Rice Cereal For Infants
For many years parents have been told by their pediatricians that rice cereal for infants is one of the best foods to start with, whenever your baby is beginning to eat solids. This is because white rice cereal is easy for a young baby to digest. However, a number of experts are now becoming concerned that white rice cereal, which is high in calories, may predispose your baby to childhood obesity.
There is of course much debate about this topic among experts, and there is no real consensus or scientific studies that have proven a link between childhood obesity and white rice cereal.
What is important for you to know is that feeding your baby a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, is ideal.
When To Start Rice Cereal
There is a lot of information out there about when to start your baby on solid foods, including rice cereal. In many cases you will read that you should start your baby on solids between 4 to 6 months. However, there is some considerable debate about this, as many experts feel that you should wait until your baby is at least six months old before starting solids. This does not matter if your baby is being exclusively breast-fed or is on formula.
Such organizations as the The American Academy of Family Physicians and UNICEF strongly recommend against starting solids before six months.
Some of the most important reasons why you would want to wait to start your baby on solids is:
- it may help to prevent childhood obesity
- it can help protect your baby from developing anemia
- it can help to lower the risks of food allergies
- it allows your baby’s digestive system time to develop
However, if you are exclusively breast-feeding, it is probably even more important that you continue to do this until at least six months. This is because studies have shown that babies who only drink breast milk can have significantly lower risks for such things as ear infections, respiratory illnesses and other complications. There is simply no denying the health benefits to exclusively feeding your baby breast milk as long as possible.
Remember, your child will have the rest of his or her life to eat solids, so there really is no need to rush along the process. Be patient and use the vast resources at your disposal to educate yourself more on this subject before starting your baby on solids too early.
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