Why Delay Solid Food?

Synopsis:
-AAP recommends exclusive BF till baby is at least six months.
-Babies do not require solids in the first year of life.
-Babies do not digest solids effectively in the first year of life.
-Early solids can cause long-term allergies.
-Baby's gut is immature and early solids may cause spitting up, diarrhea and constipation.
-Hydrochloric Acid, used to break down proteins, isn't present until baby is nearly 8 months and doesn't peak until baby is about 18 months old.
-The digestive enzyme for breaking down carbohydrates isn't present in the baby's gut until around 12 months.
-Breast milk contains 37 known immune mechanisms, that when exposed to solids or any other substance other than breast milk, 17 of these are permanently destroyed.
-Solids displace breast milk in the baby's diet and begin early weaning. Solids are less nutrient rich than breast milk so an inferior food has been substituted for a superior one.
-Breast milk has no additives, fillers, preservatives or pesticides.

by Jennifer VanLaanen-Smit

Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics advised that the healthy, full-term breastfed baby needs nothing other than mother's milk, including supplemental formula, water, juice, cereal, or other solid food, until he is at least six months old.

Dr. Mendelsohn says, "Breastfed babies do not require solid foods during the first year of life and should not be given any during at least the first six months of life. Until then much of the solid foods he eats passes through his body undigested."

The younger the baby, the more likely it is that any foods other than human milk will cause food allergies. While solely breastfed, the baby is protected by components in mother's milk that prevent foreign proteins from entering the baby's system and causing an allergic reaction. Between 6 months and 12 months of age, the baby begins producing enough antibodies to prevent such allergic reactions. This benefit is especially important for a baby whose family has a history of allergies. Some doctors may recommend delaying solids for the first year if there is a family history of allergies.

Because a young baby's digestive system is immature, he may not be able to digest other foods as well, perhaps making spitting up, constipation, and diarrhea more common. Waiting until the baby is older lessens the probability that these unpleasant reactions will occur. Recent studies have shown that hydrochloric acid - used to digest most protein - doesn't even appear in the stomach until the end of the seventh month and doesn't reach a peak until the eighteenth month. In addition, ptyalin, the digestive juice for carbohydrates, doesn't appear until the end of the baby's first year.

Although babies continue to receive many immunities from breast milk for as long as they nurse, the greatest immunity occurs while a baby is exclusively breastfed. Breast milk contains 37 known immune mechanisms, and probably many more that are still unknown. However, as soon as the baby is exposed to solid foods or anything other than breast milk - even one bottle of sugar water - 17 of these immune mechanisms are destroyed (by the E. coli bacteria that are introduced) and can never be restored. One study has shown that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 4+ months had 40% fewer ear infections than breastfed babies whose diets were supplemented with other foods.

Solids displace breast milk in the baby's diet. The more solid food a baby consumes the less breast milk he consumes, solids do not add to baby's total intake. Early introduction of solids puts the baby at risk for premature weaning. An inferior food has been substituted for a superior one, and partial weaning has begun.

Breastfed babies are rarely obese, but when they are it is most often related to the early addition of solid foods. This may be because a younger baby is less able to communicate when he has had enough, perhaps resulting in overfeeding.

A baby who is ready for solids won't spit them back out, and their poop doesn't come out looking like what went in. And they will have some teeth. The coming in of the first teeth signals the ability to digest food; the eyeteeth and stomach teeth indicate that the baby now has gastric juices to handle foods[...].

Breastmilk is easy and superior nutrition. Unlike the guessing game with solids, all the nutrients are right there in the perfect amount. Unlike solids, breastmilk offers your baby important immunities just when the immunities you passed on in utero are beginning to wear off. Breastmilk has irreplaceable ingredients for brain growth, which is at it's greatest during this age. Unlike solids, milk cleans up easy. Breastmilk poop smells a lot better than solid food poop, and is easier to clean up, and babies can poop it out much easier. Breastmilk is *free*, and prepackaged baby foods are not only expensive, but filled with preservatives and fillers. I could go on for hours about the advantages of delaying solids, but I can't think of one advantage to starting them early.

Read more at http://www.mothersnature.com/babies/info/bfoodJV.html

As always, this information is for you to consider and decide if it is something you think might work well for you and your baby. You are the expert when it comes to your baby. :)

Exclusively Breastfeeding Beyond 6 Months

"DOES MY BREASTFEEDING EIGHT-MONTH-OLD NEED SOLID FOODS FOR COMPLETE NUTRITION?"

"My eight-month-old still does not seem interested in solids. I am breastfeeding, and he is gaining weight well. I am worried that my breast milk is not enough for him. Does he need the solid foods for complete nutrition at this age?"

"I encounter this situation frequently in my office. Many parents have the misconception that all infants will be ready for foods between 4 and 6 months of age. The truth is that very few infants are developmentally ready at 4 months. In addition, it is now recommended to delay foods until 6 months in order to decrease the chance of allergies. I also have found that some infants are not developmentally ready for solids until 8 or 9 months. You can click here to read about what signs to watch for to determine when your infant is ready for foods. Breast milk is nutritionally complete for at least the first year of life. This means that infants can go for at least a year on breast milk alone, without eating any foods, and be nutritionally complete. Offering foods between 6 and 12 months of age is simply for social development and to get infants used to eating.

I encourage parents not to try to coax their 6 month old into accepting solids before he shows many of the signs of being ready. This can create a picky eater and negative feelings about eating."

Dr. Bob

I found this link HERE originally linked through kellymom.com.

As always, this information is for you to consider and decide if it is something you think might work well for you and your baby. You are the expert when it comes to your baby. :)

Reasons to Delay Solids to 6 months+

"Recent studies have shown that hydrochloric acid - used to digest most protein - doesn't even appear in the stomach until the end of the seventh month and doesn't reach a peak until the eighteenth month. Coincidentally, 18 months is approximately when rennin - used to digest the protein in breast milk - has disappeared. Also, it seems that ptyalin, the digestive juice for carbohydrates, doesn't appear until the end of the baby's first year. (The earliest books on baby care always recommended that mothers pre-chew any solid food.)" - Dr. George Wootan

See the full article HERE.

Breastfeeding & Brain Development

"When breast milk begins to flow (approximately two to three days after delivery), it [...] provides important vitamins and minerals for your baby, including the brain-cell builder taurine. While taurine is not an essential amino acid, its high concentration in breast milk does seem to indicate a need that cannot be met by the child's own body. But how much taurine is in formula or cow's milk? None! Yet extremely high levels of this "smart" substance are found in the brains of children, indicating that it is an important aid to brain growth. Ninety-six per cent of brain growth occurs by the age of five years. The average age at which a child weans in cultures that practice infant-led weaning is - you guessed it - five years." -Dr. George Wootan

This is the full article: http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/george_wootan.html

Why is Iron Deficient Anemia Uncommon in Breastfed Babies?

• Healthy, full-term babies have enough iron stores in their bodies to last for at least the first six months. The current research indicates that a baby's iron stores should last between six and twelve months, depending upon the baby.

• The iron in breastmilk is better absorbed than that from other sources. The vitamin C and high lactose levels in breastmilk aid in iron absorption.
  
  

  Iron Source	Percentage of Iron Absorbed
  breastmilk	~50 - 70%
  iron-fortified cow milk formula	~3 - 12%
  iron-fortified soy formula	less than 1% - 7%
  iron-fortified cereals	4 - 10%
  cow's milk	~10%
  Note: The amount of iron absorbed from any food depends greatly upon the milk source of iron (eg, human vs cow), type of iron compound in the food, the body's need for iron, and the other foods eaten at the same meal.

• Breastfed babies don't lose iron through their bowels; cow's milk can irritate the intestinal lining (resulting in a tiny amount of bleeding and the loss of iron).

The original iron stores of a full-term healthy baby, combined
with the better-absorbed iron in breastmilk, are usually enough
to keep baby's hemoglobin levels within the normal range
well into the second six months.

Want more? Go Here, to Kellymom.com.

What About Babies Who Have LOW Iron Levels?

For those babies who do need iron supplementation (hemoglobin levels have been checked and are too low), it's important to make sure that the solids that baby eats are high in iron and vitamin C.

In addition, the combination of yellow dock and dandelion root tinctures are said to be great (and non-constipating) for raising iron levels.

One nutritionist I know of has recommended that if this is the first time that you've gotten a reading "below normal" (if it is truly below normal - see below) then talk with your doctor about trying FIRST to correct it with diet, then after a few months have a re-test. If it's still low at that point, then iron supplements may be warranted.

Keep in mind that if your baby has been ill recently, his iron levels may be temporarily low due to the illness.

Normal iron levels
Age	Hemoglobin concentration (grams per deciliter)	Hematocrit (Hct) %	[measures iron stores] Serum Ferritin (micrograms per liter)
newborn	13.5-24	42-68	-not available-
One week	10-20	31-67	-not available-
1-2 months	10-18	28-55	-not available-
2-6 months	9.5-14	28-42	-not available-
6-12 months	10.5-14 (12 average)	33-42 (37 average)	15 is minimum (30 average)
1-2 years	11.0-13	32.9-41	(30 average)
2-5 years	11.1-13	34-40	-not available-
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations to Prevent and Control Iron Deficiency in the United States. MMWR 1998;47(No. RR-3). Hemoglobin, Hematocrit from www.medicinenet.com Family Practice notebook.com. Hemoglobin. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th edition. Behrman, Kliegman and Arvin; 2000: p. 1462

A 2003 study by Domellof et al looked at the diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency/iron deficiency anemia in infants, and (from studying 263 exclusively breastfed infants in Honduras and Sweden) determined the following values to suggest the presence of iron deficiency in infants:

Iron Deficiency / Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants
Age	Hemoglobin concentration (grams per deciliter)	Serum Ferritin (micrograms per liter) [measures iron stores]
4-6 months	<>	<>
6 months	-	<>
9 months	<>	<>
Source: Domellof M, Dewey KG, Lonnerdal B, Cohen RJ, Hernell O. The diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency in infants should be reevaluated. J Nutr. 2002 Dec;132(12):3680-6.

Read about how one mother helped her infant overcome iron deficient anemia without using iron supplements, HERE.

All of the above information came from Kellymom.com - HERE.

Skip the Baby Cereal - Start w/ Iron Rich Foods

La Leche League recommends that babies be offered foods that are naturally rich in iron, rather than iron-fortified foods. Read more about when to start solids here: Solid Foods and the Breastfed Baby.

Foods that are high in iron include:

• breastmilk
• winter squash
• sweet potatoes
• prune juice
• meat & poultry (beef, beef & chicken liver, turkey, chicken)
• mushrooms
• sea vegetables (arame, dulse), algaes (spirulina), kelp
• greens (spinach, chard, dandelion, beet, nettle, parsley, watercress)
• yellow dock root
• grains (millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, breads with these grains)
• blackstrap molasses (try adding a little to cereal or rice)
• brewer's yeast

High-iron foods to save until the end of the first year or later:

• dried beans (lima, lentils, kidney)
• chili con carne with beans
• tofu
• egg yolks
• grains (cooked cracked wheat, cornmeal, grits, farina, bran, breads with these grains)
• tomato
• dried fruit (figs, apricots, prunes, raisins)
• meat (pork)
• shellfish (clams, oysters, shrimp)
• tuna, sardines

Warning: Some of the foods listed above are not suitable for babies. Dried fruits should not be given to babies under a year old, due to the choking hazard. Also, pork, fish, shellfish, wheat, citrus fruits and eggs are highly allergenic and may not be suitable for babies under a year or who have a family history of allergies. See Suggested ages for introducing allergenic foods for more information.

You may wish to give baby foods high in vitamin C along with iron-rich foods, since vitamin C increases iron absorption. Cooking in a cast iron pan also increases iron content of foods. The absorption of iron is also increased by eating green leafy salads or citrus fruits, fruit juices and potatoes (including instant potatoes at meals when consuming iron rich foods).

Breastfeeding Patterns @ 11 weeks

My baby is 11 weeks old today and I've noticed a few changes I thought I'd mention, just in case it is helpful to someone else.

Colin has been exclusively breastfed since birth. He was pretty good at breastfeeding from the beginning, with the occasional painful latch here and there. Nothing major. I mention this only as a preface to the fact that I never really take him off. Colin has always been a pretty efficient eater and will "let go" when he is done. Usually this is after about 10-20 minutes. Once-in-awhile Colin will do what we affectionately call "The Marathon Feed" where he will stay attached and sucking for 30 minutes up to an hour+. That is pretty rare. Maybe a few times a week.

This last week he has been cluster feeding; wanting to eat every hour - hour and a half. I had a few appointments and things I really needed to do and a few times in a two day period I decided to break his latch after he had been eating for about 20+ minutes and wasn't sucking as much. I didn't think much of it and we went about our errands.

Over the next few days since, Colin has become much MUCH more attached. He doesn't eat more frequently that usual but he definitely doesn't want to let go once he has me. I feel like this is due to me taking him off before he was really ready and now he is re-establishing that he will let me know when he is good and ready to be done.

After a few days of this, things seem to be going back to "normal" and we are doing more consistent 10-20 minute feedings, but just in-case you were thinking like I was "oh, I'll just break his latch this time... it won't matter" - just beware. You baby may feel the need to be that much closer and hang onto your breast just in-case it gets taken away prematurely. ;)

Happy Breastfeeding!

Why Not Give Iron Supplements to Every Baby?

The iron in breastmilk is bound to proteins which make it available to the baby only, thus preventing potentially harmful bacteria (like E.coli, Salmonella, Clostridium, Bacteroides, Escherichia, Staphylococcus) from using it. These two specialized proteins in breastmilk (lactoferrin and transferrin) pick up and bind iron from baby's intestinal tract. By binding this iron, they

1. stop harmful bacteria from multiplying by depriving them of the iron they need to live and grow, and
2. ensure that baby (not the bacteria) gets the available iron.

Supplemental iron (particularly when administered in solution or as a separate supplement rather than incorporated into a meal) can interfere with zinc absorption. In addition, iron supplements and iron-fortified foods can sometimes cause digestive upsets in babies.

A recent study (Dewey 2002) found that routine iron supplementation of breastfed babies with normal hemoglobin levels may present risks to the infant, including slower growth (length and head circumference) and increased risk of diarrhea.

Want to read more? Go HERE to see the full article on Kellymom.com.

Exclusive Breastfeeding for 6 months+

If your Pediatrician suggests or encourages you to give your baby solids, such as rice cereal or some other food, go to the link, print off the info and give it to them. Some Pediatricians simply do not realize that the medical research is changing on when to give solids and it is currently recommended by the following well recognized institutions, that exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months+ is the gold standard.

If your Pediatrician does not seem supportive of this or other well documented recommendations, you may want to find another doctor. Remember, you are hiring your doctor and it is your right to find someone else if you do not feel well supported and involved in your baby's health care. Doctors should include you and consult with you, not boss you around.

The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):

• World Health Organization
• UNICEF
• US Department of Health & Human Services
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Dietetic Association
• Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
• Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
• Health Canada

Most babies will become developmentally and physiologically ready to eat solids by 6-9 months of age.

Want to read more? Check out this link:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

WHO: research on delaying solids & exclusive breastfeeding

While doing a little research on delaying solids, I found this article produced by WHO. The full article can be found on the sidebar under "Happy Healthy Growth & Development" but I included parts of it here:

O B J E C T I V E S
The primary objective of this review was to assess the effects on child health, growth, and development, and on maternal health, of exclusive breastfeeding for six months versus exclusive breastfeeding for three to four months with mixed breastfeeding (introduction
of complementary liquid or solid foods with continued breastfeeding) thereafter through six months. A secondary objective was to assess the child andmaternal health effects of prolonged (more than six months) exclusive breastfeeding versus exclusive breastfeeding through six months and mixed breastfeeding thereafter.

A U T H O R S ’ C O N C L U S I O N S
Implications for practice
We found no objective evidence of a ’weanling’s dilemma’. Besides their reduced morbidity due to gastrointestinal infection, infants breastfed exclusively for six or more months had no observable deficits in growth, and their mothers were more likely to remain amenorrheic for six months postpartum. No benefits of introducing complementary foods between four and six months have been demonstrated, with the exception of improved iron status in one
developing-country setting (Honduras). Since the latter benefitcan be achieved more effectively by medicinal iron supplementation (e.g., vitamin drops), it does not appear to justify incurring the adverse effects of liquid or solid food supplementation on infectious morbidity, and lactational amenorrhea. Thus, with the caveat that individual infants must still be managed individually, so that insufficient growth or other adverse outcomes are not
ignored and appropriate interventions are provided, the available evidence demonstrates no apparent risks in recommending, as a general policy, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life in both developing and developed-country settings. In fact, in response to the original version of this review, World Health Organization and the World Health Assembly modified its recommendations for the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (WHO 2001b).

WHO put out this statement recently:
Exclusive breastfeeding for six months best for babies everywhere

Statement
15 January 2011

WHO recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child's first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, they should be given nutritious complementary foods and continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years or beyond.

The latest systematic review of the evidence on this issue was published in 2009 ("Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding (Review)", Kramer MS, Kakuma R. The Cochrane Library, 2009, Issue 4). The findings of the review, which included two controlled trials and 18 other studies conducted in both developed and developing countries, support current WHO recommendations.

The systematic review's findings suggest that exclusive breastfeeding of infants with only breast milk, and no other foods or liquids, for six months has several advantages over exclusive breastfeeding for 3-4 months followed by mixed breastfeeding.

These advantages include a lower risk of gastrointestinal infection for the baby, more rapid maternal weight loss after birth, and delayed return of menstrual periods. No reduced risks of other infections or of allergic diseases have been demonstrated. No adverse effects on growth have been documented with exclusive breastfeeding for six months. But a reduced level of iron has been observed in some developing country settings. ("developing countr[ies]" include places such as Honduras, not countries like the U.S. or Western Europe; these are considered "developed" and in most cases Mothers in these countries have good iron stores during pregnancy to give to baby. Go HERE to read more about Iron deficiency in infants and why exclusively breastfed babies tend to have normal iron levels.)

WHO closely follows new research findings and has a process for periodically re-examining recommendations. Systematic reviews accompanied by an assessment of the quality of evidence are used to review guidelines in a process that is designed to ensure that the recommendations are based on the best available evidence and free from conflicts of interest.

For more information, please contact:

Christy Feig
Director of the Department of Communications
WHO Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 30 75
Mobile: +41 79 251 70 55
E-mail: feigc@who.int

Where to Begin?

I guess I'll start with an explanation about why I started this blog.

My journey to this point started years ago, when I entered Nursing School. I was excited about becoming an RN and enthusiastic about learning. I was fascinated by the human body; it's capabilities and its seemingly miraculous powers. Everything I learned left me in awe and convinced that there was a supreme creator behind it all.

When I began thinking about having a child, I wanted to be as prepared as I could be. My nursing background had taught me to rely on research. I used my medical training to understand and analyze data. I read tons of books, asked questions, read research studies and medical journals. I decided to have a physical (at which time my doctor told me I was too young to be thinking about babies.... I was 24, but that is a whole other story) and had my blood work checked to see if I was deficient in any nutrients. I found that I was so I began taking a few supplements and rechecking my labs until everything looked just right. I got the green light to go ahead a start trying!

Two months later I was pregnant, which was a surprise to both my husband and I because I had been told that I would have a difficult time becoming pregnant due to a congenital birth anomaly. The pregnancy continued normally for some time and I continued to read and learn, tweaking my eating habits and lifestyle along the way.

Around 18 weeks I began to have pain that I assumed was "normal pregnancy discomfort" but later around 24 weeks I was hospitalized for pre-term labor and realized I had reason to be concerned. Just as predicted by previous high risk obstetricians, I was showing signs that my body would not carry my baby to full-term. I was dilated 2 cm and over 75% effaced. I was also contracting regularly (sometimes as often as every 2-3 minutes) and my baby's head was down low and pressed against my cervix.

At this point I began reading about various tests and treatments to prolong pregnancy. My goal was to have a full-term baby but knew that with intervention there is always risk so I wanted to know what all my options were. My husband and I carefully decided on certain treatments and we stayed actively involved in all medical decisions.

It was also my goal to breastfeed my baby exclusively from birth. I read what I could find on breastfeeding premature infants and the success rates. I even had a friend of mine who works as a lactation nurse in the NICU come and teach me what she teaches Mom's of NICU babies. I wanted to avoid this worst-case-scenario but I couldn't ignore the possibility. I went on strict bed rest as recommended by my high risk OB and this gave me even more time to read and study. I really think all my research propelled me in a positive direction and kept my mind off of the negative predictions the doctors were making.

Though I consulted with a high risk OB, I continued seeing my midwife throughout my pregnancy because ultimately I believed in my baby and in my body. I felt very strongly that this was what my body was created to do, and that it would pull through and succeed for my baby. Every time we hit a bump in the road I never lost hope because I knew I wasn't alone and I knew my body was capable of miraculous things. I believe in the power of positive thinking!

Finally, at 36 weeks, my water did break. After 4 hours and 22 minutes, Colin was born vaginally and without any drugs in his little system. I had given birth naturally and it was amazing! Colin stunned the NICU team that had come for his early birth when he began breathing on his own, maintained his body temperature and breastfed like a champ. We couldn't believe how healthy he was! He was a little miracle.

All the babies I had ever seen that were born at 36 weeks had struggled to stay warm, struggled with breastfeeding and even struggled with breathing sometimes. Colin defied the odds and I believe it was because a) I believed he could be born healthy, b) I did not have an epidural or any other medications during labor and c) God watched over us and blessed us.

My personal experience with birth, the many, many experiences I have had as a nurse and the research I have read, have brought me to several conclusions.

I believe that as a whole, Women have become afraid of the labor experience and no longer believe in the natural process that they are capable of. I believe modern medicine, in general, is a great gift and if used appropriately can better and even save lives. Sometimes, however, modern medicine and modern doctors can get in the way of a perfectly natural process and at best causes problems it has to fix and at worst causes major catastrophes.

I also believe that babies are looking to us, as guardians, to protect them and help them grow normally so they can be healthy and happy. We cannot rely on others to "know what is best" or to make decisions for us. I believe we need to educate ourselves as much as we possibly can for the sake of our little ones - they are counting on us! And I believe that Mommies love their babies and want what is best for them but don't always know exactly where to turn for answers and support. We all need a little help sometimes - I know I do! I think we are all searching for answers and hoping to do what is right and best for our babies. Remember, though, that YOU are the expert on YOUR BABY. Everything that I include on this website is meant to be helpful suggestions and information for you to look at and decide if it is right for you and your baby. What works for one, doesn't work for all. I am not a fan of "blanket" treatments for all babies.

I believe in evidence based medicine and I strive to find and provide information that is acknowledged and accepted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other reputable sources. I hope this website can help Mommies feel empowered and allow them to nurture and love their babies so they can be happy and healthy. After all, isn't that the ultimate goal? :)