Skip or Not to Skip Rice Cereal

If you skip it, it can also cause a lot of food allergies. Also, you don't have to feed her anything until she's 5/6 months. Read the book "Super Baby Foods" to understand when and what you should feed her first.

My daughter is seven months old. I tried feeding her rice cereal when she was about four months. Well, it totally backed her up and I decided not to use it. Her pediatrician recommended oatmeal cereal and it's been great!

...How are any of us alive?!? I think that sometimes knowledge is a hindrance. My mother never fed me rice cereal nor did I eat jar food until I was about 9 months old - and I'm just fine!

I am not familiar with it. My son couldn't keep formula down when he was an infant so I actually had to thicken his bottles with rice cereal to keep it on his stomach. He was on it from the time he was 2 months until 12 months.

Not sure of the reasoning behind rice cereal and diabetes.

I WOULD DEFINATELY RECOMMEND DOING PLAIN RICE CEREAL AND OTHER PLAIN CEREALS, BEFORE INTRODUCING THEM TO ANY BABY FOOD. I DID THIS WITH MY FIRST CHILD AND IT RESULTED IN A NON PICKY EATER. HIS PEDIATRICIAN RECOMMENDED PLAIN CEREAL MIXED WITH MY BREAST MILK OR FORMULA FOR A WHILE, THEN BRING IN VEGETABLES FOR A WHILE AND LAST INTRODUCE FRUIT. THIS USUALLY CAUSES THEM TO NOT HAVE A SWEET TOOTH; THEREFORE BEING A GOOD EATER LATER DOWN THE ROAD. HIS THEORY HAS PROVEN TRUE. DIABETES ALSO RUNS IN MY FAMILY, BUT THIS DID NOT SEEM TO BE AN ISUUE WHEN DISCUSSED WITH MY PEDIATRICIAN, DUE TO THE LARGE AMOUNTS OF IRON AND OTHER VITAMINS IT WAS A "MUST" FOR GOOD NUTRITION AND FORMING HEALTHY EATING HABITS.

You are always supposed to start with cereal. I have never heard such a thing! If you have doubts, talk to the doc.

I have 2 children and I started both of them on rice cereal at 4 months. I have taken a few nutrition courses in college and the most basic and fundamental nutrient that we need to "fuel" our bodies is carbohydrates. Rice cereal provides these carbohydrates as well as many other vitamins and minerals without being to harsh on a baby's sensitive and developing little belly. I wouldn't suggest skipping cereal, try starting with rice and if there are no problems with that then you can try oatmeal and barley cereal as well. Baby cereals are a great way to provide a baby with iron which is very important for their development as well as folic acid and the other B vitamins. I think the problem with diabetes and allergies comes into play when you start cereal (or any solids for that matter) too early (typically before 4-6 months) or starting solids too late like after a year old. It's hard to know the right thing to do especially with all the different advice from books, magazines, and other parents telling you what they did but the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending starting rice cereal at or around the 4 to 6 month mark. Hope this helps!

If you are worried about rice cereal try unseasoned mashed potato as an alternative. I don't recommend starting any solid or semi-solids until the baby can hold her head up and sit with assistance though.

With my son at 8 weeks I quit breast feeding and went to formula (he wanted to eat literally all the time, the pump wouldn't work real well either, I don't think I was producing enough milk for him). Once on formula he would eat an 8 oz bottle and cry for more, still after 12 oz he was satisfied but still wanted more so I started him on the cereal, both as a meal and in his bottle of formula. My daughter was closer to 5 months before she needed a little extra in her bottle to satisfy her. The cereal is great for mixing, at first with formula then with baby food. I did read in a baby magazine about a year ago (about the time that my daughter was born) that they were doing studies on the diabetes thing. I believe it stated that there was a higher risk of developing diabetes if you started the cereal before 4 months or after 1 year. This makes no sense, why would starting it during this 8 month window make it okay??? Personally I couldn't live without the cereal. Good luck to you and your daughter!!!

We did not do rice cereal because it is a processed food, can cause build up in the bowel, and generally is not that nutritious. We started our little girl on soy formula around 3 months, and then when she was able to sit up, around 6 months we started baby food. I have heard about the diabetis, but I am not sure if it has been proven or not. We choose not to use processed foods with our little girl because they are so bad for you. She ate spinach, greenbeans, fresh fruits at 6 months and still to this day (she is 5 1/2) she loves veggies more than ice cream. It is a choice that you will have to make about the rice cereal, but I would definitely if you decide to do it, go with something from the health food store that is more natural and whole. Good luck.

B.,
I have not heard to the rice cereal/diabetes link, however my kids never really liked the rice cereal (ages 4, 2 and 5 months). They really liked the jar Gerber cereal or the oatmeal cereal. I don't think skipping rice cereal is a big deal (just my opinion), maybe just start with the oatmeal if that makes you feel better. Talk to your doctor about when to start feeding however. My doctors were fine at 4 months old with my 4 year old, but they are telling be to hold off on all food until 6 months with my last. It has to do with the development of allergies (new studies have come out). Good luck!