Friend feeding 12 week old porridge.

[easterbunnie]

I went to visit a friend today who's recently had a baby. When I asked how DS sleeps, she replied " well " and then proceeded to tell me she feeds DS porridge at night before she puts him down.

DS is 12 weeks. I didn't say anything as it's not my place but I'm wondering if this harmful?

Im an HV and the guidelines are in place for good reason buuuttt there is some growing evidence that suggests that the growth in allergies is because we are weaning later than we used to.

Live and let live I say, I inform parents of the guidelines - and they are guidelines not rules. And then they make their own decisions.
As long as they aren't feeding them methadone to get them to sleep through then it's their choice.

A specialist?
In what?

To The sticklers for Guidelines- they change all the time. The guidelines said babies shouldn’t be fed allergens like peanuts before a year and everyone followed but now new research has just been published showing this has caused a massive increase in allergies. So leave her to it.

Yes they now recommend to introduce peanuts from four months. Makes you wonder about other foods such as dairy, but I presume further research is being carried out.

The reporting on that case was bizarre. Ready Brek (although unsuitable for a baby of three months) doesn’t contain salt and (as far as I can tell from this) didn’t at the time the poor baby died. It’s fine to give to babies at the appropriate age. For some reason Ready Brek was the food mentioned in the headlines of that case rather than instant mashed potatoes and gravy granules which do contain high amounts of salt.

Yes it's not good.
You could tell her, but people who give baby inappropriate foods early ate often more concerned about getting babies to sleep than their long term health, sadly.

You gave your baby totally inappropriate food out of ignorance. Don't pretend it was out of some higher knowledge.

What makes you think your baby had some kind of special digestive abilities to cope with salty, adult food? Are you in possession of superior scientific knowledge about what goes on inside your exceptional child's body? If so, I think you should be lecturing in paediatric medicine!

My ds is 98th for weight and hieght. He's bottle and breastfed and it's getting to the point I can't keep up. He's my 4th breastfed child and also my biggest. Others was 50th. He's 11 weeks. HV has already said she's going to have the weaning conversation with me when he's 17 weeks. Can't be that dangerous before 6 months.

Its not like its salt laden food. not your circus not your monkeys

@Redebs have you read any of the replies on this thread? Many people that wean earlier than the 'guidelines' suggest have done so for reasons other than sleep!
I also think saying the baby is 12 weeks old whilst factual makes it sound much more dramatic than if the OP said it was 4 months old. In reality it's not that far off the 6 months they recommend and it's not like they are stuffing baby rice down a newborns throat.

3/4months mine were all on baby rice. All now healthy adults, no allergies

Yes minimise the risk of IBD etc but increase the risk of allergies. So every choice can have an impact.

You smile and nod OP and do what you prefer for your own child. Unless it truly was dangerous (which it really isn't) then you could broach the subject but be prepared to be shot down by your friend.

My children all late 20's and in 30's now were given baby rice mixed with breast milk at 12-14 weeks at lunch time. Also 2 teaspoons of puréed carrot and masked potato mixed with breast milk at 14-16 weeks. No baby led weaning in those days. All foods were puréed with breast milk to a milky thin paste. Dgc had baby led weaning but not until 20+ weeks old. Just breast milk up until then. Trends change over time as does advice from HV.

Advice has switched back to four months in some countries/for some babies because of allergy concerns. It seems that introducing foods like peanuts is best done when women are more likely still to be breastfeeding.

From memory, a paediatric dietician.

Thanks for that. I've just looked into the case and you are correct. Weetabix the makers of ReadyBrek litigated as the headline implied that the RB was high in salt (it isnt) and caused the death (it didnt).

Meh, mine was fed baby porridge at 12 weeks and is alive and well.

Baby porridge ffs

It was 3-4mths to start weaning such as baby rice or baby porridge when my eldest babies were small (now in 20's).

If anything today's young children seem to have more allergies and health issues then children did then so not sure it was as harmful as it's made out to be. Obviously everyone has to read the guidelines and make the decision they feel right for their own baby. Guidelines had moved to six months when I had my now 13yo but I was flexible with her and think did 4-6 mths depending on food type.

Yes, it may end up being the case in the UK too. It's been widely reported that research now shows waiting until 6 months increases the risk of allergies and some experts are recommending introducing food like smooth peanut butter from 4 months to help combat nut allergies. All you can really do is follow current advice for your own child but I don't think I'd say anything to your friend, she'll be aware what the guidance currently says.

Not saying it's a good or bad thing but when I had my children in the mid seventies lots of mums did this plus breaking up a rusk for the last feed to ensure the babies slept. It wasn't regarded as abuse by hv or anyone back then.

Other foods should be introduced from 4 months too but especially allergens like dairy and peanuts. The research has already been done.

Calm down now!
There was no mention of baby porridge when I posted....whIch is pretty much nutritionaly the same as ReadyBrek.
(It wasn't the RB that killed the baby btw...you'll see that in other posts).

The "weaning conversation" she has with you when he is 17 weeks will be the only guidelines she should be suggesting which is weaning from 6 months.
She can have the "weaning conversation" at his 6 week check, but the guidance will still
be the same. A Health Visitor should not be advising anyone to start weaning before 6 months....

Who recommends introducing peanuts from 4 months?

No guidelines in England would suggest that.

Sure, the evidence suggests that doing so decreases the chances of developing a food allergy but who is recommending giving a 4 month old peanuts in any form?

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs98/chapter/quality-statement-5-advice-on-introducing-solid-food

Nice guidelines.

The HV has the weaning discussion at the 6-8 week visit.
The advice is 6 months.
No recommendations to give peanuts at 4 months.