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Good Nutrition for the Highchair SetThe challenges of maneuvering spoonfulls of food into a squirming and reluctant infant can be compounded by uncertainties about when to introduce certain foods and whether homemade varieties offer any benefit over those that are commercially prepared.
About 25 years ago, it was commonly recommended that babies be given "solid" food beginning at 6 weeks of age or sometimes younger. But a generation of experience has led pediatric experts to conclude that 6 weeks is too early for even cereal mixed with milk, traditionally the first solid food. Today the common recommendation is that babies should receive only breast milk or infant formula until they are at least 4 to 6 months old. Contrary to previous assumptions, solid food does not make a baby more likely to sleep through the night than a diet of only formula or breast milk. In fact, because a baby's stomach is too imature to handle solid foods, anything but formula or breast milk may cause cramping and discomfort that can keep your baby up at night. Your baby's nervous system also needs to mature to the point that your baby no longer displays the extrusion reflex (immediately pushes solids out of the mouth) so your baby can coordinate his or her tongue to move food to the back of the throat and swallow it. When your baby is ready to begin eating solid foods, pay attention to labels to ensure your baby is getting the right food at the right stage. Baby food manufacturers have changed their products over the years to make them more nutritious. For example, precooked cereals marketed for infants are fortified with iron and B vitamins. Your baby's iron levels may begin dipping after six months of age because the iron stores he or she was born with are nearly depleted. Most precooked baby cereals contain 45 percent of the U.S. Daily Recommended Allowance (U.S. RDA) of iron per serving. When you first feed your baby cereal, try single-grain varieties (such as rice, oatmeal, or barley) to make identifying a potential food allergy easier. Cereal made from wheat is a more frequent cause of allergy than the other grains and is slightly rougher on the stomach. You can try mixed cereals and wheat cereals after your baby has been eating rice or oatmeal for a couple of months. Once your baby has mastered cereal slurping, you can begin offering him or her a variety of other foods. Begin with single-ingredient, strained foods. These are bland in flavor and semi-liquid to make swallowing easier. Once opened, jarred baby food lasts about three days in the refrigerator. If you are using dehydrated flakes that you mix with water, these do not have to be refrigerated and will remain good for about two weeks after opening. Many parents who prepare their own baby foods at home do so out of concern that commercial products contain added salt, sugar, and other additives. A certain amount of sodium is necessary to an infant's health, but excessive intake can be harmful. Before 1970, baby food in jars often contained added sodium in the form of salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Pediatrics found that the amount of sodium in baby foods was often far in excess of what a baby's body needs and that additives (other than vitamins and minerals) were not necessary to a baby's good nutrition. In response to these findings and to the growing concern that high sodium intake early in life might lead to high blood pressure later on, manufacturers of baby food began to limit the amount of sodium they added to their products. By 1978, they had entirely stopped adding MSG and salt to products intended for babies under one year. Concerns about sugar and other additives, such as preservatives, have motivated manufacturers to limit the amount of these substances added to their products. Today, commercially prepared baby foods rarely contain preservatives and sterilization during the manufacturing process contributes to their long shelf life. In most lines of baby food, refined sugar is added only to custards and puddings. The FDA regulates the labeling of all baby foods (with the exception of strained meats, which come under the jurisdiction of U.S. Department of Agriculture). The FDA requires labeling on "infant" food (for babies under one year) to be more complete than that of other foods so that parents can be well-informed about what they are feeding their child. While the labeling of other foods may list spices and additives in general and non-specific terms, the labels on infant food must list each ingredient by name, including each spice, flavoring and coloring. In addition, the labeling must specify the plant or animal source of an ingredient. For example, rather than vegetable oil, the label must say "coconut oil" or "palm oil." As with other foods, ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance. Most manufacturers also include on the label the amounts (or percentages of U.S. RDAs) of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, sodium, vitamins, and minerals. Along with solid foods, many parents begin giving their baby fruit juices at about 6 to 7 months of age. Initially, fruit juices for babies were sold in cans. However, concern about lead from the cans seeping into the juice after the can was opened and left partly filled caused manufacturers to switch to small glass bottles. (Unopened cans do not pose this problem.) Juices marketed for babies are usually fortified with vitamin C (as are many strained fruits), and most brands do not contain added refined sugar. A separate line of products is marketed for babies over one year old. These are commonly referred to as "toddler" foods. Chunkier than infant foods, these help your baby transition to regular table food. Unlike infant foods, the sodium content of some toddler foods has not been significantly reduced. The National Academy of Sciences has set 325 to 975 milligrams of sodium as the safe and adequate daily dietary intake for children one to three years old. Yet some products marketed for this age group have 500 to 700 milligrams of sodium per serving, so that a child eating more than one serving a day might get an excessive amount of sodium. The FDA has been encouraging manufacturers to reduce the amount of sodium in these products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates the meat products that compose the majority of "toddler" food lines, is also working with manufacturers on this problem. Because children under four years old do not have a full set of teeth and therefore cannot chew as well as older children, extra care is needed when giving them toddler foods such as meat sticks and biscuits. The same precautions should be taken when feeding them "finger" foods, such as hot dogs, nuts, and raw vegetables. In response to these concerns, the following was added to the labeling of toddler biscuits: "For Your Information: Biscuits, cookies, toast and crackers should be eaten in an upright position - never while lying down - to reduce the possibility of choking on crumbs." The following has been added to the labeling of toddler meat sticks: "This product is intended for children with teeth. To reduce the possibility of choking, serve these sticks only to toddlers who have learned to chew solid foods properly. It is important the mealtime and snack time of small children be supervised. They should be fed in an upright position and never during vigorous activities." Despite these few problems, commercially prepared baby and toddler foods offer an adequate and safe alternative that most parents prefer to home-prepared foods for babies. The FDA continues to monitor these foods and shares parents' concern that the food their babies eat be as safe and nutritious as possible.
Foods are usually (but not necessarily) introduced in the order shown below, with several weeks between different types of foods. Ages of introduction are approximate and may vary with individual babies. Your baby's pediatrician is the best source for advice on when and how often any particular food is appropriate for your baby. Cereals should be mixed with formula or breast milk.
Recommended Dietary Allowances*
Babies under 1 year get most of their vitamins and minerals from formula or breast milk. When solid foods are introduced they are to supplement, not replace, breast milk or formula. Solid foods should become major sources of nutrients only gradually over time. *Source: Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Revised 1989.
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