Other FAQs

• My ten month old son has a problem with reflux, and finger foods especially make him gag. Is there any thing I can do to help?
• Is it acceptable to give a 12 month old apple juice daily to prevent constipation? And, what constitutes "chronic constipation." NEW!
  
• I have a ten-month old who loves to eat! Is it possible to overfeed an infant?
• My 10-month-old is not passing her bowel movements easily or regularly. I keep reading conflicting information about what to feed her and I am wondering if you could provide an answer for me.
• I always give my son pumpkin and carrots. Now he is yellow so I stopped giving them to him. Is this condition dangerous?
• At what age can I add a little salt or other spices to the homemade [baby foods] stuff?
• How important is it that my 9 1/2 month old breast fed baby drink juice?
• What are the negative impacts of caffeine during pregnancy?
• Can you suggest how can I improve my son's resistance to common illnesses?
• I can no longer breast feed my 9-month-old. What can I feed her that is safe and nutritionally sound?
• What is the best way to introduce wheat into my baby's diet?
• Is it normal for a nine-month-old to gag on finger foods?
• My daughter is almost six months old. Does she need to be eating teething biscuits?
• Is it a waste of money to be feeding our six-month-old baby organic foods?
• How long can open jars of baby food be kept?

My ten month old son has a problem with reflux, and finger foods especially make him gag. Although he is on medication that helps, I am worried that as he gets older he won't move on to table foods but will only eat his baby foods. Is there any thing I can do to help?

It is not uncommon for babies who have had problems with gagging and choking to fear eating solids and therefore refuse them. Your son needs to increase his confidence in his ability to eat solids successfully. The more oral stimulation he gets, the better it will be. Allow him to mouth foods as much as he wants, as well as appropriate toys. Try a little teeth brushing as oral stimulation. You can also use clean fingers to rub his lips, and allow him to suck on your fingers. Along with the medication and the maturation of his chewing and swallowing technique, he will eventually get over the challenge. However, there is a window of opportunity for offering more solid, chewable foods, were a baby is more apt to accept them. Should this window of opportunity not be taken advantage of, chances are, baby will be more reluctant to accept solids later on. The ages of about 6 to 12 months provides this window. And, for you, this means some careful introduction of these solids is necessary so that you can take advantage of this opportunity. Try increasing the consistency of his foods before increasing the texture. Then, once he is used to thicker foods, start to make them chunkier. Finger foods that he can hold and chew on may be more successful than little table foods like Cheerios where the whole food goes into the mouth at one time. This will give your son more control over the food. For example, a stale or frozen bagel that he can hold onto and gnaw on, put into his mouth further and further but still pull out will help him overcome his sensitive gag reflex. It's like practice eating that will make his sensitive gag reflex less sensitive and make him feel more successful at eating solid foods.
 

Is it acceptable to give a 12 month old apple juice daily to prevent constipation? And, what constitutes "chronic constipation."

There is no evidence that daily apple juice will prevent constipation. In fact apple juice is more apt to produce gas than a bowel movement. That's because apple juice contains a naturally occurring sugar alcohol known as sorbital, which is difficult to digest, resulting in gas. What apple juice does contribute to a diet that will help prevent constipation is fluid. But almost any fluid will do that job. Too little fluid is the most common cause of constipation. What's most important is not what fluid you offer, but rather just making sure your 12 month old is getting adequate fluid. If your toddler likes apple juice, then I would recommend that you dilute it 50/50 so that you minimize gas while allowing him to drink more of it without getting too many unnecessary calories in an attempt to get that fluid. Other things that may help are prunes or prune juice and foods with fiber such as whole grain crackers, cereals and plenty of fruits and vegetables. As babies get older they tend to have less frequent bowel movements, often times going a couple of days with out one. Constipation is characterized not so much by infrequent bowel movements but rather by difficulty and straining in moving bowels or painful bowel movement, and stools that are hard and dry. If your toddler almost always suffers from hard, difficult to pass stools, then he suffers from chronic constipation. You should speak to his pediatrician if this is the case, while simultaneously trying to increase the fluid and fiber in his diet.
 

I have a ten-month old who loves to eat! He was weaned a week ago, and hates formula. He has 3 meals and two snacks (daycare schedule) of regular food, supplemented with 1/2 cup of cereal twice a day. He often has two-three servings of meals in a sitting! While not fat, he is in the 95th percentile of weight and height. Is it possible to overfeed an infant?

It's not possible if you are well tuned into his hunger and satiety cues. A 10 month old is very adept at matching intake to needs. It's generally not until somewhere between the ages of three and five that a child will respond more to external cues than to internal cues when it comes to eating more than they need. So, for now, I would let your ten month old eat according to what he is telling you he needs. Because his height and weight are so well matched, that's a very good sign that you are feeding him, and he is eating, in harmony with his needs.
 

My 10-month-old is not passing her bowel movements easily or regularly. When she does they are painful, hard and like little rocks. I keep reading conflicting information about what to feed her and I am wondering if you could provide an answer for me.

One of the first lines of treatment is to make sure she is getting enough fluids. Most often that is the reason for constipation in an older baby. Besides her formula or breast milk, be sure to offer her water and also try adding some prune juice to her diet. You could also add some baby prunes. Earth's Best offers Prunes with Oats and would be good to offer her on a regular basis to help alleviate the constipation and prevent it in the future http://www.earthsbest.com/products/product/277.php. Is she eating a wide variety of solid foods yet? If so, be sure that many of those solids are fruits and vegetables. They will add liquid to her diet to help keep her bowels loose and easy to move. She is still too young to look towards adding fiber to her diet as a remedy, so do not try any over-the-counter fiber remedies. If you find that adding more liquid to her diet doesn't work, speak to the doctor about a more aggressive treatment.
 

My son is 30 months and he doesn't eat well. It's difficult to feed him and so I always give him pumpkin and carrots. Now he is yellow so I stopped giving them. Is this condition dangerous?

The yellow tinge that babies get from eating large amounts of yellow vegetables is called carotenemia and is perfectly safe. The large amount of color pigment in the vegetables, known as carotene is what is causing this. Even too many deep green vegetables that also contain carotene will contribute to the condition. As you have noticed the yellow goes away once you take him off large quantities of these vegetables. I suggest you limit these vegetables to every other day. On the off days, introduce him to other fruits and vegetables as a way to encourage the increase in variety of his diet. Some good ideas include bananas, apples or applesauce, pears, watermelon, peas (make sure they are tender baby peas and let him eat them with his fingers). He may reject these foods for a while, but if you persist in letting him see them and become familiar with them, he may some around to them. This summer, try growing a vegetable garden with him so that he can learn about vegetables. It is shown that preschoolers who are involved in gardening are more apt to try new vegetables and to prefer them.
 

My baby is 8 mos. old and we're starting to make/puree some of her food in addition to the jar foods. At what age can I add a little salt or other spices to the homemade stuff ? (I've read the label on some baby jars and they've included "garlic powder").

There is no particular age when it is suddenly fine to start adding seasonings to a baby’s diet. This is partly due to your baby’s progress in eating solids, and partly due to the seasoning in question. There are some seasonings that you will want to make use of right away since they may enhance the food and encourage baby’s appetite. Then there are others that may be a little harder on the digestive system and will take some caution in introducing. And just like adults, babies have likes and dislikes you will need to take into account. Adding a new seasoning will also require the same precautions as adding new foods. That means making sure it is the only new food added at the time, and that you give your baby three to five days before introducing another new food/seasoning so as to identify any negative reaction, should one occur.

There is never any need to add salt to a baby’s diet. That is not to say it is not safe to. A baby can adjust to a very wide range of sodium intake. A little salt from those foods that conventionally have salt in them is fine. However, in an attempt to avoid developing a preference for salty foods, I suggest not adding salt to foods you prepare specifically for baby. In other words, don’t add salt to his mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs, etc. Later in life, a desire for highly salted foods could create health problems. Conversely, using some natural seasonings is a good idea if it makes a food more appealing to your baby. Start with the gentler seasonings such as a little garlic powder (cooked garlic is much sweeter than raw fresh garlic and makes a nice addition to the food of an older baby (around 8 months plus)). Cinnamon, ginger, basil, thyme, maple syrup or molasses, mint, anise, and fennel are all pleasant additions.
 

How important is it that my 9 1/2 month old breast fed baby drink juice? He doesn't seem to have much interest in it. He likes baby food and some finger foods and in fact, won't turn down anything that we offer. But the drinking out of a sippy cup seems to be a game and he won't even latch on to a bottle. Is breast milk enough liquid for right now? I nurse on demand about 5 to 6 times per day for 10 to 20 minutes.

Juice, per se, isn't important, but rather the nutrients that it provides. For the most part, the nutrition you are seeking for your baby from juice is/should be vitamin C, which is very low in breast milk. Secondarily the juice is a source of fluid and calories. All three of these nutrients can be had elsewhere, and so long as you are sure he is getting the fluid, calories and especially the vitamin C somewhere else, there is no need to be concerned about his lack of interest in juice. It is very possible for your baby to be getting the fluid he needs from the foods he eats and the breast milk. If he shows all the signs of good hydration, such as frequent urination, urine that is dilute, and moist lips and eyes, than he is most likely doing fine for fluid. Calories are provided in abundance in breast milk and solid foods, so he doesn't need the juice for that. However, you do want to be sure he is getting proper amounts of vitamin C. If he I not drinking a vitamin C enriched juice, than he should be eating a vitamin C fortified baby fruit puree such as Earth's Best applesauce or other fruit blends. Or, you may feed him some homemade mashed fruit that is rich in vitamin C such as kiwi, melon, or berries. Also, several vegetables will supply him with vitamin C if they are served fresh, fresh cooked by you, or fresh frozen and cooked. Canned or jarred vegetables tend to lose their vitamin C due to the long periods of heat they are subjected to in processing. Vitamin C is very unstable to heat and light and air, so quick preparation and cooking will help to preserve it. Vegetables that are high in vitamin C include broccoli, spinach, red sweet peppers and tomatoes.

Although your son won't drink juice, it is important for you to continue to offer him the sippy cup. It is good practice for him, even while it appears to be only a game. Eventually he'll learn to use it properly. Try filling it with some water instead of the juice. Drinking water for thirst instead of juice is a healthy habit to develop.
 

I think I might be pregnant. During my last pregnancy, I eliminated caffeine from my diet. I noticed, however, that not everybody does this. Does it need to be completely eliminated, or just limited? How much is too much?

You have noticed a pattern of caffeine consumption that seems to follow what the studies are showing...contradiction. The studies dealing with the safety of caffeine during pregnancy are very contradictory, and somewhat inconclusive. Many animal studies carried out during the 1970s and 80s indicated that caffeine can cause birth defects. However, many design flaws were found in some of these studies, particularly the method in which the caffeine was administered. Other well-designed studies are sometimes in disagreement with each other. However, the overwhelming evidence seems to indicate that moderate caffeine consumption is safe. There is stronger evidence for the concern over large amounts of caffeine intake and the risk for miscarriage, infertility and birth defects. What they are saying about miscarriage and birth defects are:

1. Caffeine and miscarriage: The association between caffeine and miscarriages continues to be researched. To date, researchers have found no relationship between caffeine consumption of up to 300 mg per day and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage.
2. Birth Defects and Low Birth Weight A review of more than 20 studies conducted since 1980 found no evidence that caffeine consumption at moderate levels has any discernible adverse effect on pregnancy outcome.

For a more detailed look into the studies follow the links on the March of Dimes website article on caffeine and pregnancy http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_1148.asp

The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has evaluated the scientific evidence and concluded that caffeine does not adversely affect reproduction in humans. However, as with other dietary habits, the agency continues to advise pregnant women to consume caffeine in moderation.

The official word is that moderate coffee intake, when kept to 2-3 cups of coffee per day, does not have any deleterious effect. It does become bad for both mother and child when caffeine is used as a substitute for food. There is no evidence that caffeine is good for you or your baby, so if you can get along without it, I suggest that you substitute a healthier fluid for your coffee, or other caffeine-containing beverage. The following table lists some places where caffeine can be found:

(FDA Consumer, December 1987/January 1988)

There are healthier alternatives to coffee, which will actually benefit your baby, rather leaving you questioning. Try instead to substitute one of these beverages for your daily caffeinated beverage:

• Hot milk with honey
• orange juice
• water
• vegetable juice
• fruit smoothies made with yogurt and fresh fruit
• soda water mixed with 100% fruit juices
• cold, low fat milk
• soy milk
• pasteurized 100% fruit juices.

Fluid intake is very important during pregnancy to meet the demands of growing blood volume and tissue, so regardless of your beverage choice, drink up often!

My son is 16 months old and his body resistance is very poor. He is very prone to catching illnesses from neighborhood children. During the last 4 months, every month he has fallen sick. It comes in the form of viral fever or loose bowels and vomiting. Kindly suggest how can I improve his resistance.

Young children have immature immune systems. Some take longer to develop and mature than others. So, to a certain extent there is not much you can do but be patient. During this time, some exposure to these common germs, and getting the illness will actually help to build up his immunity by allowing his body to build anti-bodies to the germs he has been exposed to. However, you should also take precautions to reduce exposure when possible. Don't allow him to play with children that are obviously ill. Keep his hands and toys as clean as possible, but don't become too obsessive about it. From a nutritional standpoint, there are a few things you can do. First of all, you want to make sure none of the illnesses are really allergic reactions. Some children with a milk allergy actually manifest it in the form of frequent respiratory illnesses like runny noses and colds. Also, vomiting and diarrhea can be symptoms of an allergic reaction, while a fever is not. If your child has been on diary products for a long time, and prior to these last four months of illness has not shown an adverse reaction, then milk is most likely not the culprit. However, if you just weaned to milk at 12 months (four months ago when he began to get so ill) you may want to try eliminating dairy for a short while to see if things clear up. Then, reintroduce it again to see if there is any reaction.

A child who doesn't get enough vitamin C and zinc will often be more susceptible to illnesses. Both of these nutrients are important for a healthy immune system. A child's multi-vitamin and mineral supplement that contains these two nutrients is recommended. Also, try to include lots of foods that contain these nutrients. Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits and juices, berries, melon, spinach, sweet potatoes, and for the zinc, be sure to include wheat germ, turkey, seafood, whole grains, and legumes, such as lentils.
 

I breastfed my baby until she was 9 months old, then I dried up because I am pregnant again. I've tried many different formulas, but she won't drink them. My doctor said to just be sure she gets enough calories from food. My concern is that I'm not providing the variety of vegetables that she needs, because she doesn't like a lot of them. I'm also concerned about her developing allergies because I've already seen reactions to milk products and wheat products. What can I feed her that is safe and nutritionally sound?

What to feed a baby who can't nurse and refuses formula, before they are a year old is a difficult dilemma. A baby, prior to one year, and even well into toddlerhood needs a concentrated source of nutrition. During the first year the source for that nutrition is usually formula or breast milk. When neither is an option, then other foods that mimic the nutrition in formula needs to be included in baby's diet. You have the added complication of potential food allergies when it comes to choosing those other foods. If you are noticing a negative reaction to dairy or wheat, hold off on introducing them until your baby is one year old. In the meantime, you will have to find some foods that will fill him up with fat, protein, and calories, as well as those important vitamins and minerals he won't be getting from formula or breast milk. You also have the added challenge of getting enough fluids into him.

What I suggest you do, is continue to offer a baby formula several times a day, especially when thirsty. Do not offer juice if he refuses or he may just hold out for the juice. After enough exposures to the formula, he will probably take it. If, after two to three weeks, he still refuses the formula, try offering a fortified soymilk. Meanwhile, allow him to drink water to quench his thirst. You need to be concerned about too little calcium if he continues to refuse formula or fortified soymilk. Don't give up trying, but should the reality be, he simply won't take any you will need to look for calcium sources. It may be that fortified juices will have to be that source. They are a poorer choice than formula or soy milk because they don't also have the protein and other nutrients that those other liquids have, but it is better than no calcium at all.

Immediately start him on a daily vitamin and mineral supplement for babies. Offer instant baby cereal, such as Earth's Best Whole Grain Rice Cereal http://earthsbest.com/products/cereal.php that is iron and vitamin fortified. Mix it with formula to enhance its nutritional value. This cereal can be offered twice a day. Other good foods to include in his diet are egg yolks, tofu, avocado, any fruits or vegetables he will eat, and pureed meats like dark meat poultry, beef and pork that has been moist cooked and pureed.
 

What is the best way to introduce wheat into my 6 month old's diet? He's had barley, rice, and oat cereals, but I can't find a wheat cereal anywhere. I've read that wheat is a common allergen. Any advice?

Because wheat is a common allergen, it would be a good idea to give your baby a couple of more months before introducing it. This will allow his immune system to mature and strengthen a little more. At that point, you can introduce wheat in any number of forms. It may be in a jarred baby food product that contains wheat, or it may be in a finger food form such as a tender piece of pasta, or it may be in a teething biscuit form. Regardless of the form it's in, be sure to use your careful approach of making sure it is the only new food introduced at the time and that wait three to five days before introducing some other new food.
 

Every time I introduce finger food to my nine month old, he chokes. He is interested in table food, has demonstrated a chewing motion and is working on his pincer grasp. He doesn't have any teeth yet. Should I hold off or keep trying?

You should continue to offer your son finger foods. It is very common for babies to gag. They do it frequently, much to parent's dismay.

There is a difference between gagging and choking. Choking is when they actually get food caught in their windpipe and they can't breath. Gagging is what commonly happens as a baby learns to eat solids. Food gets caught as they try to swallow and it triggers their gag reflect, which can cause them to spit up. Some babies have a more sensitive gag reflex then others.

What you can do to help minimize the gagging is to be selective in what you offer for finger food. Especially because your son doesn't have any teeth, you will want to choose foods that are easily gummed or dissolved in his mouth. He should be able to gum some ripe avocado, ripe banana, soft cooked pieces of apple, Cheerios, tofu cubes, cooked egg yolk, etc. You get the idea! Do a taste test yourself to be sure.
 

My daughter is almost six months old. She already has two lower teeth. My mother suggested that I give her teething biscuits. Is that safe or necessary? She already enjoys cereal, fruits, and veggies.

Babies all mature at different rates. This is true even for the ability to chew and swallow. For some six month olds, a properly chosen teething biscuit would be perfectly safe, yet for others, especially those who have not yet started solids, it would not. You will have to use your judgment and knowledge of your daughter's chewing ability.

Because you already have her on solids, it may be fine to introduce them to her. Does she eat any other finger foods such as Cheerios or toast? Is she able to hold onto something to chew? If she does, then you can certainly try a teething cracker.

Judicious selection of an appropriate teething cracker should include testing to be sure that chunks that could cause choking don't readily break off of the cracker as you try to teeth on it. Mimic a baby gummy and scraping with their few teeth. If the cracker stays intact while dissolving away as a baby gnaws on it, then it would make a good teething tool. Earth's Best offers both http://earthsbest.com/products/teethingbiscuits.php">two varieties of teething biscuits that would be a perfect for a baby ready to cut a few teeth.

Are they necessary? Certainly they are not from a nutritional standpoint. There are other ways to get the nutrition offered in a teething biscuit. That does not mean they can't contribute nutritionally to a baby's diet, because they can. They may be a good source of complex carbohydrate and energy as well as some B vitamins and minerals.

From a developmental standpoint, they can help baby practice feeding them self. They provide relief from the teething irritation, and they can be a great thing to give a hungry baby to pacify them as you try to get their dinner on the table. They won't be able to eat enough of it to interfere with a mealtime appetite, but it will perhaps give you a few extra minutes to make sure you a putting together a really healthy meal for baby.
 

I have many friends who are feeding their infants organic foods. I nurse my six-month-old baby, and also feed her organic foods, but my husband thinks this is a waste of money. What do you think?

• Babies' bodies are much more vulnerable to pesticides because their brains, immune and detoxification systems are immature and in a state of development.
• Pound for pound babies eat two to four times more vegetables and fruits than adults and so are exposed to a higher proportion of possible contaminants.
• The health effects of chronic low level exposure to pesticide residues are still unknown.

A subsequent report released by the Environmental Working Group, "Pesticides in Children's Food" concluded that the largest contribution to a person's lifetime risk of cancer from pesticide residues occurs during childhood.

Some important, more indirect reasons to feed your children organic food are the fact that it supports the growth of organic farming. This in turn helps protect the health of the environment. It will help to keep pesticides out of the earth and water supply and will help preserve the planet for them and their children.

Organic meat is meat derived from animals that have been raised on organic feed and have not been treated with hormones or antibiotics, the residues of which may end up in the meat.

Unfortunately, the cost of organic food is not yet competitive with conventionally grown foods. However, the long term savings found in good health and a clean environment can more than offset this cost in the long run.
 

How long can baby food be left in the refrigerator after opening it? I don't feed my son from the jar. I always use a clean spoon to spoon it out of the jar but he isn't eating but about one third of a jar at a time right now. Does the same time limit apply to applesauce?

You are practicing good habits now, by not feeding out of the jar, thus not introducing the salivary enzymes that would speed up deterioration, and you always use a clean spoon to spoon out what you will use. You ask a good question, in that some foods can last a little longer than others.

Those foods with natural preservatives like acid and sugars will keep longer than high protein foods. That means that fruits, particularly acidic fruits like applesauce and peaches, will be safer, longer. You can safely keep those foods for three to four days. However, because they will have been exposed to air by having broken the air tight seal of the baby food jar, they will begin to deteriorate nutritionally.

Vitamin C is especially susceptible to breakdown once it is exposed to air. Therefore, the vitamin C content of the applesauce or fruit (most baby fruits are vitamin C fortified) will start to go down.

Protein foods, on the other hand, will breakdown more rapidly, and have less natural protection against microbial invasion. Therefore, you should use high protein foods within two days. Vegetables are also subject to vitamin deterioration and microbial invasion and so should be used in two days.

That doesn't mean if you feed you baby from a jar that has been in the refrigerator for four days, they will get sick. It just means the food will not have its maximum nutritional value, and that the chances of bacterial growth are greater. Babies are less resistant to food born illnesses, and are less able to withstand the vomiting and diarrhea that goes with it, which is why it is better to be safe that sorry when it comes to food quality with babies.