal and pureed food. They also eat gerbers puffs. Gabi will eat a couple puffs. The ped. said to keep it at that for a while.