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Original poster

Auntie feeding granddaughter custard at 8 wks!!!

29 replies

bron42 · 23/05/2004 20:33

Please can you give some PROOF to an auntie who has admitted to my mum (not me, as knows the reaction) that she gave her grand daughter Bird's custard last week. This is a baby who is sleeping through the bloody night. It is breaking my heart because her older DB, who's 2 was fed crap early too and has excema, bad chests. She was proud of the fact that she fed her DD Heinz Chocolate pudding at 10 weeks. My cousin also suffered with excema really badly and they wondered why?
Please confirm the risk and what allergies, etc can occur if weaning early. I remember reading about chest complaints and excema. Is this correct?

OP posts:

Original poster

bron42 · 23/05/2004 20:34

Forgot to confirm, baby was 8 weeks old when fed this!

OP posts:

gloworm · 23/05/2004 20:40

the poor wee thing
yes there are links to early solids and allergies and stomach problems (although they may be older before they see any problems).
At least if it had been a bit of baby rice, but birds custard (doesn't it have loads of artifical rubbish in it??) and choc pudding???? grrrrr

just curious, does the older child now eat veg etc?

toddlerbob · 23/05/2004 21:15

Having a child with heartbreaking eczema I am too stunned to type. 8 weeks is too early full stop.

aloha · 23/05/2004 22:21

I think you need to talk to this child's mother about what is being done to her. I think it is wicked to do this without permission from the mother.

Ghosty · 23/05/2004 22:25

Not to mention the sugar content of Bird's custard ... grrrrr
bron42, have a look at the WHO website ...

ScummyMummy · 23/05/2004 22:37

This is really BAD, bron42. Might be worth talking to your cousin rather than your auntie, praps? Does she realise how dodgy her Mum's weaning knowledge is?

WideWebWitch · 23/05/2004 22:41

How awful. Agree, talk to the mother armed with the facts, which I don't have, sorry.

Original poster

bron42 · 23/05/2004 22:43

gloworm - yes, older child is vg eating his veg. Aloha - my cousin knows about this! She also started her first DS on solids early. She is already giving rusks in her bottle as far as I know. My mum has told me not to interfere but keep thinking about what damage this is doing to the little one. Have told my mum not to tell me any more. Think this must be a family trait cos sister-in-law started her DS2 on solids at 12 weeks. Resulted in us not talking for a while because I explained about the stomach not fully formed by this time. He was put on cow's milk instead of formula at 9 months. He has had breathing problems with his nose (flattened but will develop OK in age according to specialist) from birth and has had continuous bad chests. Older DS, same thing. Early weaning, large portions of food - chest problems. Again, am I wrongly linking the chest problems with the food?Anyone, confirm or give me website to visit.
Ghosty, thanks for WHO site. Will have a look now.

OP posts:

ScummyMummy · 23/05/2004 22:54

Oh dear- I don't think there's much you can do then, bron42. Your cousin clearly doesn't accept how potentially damaging it is to wean so early and if her mum is encouraging her and their family traditionally goes for stupidly early weaning then I'd guess there's little hope of changing her mind. I'm not sure your (wise)advice will impact much on her. Poor you- I'd find it very upsetting to hear more about it too. Unfortunately this is all too common and is usually hidden from health visitors etc.

misdee · 23/05/2004 23:08

i', the same as toddlerbob, too shocked and upset atm to say much. eczema rules our lifes in my home.

ChicPea · 23/05/2004 23:19

Sorry to hijack your thread bron42 and yes, its appalling. Is there any salt in Birds Custard as that is a poison to an 8wk old.

Misdee, did you see my message on Allergies/Severe scratching to head of 4mth old? There are two of these and I added to the one which now has 18 messages. Please do look at the routine I have as my DS is practically clear.

Original poster

bron42 · 23/05/2004 23:23

Chicpea - Yes, you're right, second highest ingredient after cornflour. Of course, there is also annato, food colouring.

OP posts:

misdee · 23/05/2004 23:37

chicpea, thanks for trying to help with your routine, unfortunaltly my dd reatced badly to diprobase, she also reacts to some aquous creams, e45 products, sun lotions, food colourings (we think, this one is being looked at) dust mites, cats, pollen, cleaning products (we keep them to minimum here as to try and not set her asthma off), her skin is better with the use of lotions and ointments rather than creams (due to absorbption into skin), we use oilatum in the bath, rarely wash her hair, the bath is rinsed very well after i use it so to keep soap away from her skin, she soaks for at least 30mins, she is patted dry rather than rubbed. we dont use flannels or sponges, as she is rarely that dirty as a usual rub with hands on her knees will get any dirt off. she is washed in dermol500 lotion (to help keep infectiosn at bay, we havent had a serious infection for around2yrs so must be working). dd1 is under the specialist care of a dermotologist at hertford general, and ios also seen at the allergy clinic at another local hospital. we have just been told that even tho she has had a topic ezcema in the past, she is now showing signs of seborrhoeic ezcema so have introduced a anti fungal cream as well. dd2 is looking like she is atopic and has recently been under gp's care, and is following the same routine as dd1 atm to see if it has any effects. so far it isnt, and as each child reacts differently to treatments it could be a case of different treatment is needed for dd2.
I hope your routine helps someone on here and i do appricate trying to help my family by posting what helped your ds (? have i got that right), but unfortunaltly its one we have already tried with no effects. even when the ezcema is under control with no flare up, we still maintain dd1 skin with emoillants and lotions.

sorry for hi-jacking this thread btw.

SofiaAmes · 24/05/2004 00:36

doesn't custurd have eggs in it???? My dh thought it was clever to feed small bits of all sorts to our children as they were being exclusivelyl bf until 6 mo. No problem with ds, but then with dd, he fed her a very very small bit of egg at 5 mo. and she broke out in hives all over her body. Luckily she outgrew the allergy, but it scared dh enough that he never put anything but breastmilk into her mouth again until 6 mo.

Marina · 24/05/2004 09:46

Ha ha Sofia, not Birds! It was designed to be egg-free (but additive-laden) by a man whose wife was allergic to eggs and missed her custard.
Bron42, quite apart from the risk of allergies etc, babies' kidneys cannot cope with the salt in all processed foods (even "sweet" ones like custard). Maybe telling your cousin that not so long ago a baby died in agony after being fed food such as gravy and Smash might do the trick?
I'm sorry, I know these people are your relatives, but what they are doing is as bad as hitting a baby or shaking it. In my view, anyway.

marialuisa · 24/05/2004 11:06

I'm not that shocked by the weaning (weaned DD at 10 weeks, no probs) but at what they're feeding the kids. Could you tackle it from that perspective?

ReallyHip · 26/05/2004 21:06

I know someone who happily reported when her DD was 4 months old that she had had her first MacDonalds! How I would like to know? This same girl reported that DD would "eat anything if you put sugar on it!"

The best deterrent against rubbish food for us was the post natal class dental assistant lady who spoke of horrendous statistics of toddlers having to have teeth extracted under general anaesthetic because they were coming through rotten as a direct result of poor diet!

Please please think of your children's health, pain and potential suffering and for those of you who do, don't be shy... tell others!

ReallyHip · 26/05/2004 21:07

Off Soap Box now...

SofiaAmes · 26/05/2004 21:52

Ok I confess, although I claim to have bf ds exclusively until 6 mo., my mother actually fed him some garlic soup at 5 1/2 months....he loved it.

AussieSim · 26/05/2004 22:01

Is there any law to protect babies against stupid parents or does the baby have to die first (or be really sick)? Obviously I am tired and cranky, but I just get so distressed when I hear/see this kind of stuff.

My DH's cousin was bragging that that their 3 mth old would eat half a breadroll if it was covered really thickly in Nutella. The other day I was explaining very loudly to my DS the evils of smoking around babies when I saw a newborn in a trolley outside the supermarket whose parents had both just lit up the moment they stepped out the door.

AussieSim · 26/05/2004 22:02

Just to be clear, that I am responding only on bron's story (I don't think a bit of soup with garlic in it at 5.5mths is going to have any lasting effects )

Original poster

bron42 · 26/05/2004 22:57

Well, thanks to all your anguish and responses, I have pushed my mum into talking to my auntie. This has resulted in much discussion between my cousin and auntie and they both agree that feeding DD was causing her a rash on her face and restlessness, crying, etc. From last night, she has gone back on milk only until 4 months. I can't tell you all how relieved I am.
marina - I quite agree with you. This early weaning is similar to child abuse. The only sad thing is that we know that this is still going on throughout the country.
Many thanks to you all for your support. At least we know that it has hit home for my family and hopefully they will encourage others not to go down the crazy route that they were heading.

OP posts:

Marina · 27/05/2004 09:44

bron42, that is terrific news. I hope they can stick to their guns and well done you for helping them come to that decision. It's never easy tackling family, is it!

AussieSim · 27/05/2004 19:20

Good News Bron and good on you for caring and making things happen!

SofiaAmes · 27/05/2004 22:39

Haven't had a visits from vampires yet! Well done bron42.

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