Bottle for the First Year Vs. Food Early

E. I truly believe we have so many people allergic to milk and what not because of all the hormones that are now given to live stock to produce more. I don't think you can do anything with a child's diet that causes it or does cause it.

I don't think that anybody really knows the answers and that's why the doctors keep going back and forth. It used to be rice cereal in the bottle at 1 month and now it's NO solids until 6 months!?!

I work in the Early Childhood Field and I see SO many food allergies it's scary. It seems like something must have changed in the last 30 years because I never remember kids having food allergies like this when I was growing up.

My son was only given breastmilk (no formula ever) until he self weaned at 13 months. When he started trying to take my forkful of food out of my hand at 4 months, I knew he needed some solids in his diet!

I think parents should take cues from their child when it comes to starting solids. There's no way my son would have been able to wait until he was 6 months old to eat cereal.

"I have never seen so many children allergic to milk in my life. Something is causing it. My "opinion" is that they are being kept on formula for too long. My kids were on whole milk by 6 months with no problem."

My son is allergic to milk, wheat and eggs. He received breastmilk until he was 15 months old. He also received cereal at six months and solids shortly after.

As far as I know and this is my "opinion", children are not supposed to receive whole milk until they are at least a year old, for digestive purposes. Maybe you should check with a doctor.

It is my opinion that many of the food allergies we see today are a direct result from the chemicals put in our foods and the from the high number of genetically modified foods. Our bodies were not designed to process all of these foreign substances. Consequently, our systems are reacting in negative ways.

I think we are seeing a distinct rise in allergies in young children because the chemicals have been building up through the last couple of generations. Whatever mom takes in (whether through drinking, eating, putting things on her skin) does get to baby. Baby is exposed to these chemicals during development; chemicals our bodies were not designed to process. Then, once baby is born and their systems suffer an onslaught of other chmicals through vaccinations, air pollutants, water pollutants, etc... it throws their bodies into overdrive and they have reactions.

Babies are not born "fully developed". Their digestive systems are still developing, heck, they are not even born with knee caps. So, for us to think that they will not be affected by the chemicals in our world is a far reaching assumption that I believe has long term negative implications. In addition, there are just some foods that are naturally high allergens. Early exposure has a higher chance of the child having a reaction. Not every child will, but not every child won't either.

As far as giving children either purees or table food early, I believe there are potential negative implications for that as well. Recent studies (and I'm sorry I do not recall the specific source at the moment) that have investigated things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Some researchers suggest that giving baby anything other than breastmilk or forumula too early impacts the child later in life. They believe that the affects of offering food too early are not necessarily seen until adulthood.

You aren't supposed to give children ONLY a bottle for a whole year!!! Is their mom mentally impaired?

At least by four months they should be eating rice cereal and gradually into other foods.

Perhaps their mental problems stem not from poor nutrition but from genetics? I mean...really? Who feeds a kid JUST a bottle for a year? Yeah...breast milk or formula for a year...but WITH other food!

Although, what about their dad? Was he not living w/them? I would think he would have picked up on this too. Not to judge, I'm just curious.

My girls are three and five, not older than 8 but I fed them breast milk as long as I could then switched to formula. When I ran out of formula as close to their 1st b-day as possible I swtiched to whole milk. Started cereal at three or four months and gradually mixed in fruits and veggies then went on to solid and table foods within that one to two year period.

Hi E., I have 2 grown children, son 35 and daughter 32. My son was on cereal by the time he was 2 weeks old ( yes 2 weeks). By the time he was 3 months he was eating every kind of baby food except the meat, only because he didnt like the texture. My daughtet was breast fed till 3 months and had to go to soy formula and no dairy. When she got older we finally figured out it was eggs she was allergic to. She has outgrown that. She was on the soy formuls till she was a year old. I started my son on regular milk at 6 months. Thats just what we did back then. Both are perfectly healthy and smart adults now. Son is a nurse and daughter is a SAHM.
I get so frustrated with all the rules they have now for kids. Sometimes I wonder how we all lived with what we ate as kids and fed our kids. My sons baby is almost 5 months and is on baby food already and isnt having any problems with allergies. My daughter also fed her kids baby food before 3 months and they are healthy boys too.

I think the mental issue with you step children may be more of a genetic thing, with it being both of them. I had an uncle that had 12 kids and all of them have some kind of mental health issue.

By the way, no its not you, everything has changed over the years. I think some of the things are just totally crazy, but that is just my opinion! How can a baby not eat anything but formula or breast milk for the first year? That has to be one hungry baby or constanly have a botle or breast in their mouth. I know my kids cried alot if they were hungry! Also, niether of my kids are overweight from being fed early as a infant, but as I said. This is just my personal opinion, as everyone has one....LOL

Hello E., Such interesting questions. I have two children ages 19 & 13. My kids were both breastfed until they were 3 mos old. They woke up one day and didn't want it. My son was formula supplemented from 6 days old. He was a BIG eater. I started rice cereal in his bottle at 5 weeks. He wasn't getting full from just formula. I started spoon feeding cereal & fruit 2x a day when he was 3 mos. He started 2% cow's milk at 1 yr. Now he is 6'4" weighs 185 lbs. He still eats like today is half gone and there's no tomorrow.
My daughter was formula supplemented @ 2 1/2 mos because I couldn't continually produce enough breastmilk. She got rice cereal in her bottle at around 4 mos and was eating Arby's curly fries at 7mos. She didn't want anything to do with baby food. She wanted FOOD! So she got what ever we ate. Chicken, fish, beef... Now she is 5'7" and weighs about 115. Yep, she's just fine.
I however, am 39 and when I was a baby I was breastfed. There wasn't a million different kinds of formula there was ONE. You either got breastmilk or MILNOT. Mixed like concentrated formula. And since they didn't sell it in Michigan back then, you drove to Illinois to get it. By 6 months I was sitting in a highchair at the table eating whatever mom cooked for dinner. We lived across from a dairy farm so we got COW'S milk. FRESH FROM THE COW!!!
HOWEVER.... I will admit 1 out of every ??? 100??? kids wil either have or develope allergies or dislikes to something. But, I do agree that allergies to milk, wheat, whatever are WAY MORE COMMON in the last 10 years. Maybe it's something they put in all these "NEW, BETTER NUTRTION" formulas they keep inventing.
Happy surveying... E.

Personally I think that it is a great mixture of things. Many factors... I hope noone takes offense to this. There are parts that sound sarcastic but hopefully make a point...

There are those that are truly allergic. From Birth or develop an allergy in later years(mainly beestings). Its gotta be a genetic thing. Somepart of them just CAN NOT handle what ever their allergic too.
Then you have the "need to name". Everyone wants a name for your condition. I have a friend who was "allergy tested" when he was in his 40's. Apparently he has been allergic to ALL VEGETABLES his whole life. This man was a salad eater and wouldn't have known anything was odd until that test came back. If you sneeze a couple times while being in the same room as an animal does that mean your allergic or that there is a lot of dander in the air? I would only say your allergic if it happened EVERYTIME you were near one of those animals...
People may notice allergies more because of the industrial food processing... In the 1800's if you were making a batch of chocolate cookies thats the ingredients you got out and you washed your dishes between foods. Little cross contamination. Why do you think that lables have "may be processed on equipment that processes....? They do not tear those machines all the way down and soak them in water and soap.
People are too clean. Kids need to be exposed to enviromental things. Too much sitting in an enclosed air tight house playing indoor games and not enough running in the wind, grass, and woods. There was a study done on farmers that stated that pregnant women that worked in a barn type of enclosure during pregnancy and was exposed to animal and dust allergens had kids that had a drasticly reduced allergy rate compared to moms that did not have the "farmstyle" exposures. (asthma also was mentioned as being greatly decreased)

One of the horrible things about the time we live in is that there are some pretty nasty germs out there and you use the hand sanitizer... But by sanitizing your kids constantly you are lowering the amount of exposures they have.
I grew up on a farm. We took baths at least (but usually not more than) once a week. Before church. We were jumping in the creek in the summer. Down stream from an army cor of engenieers training place... Yes, sometimes there were bubbles in the water. From what? Don't know... We were being licked on by dogs, Rubbed all over cows, We wore one outfit to do all the milkings and animals for a week at a time.(saved on laundry) NONE of my relatives are allergic to anything... And that includes milk. :-) My mom and dad would always have us sitting at the table with them and I remember my dad giving my sisters chicken bones to suck on and cheese slivers to mush around in their toothless mouths...
Then if you add in to the mix all the chemicals that are being developed and put into our food without having tested them for hundreds of years and having people replacing tested food with untested foods (butter as an example). That could be aideing in a rise of allergies... But we also have knowlege that (butter for example) is harmful in large doses over a life time. Yes, it does have naturally occuring enzymes in it that can not be reproduced... But heck, instead of frying up our food in butter, lets put it in a pot of what originally was made to be AXLE GREASE... (aka caonla oil).I use veggie oil and try not to have fried foods all the time...

Trying to limit you exposures to chemicals and things like that would be hard. They are all around you. Even if you don't spray your yard If your up wind neighbor does....

My family does eat out on occasions but usually I make a hot home cooked meal EVERY dinner. And we sit down to eat it at our table. :-) I do not buy organic... I can't afford it... But I also have my own garden in the summer and can for the winter... You can only do what you can with what you are blessed with.

Hello E.,

I just felt compelled to respond to your message. I somewhat agree with you on alot of things that you mentioned, such as the feeding kids cereal early, the milk allergies and so forth I too can relate. I have a 12 year old boy who weighed in at 9+lbs and 2-4 ounces wasn't doing him any good! I refused to feed a child 2-3 ounces every 2 hours despite what the doctor was saying. Due to the fact he was in the NICU for a week after his birth, even the nurses were giving him 4 ounces before they were used to. I believe that it depends on each kid. Some kids are full with the 3-4 ounces every 4 hours, and others aren't. You don't starve them or force feed them, but you can tell by their sleep patterns and behavior of which one is occuring.

So my son was on 8 ounces by the time he was a month to two months and on cereal to help him sleep through the night. I remember responding to someone over the weekend or yesterday about cereal and I tell everyone that asks me the same thing, "You can't always listen to the doctor, you have to follow your own opinion and instincts when it comes to your child". So if you feel you should put them on cereal to keep them nourished and full then do it, if you want a crying child every few hours because they're hungry then don't, the decision is ultimately yours to make.

On the allergies, I think it may have something to do with the experience in the womb or just what they're (the manufacturer's)actually putting in the products these days. My sister didn't drink milk at all during her 3 pregnancies and my nephews loves milk but are lactose intolerant. While you want to start your kids off on foods, things that are known to be allergic products you don't want to mess around with such as peanut products, oatmeal, and the like. My son wasn't able to eat the baby oatmeal or barley, he could only eat the rice. But now he's able to eat oatmeal. My daughter who is 8 was feed just as he was, on cereal no later than 2 months and on jar food by the time she was 4-5 months.

So again, I think it's just a judgment call that alot of mother's are too afraid to make on their own without doctor's approval. I was 18 when I had my son, and I did it because he was my responsibility, not the doctors that was my outlook then and now. And yeah, I have the same type of photos with my kids, eating spaghetto's in the high chair.....those were the days! Good questions/thoughts.

Take care E.,

A.

I have a 16 month old who is allergic to eggs and dairy. He was breastfeed for about three weeks, but threw up everything, everytime he was fed. We switched him to bottle with breastmilk and cereal and continued to throwup. So we switched to formula...again, more throw up. Finally we switched to soy, and he was fine. We gave him yogurt at 6 months and eggs around that time too. We thought he had really bad eczema, which turned out it was a reaction. The point is, we didn't realize it, but he was allergic to dairy right from the get go. Neither my hubby nor I have any food allergies, so it's a mystery to us. We are very healthy eaters, lots of fresh fruits and veggies etc. I also have a daughter who is 3 and was bottle fed formula till she was one. She had eggs and yogurt around 6 months too and she is doing just fine, no allergies. She was just in for a study testing and she was testing at the age of a 4 1/2 year old (she just turned 3). So I know diet has something to do with it, but I also think some of it is just the make up of the children.

E.,

My sons are 18 and 20, I breastfed the oldest for 7 months and he had formula until he was one year old and the younger one breastfed for 4 months, formula until he was a year. At that time the recommendation was no cows milk until they were one year old so I stuck to it. I didn't introduce cereal until 3 months and jar baby food at 6 months. Even with that controled and somewhat sparse diet both my boys were healty, plump and alergy free. I think cereal at one month is too early. I do believe that children can be deprived of nutrients but I don't believe it causes mental impairment, I believe that to be more genetic, however, I'm sure it's possible if the case is exteme such as near starvation. A healthy diet that includes enough protein, vitamins and minerals is what is most important. The best bet it to check with a pediatrician or dietician.

S.

I think each child is different. I have 3 children and 2 stepchildren. My stepsons and oldest son were breastfed/formula for a year with the introduction of baby food around 3 1/2 - 4 months. They are all doing great and eat a variety of foods with no allergies. My second son was unable to tolerate any formula and refused to eat any baby food. In fact, I had to remove dairy and other high allergy foods from my diet while nursing. So, he was breastfed for a year and began eating table food at about 9 months. He has since outgrown any milk protein sensitivities and is doing great. My daughter is 4 1/2 months and is breastfed and beginning to eat cereal and oatmeal (and loving it).

I think that we are just more aware (and quicker to act) on how much/often a baby spits up or seems to be gassy/fussy after meals. This is immediately attributed to a food "allergy" which may not be the case.

I would, however, be very surprised if the challenges that your stepchildren face are due solely to how they were fed during their first year.

Good luck!

I have three boys that are all special needs. Two are Autistic and the third is Emotionally Impaired. All three of my boys were breastfed at first, the shortest being 6 weeks and the longest 4 months though I wish I could have gone longer, too. By 3 months they were on cereal then by 4 months baby food and by 8 months regualr food chopped up fine for them. they took formula until almost a year old. When I started regular food they wouldn't go back to baby food. All three are picky eaters, probably because I am a picky eater. They don't have any food allergies and none of them will drink milk regularly. We do a lot of cheese and yogurt. There are mental illness issues on both sides of the family. I think that is where their special needs come from. I don't believe it is food related at all. I do however believe I waited too long to start the regular milk. Hope this helps - S.

My understanding about food before 6 months is not that it causes allergies, but if they have allergies it is REALLY BAD at that age, so you hold off until they're older, and the food guides give you dates for specific foods.

Milk is VERY hard on the system before a year, and can cause blindness in some cases, so doctors don't feel its worth the risk to start it before a year old. As far as lots of kids having milk allergies I'd tie that to the difference in the food/antibiotics fed to cattle these days compared to when we were kids and our parents childhood. HUGE difference. I'd avoid dairy products as much as possible in general just due to those things, calcium can be found in many other products including soy milk, orange juice (fortified) etc...

What I've been taught is that rice cereal should not be given before 4 months unless a doctor advises it to keep them from vomiting. Baby food (pureed vegetables and fruits) should not be given before 6 months old. Now obviously many people don't follow these rules and give their kids whatever they want with no issues, but for those that are sensitive to foods it can be REALLY BAD.

In my opinion, it could be a number of things. I'd like to preface this withthe fact that I'm not a medical professional. This is just information I've gathered as a concerned parent. I'm not sure what type of mental impairment your husbands' children are suffering from but it could possibly be exacerbated from poor nutrition (but it's most likely rooted in genetics). Many kids in America today have poor nutrition for a number of reasons. Some of them are simply because parents do not require the daily recommended levels of fruits and veggies, healthy whole grains, etc. Further, many of our foods are so processed that the natural nutrients are stripped in the process. And then our bodies are also dealing with the onslaught of so many environmental toxins and also the toxins in our food (which are typically from pesitcides, etc, used in a lot of commercial farming). And without the nutrients, many kids are developing weaker immunes systes and their bodies cannot properly excrete these toxins well. If your kids' impairments have anything to do with Autism, there is a great book that has a wonderful, natural healing program. It's called "Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Allergies, and Asthma" by Dr. Kenneth Bock. Even if the their diagnoses aren't autism-related, this book has a lot of good information on the importance of a healthy diet and, for some kids, nutritional supplements. In talking to my mother's generation, they often feel offended when I stress the importance of trying to buy all-natural foods. They say things like "Well, these 'normal' foods were good enough for you". The problem is that was over 30 years ago when there were FAR fewer toxins in our environment and far fewer toxins in the foods... Times have changed.

I am very interested in your survey and hope you get a good response. I have two boys 15 and 11. Both were on Formula until 12 months however both were very early eaters. I started them on rice cereal before 2 months because they were sucking through the formula like there was no tomorrow. Also made most of my baby food so they were off the canned baby food by 7-8 months old.

Both are healthy and smart. No allergies here.

Good Luck

I would have to agree with allergys being genitic to a point. I also believe they are caused by the chemicals in our food and the fact that everyone these days seem to have germaphobia. My oldest son was eating cereal by 3 weeks why he was nursing every half an hour. He was eating table food by a 4 months because he was interested in it and ready for it. He is very smart and healthly he has one allergy to something released in the morning dew (although he has never been tested he has freaked out and the doctors have refused to test him)so it just a guess.
Now my youngest and his half sisters the girls are riddled with allergy's my son has a few. I went through a whole other process with my youngest both my boys were breast feed until they were 3 month then they both just quit on there own. With my youngest I sucommed to his dads wishes to a point no solids till 3 months no table food till 9 or 10 months. The only food he is allergic to according to the doctors is mushrooms but he loves them and still eats them and they don't seem to affect him. I let my boys both play in the dirt get dirty they have had animals around them there whole lives. But as for my youngests half sisters wow mom kept them to the doctor prescribed schedule neither were allowed in the grass or dirt till after a year old and even then they were not allowed to get dirty both were bottle fed no breast feeding at all. the oldest girl has allergies but the youngest girl that was a nightmare until she was about 2 allergic to everything under the sun. she was finally put on rice milk (mom would try goats milk)the list of what she couldn't have was way longer then the list of what she could have. Around 2 most of the cant have list went away (another new doctor) and see seemed to get better. All three have a learn disability which is the nurons between the left and right brain do not actually start functioning until they are older around 10 or 11 so hopefully the youngest two will start soon. I am no longer married to the youngests dad but I would be interested to know if the half sisters little brothers have the same problems if they do not I would have to say it is gentic but then again the ex's sister kids have a ton of problems too.

They want you to wait to feed children solids until between 4 and 6 months, unless they have some other issue. Solids should be introduced no later than 6 months for several reasons - including nutritional needs - but prior to 4 months they do not need the extra calories or anything that does not come from breast milk/formula. Also, giving a child cereal in a bottle at a very young age, which used to be recommended, has been associated with asthma - not so much due to allergies but more due to the sucking issues related to the thickness of the material.

As for allergies, they suggest waiting until six months so the child can be treated if they do have an allergic reaction. Things with the most severe allergies, such as peanuts, are held off for longer. Milk is also very hard on the system and has its own guidelines, as do eggs, honey and several other foods. Newer research has found that there is no reason to even start on rice cereal, just start with something and feed it for a few days then go from there - I started with my son giving him peanut butter at about 9 months and a few other things earlier than the guidelines but ONLY because I had no family history of allergies, after talking to my doctor, and then only on the days when we were home and not at daycare so I could watch him.

Newer research has suggested that people waiting so long to give their kids some foods increases sensitivity to foods - i.e. allergies - but its really a matter of risk to the child at what age versus benefit of exposure. And you are correct in that about 4-6 years ago the American Pediatric Association changed to suggest new feeding guidelines.

For the record, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for AT LEAST two years, the American Ped. Asso. recommends for min of six months - this has been shown to reduce allergies in children. Regardless of how long a person uses formula or breast milk, food should be introduced - per the same guidelines - between 4 and 6 months.

Since it sounds like you children are a bit older...the current advice is to start cereal at 4 mos and to not put it in a bottle (unless the child has acid reflux) and solids (veggies first, then fruit) at 6 mos. The recommendation is that most nutrition should come from breast milk or formula until one, but not solely and that milk should not be given to a child under 12 mos, primarly b/c it can be hard to digest.

Every is entitled to their opinions, but I seriously doubt that your husband's children have mental impairments because they were not given solid food earlier. Giving young children food to early can wreck havock on their digestive systems, they simply aren't ready to digest the food.

I do not know the answers to your questions but I know I gave my baby food before he was one. I started him on cereal in the bottle within the first couple of months (I think just at night) because the formula was NOT filling him up enough and I have pictures of him (it's been a long time now) of him in a high chair before one eating little things here and there. My child is very healthy and smart and was never hungry, nor was he too full. Oh and let me add...he is 17 and has been thin his entire life so it did not cause weight issues either.

My husband had allergies so the doctor advised us to delay food with our daughter until she was one. We breastfed exclusively so that her chances of getting food allergies would be slim. She is now four years old and she doesn't seem to have any food allergies at all. She doesn't really like cows milk but neither do I, so we get our calcium from yogurt instead.

I agree that there seems to be a lot of food allergies now, I link it to the amount of chemicals in our food and the amount of processed foods people eat. We eat whole foods, I make our meals from scratch, we don't eat canned soup, boxed pastas, or any of the convenience foods. We eat organic and we are much healthier now than we were 5 years ago before we changed our diet and our lifestyle. We don't have toxins in our home anymore, we have gone green, my daughter helps me clean my house and I don't have to worry about her near the cleaners, they are safe.