I need concrete evidence for why 'thickening' baby milk is bad.

[Nonie241419]

I know that adding baby rice to bottles is bad/not recommended, but I need some hard facts to back that up. My DH's brother's baby is 4 weeks old. She was low birthweight and has been ff from birth (mother chose not to bf at all). A week ago, they visited my in laws and the baby was screaming to be fed. Her mother said she was always wanting feeding, so my father in law (former cosmetic surgeon in his seventies) told her to thicken the milk. She said she didn't think it was 'allowed', but he assured her it would do no harm. So she's started adding baby rice to the baby's bottles of hungry baby formula. My MIL told me gleefully that baby has now started sleeping through .
My DH won't back me up that it's a bad idea because his Dad said it was ok and he's a doctor. I don't have contact with the parents directly, but if I can give some convincing evidence to MIL that thickening the milk is not in baby's best interest might get passed on by her.

It doesn't sound like she'd listen even if given the advice. Every instinct as a new mother must have ben screaming not to leave her 5 day old baby. She would still have been bleeding and in pain herself.

I will try my best. I need to speak face to face to MIL, as if she tells DH I have been sticking my beak in, he'll be really cross that I've contradicted his Dad's advice. I'll ask her to pop round for coffee tomorrow.

TikTok knows this stuff.

Please try!

Under advice from the Health Visitor, I weaned ds at 3 months. I wish I hadn't, but I trusted the advice that she gave. She was close to retirement and this was 15 years ago so it may have been correct at some point, but he had 2 years of vomiting (which she said was OK), 4 years of abdominal pain and diarrhoea and now he's a 15 year old picky eater. I can't give you concrete evidence, this is just my experience.

Here is a link to the US FDA's report on arsenic in rice cereals. It shows high levels of arsenic in rice cereals prior to the recent introduction of a new standard. Some think the standard still is too high.
www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319870.htm

I am actually open mouthed at reading this.

Babies know how many calories they need by milk volume, if the milk is thick then the baby takes less milk and does not get enough calories. Baby rice should never be used a baby food anyway.

It is normal for a newborn to feed every two hours as they have tiny tummies.

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