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Don't start too early A study published in the April 2013 issue of Pediatrics found that 40 percent of babies are introduced to solid foods before four months of age – often by sleep-deprived mom's who hope a full belly will help baby sleep through the night, or who fear their child isn't getting enough nutrients from breast or bottle. That's too early, the authors contend. "Babies bodies are not yet prepared for these foods, and early introduction may increase the risk of some chronic diseases," like diabetes, obesity, eczema, or celiac disease, they write. Tiehen says it isn't until four to six months that babies lose their tongue-thrust reflex, and gain the ability to move food from the front of their mouth to the back. "But it's about more than just age," she says. Can your baby sit supported with good head control? Is he or she showing interest in your food? If so, ask your pediatrician if it's time. "They call it rice cereal, but it is essentially white flour – about the same metabolically as starting our kids off with a spoonful of sugar." Skip the white rice cereal For decades, the standard first-bite (and the bulk of firstyear calories) for American babies has been white rice cereal – lauded for its bland flavor, lack of allergens, and ease of digestion. But some pediatricians question this tradition. "They call it rice cereal, but it is essentially white flour – about the same metabolically as starting our kids off with a spoonful of sugar," says Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and Stanford University faculty member who started a campaign called White Out to steer parents away from white rice cereal. Green explains that babies have both a wild curiosity about food (ever try to keep a six-month old from putting things in her mouth?) and a tendency to quickly imprint on things. "When a baby is exposed to a food six to 10 times in a relaxed positive environment they are likely to form a lasting connection to that food," Greene says. "We have a window of opportunity here and we are blowing it." Forming a connection to highly processed, refined carbohydrates can "alter metabolic settings in a way that predisposes children to insulin resistance and obesity" and "light up a hard-wired preference for sweets," Greene says. (White rice cereal manufacturers have been quick to point out a lack of research on the subject). Greene's advice: Start with "real food" like mashed bananas, avocados, or iron-fortified whole grain brown rice cereal. Dish up the veggies & fruit (in no particular order) Conventional wisdom has long held that babies should be fed vegetables before fruits, so they don't develop a fondness of sweet first and shun anything that isn't. "That's a wives' tale," says Dr. Nicholas Kyriazi, a pediatrician with Littleton Pediatric Medical Center. "Nothing in the literature says it's better to start with one or the other." Most importantly, pediatricians say, be sure baby is getting some fruits and vegetables daily. According to the 2010 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 30 percent of 6-to-11-month-olds don't eat vegetables and a quarter don't eat fruit. (Experts recommend infants 6 to 8 months old get 2-4 tablespoons of each daily.) What if Junior doesn't like peas? "Be persistent," Kyriazi says. "It takes on average 10 attempts to get a child to take a new food and for some it may take 20." Don't hold off too long on allergens Until recently, pediatricians warned parents to hold off on dairy until age 1, eggs until age 2, and peanuts, shellfish, and fish until 3, in hopes of delaying and possibly preventing allergies. But the AAP sharply reversed course in 2008, stating that "there is little evidence" that delaying such foods prevents eczema, asthma and other atopic diseases. A 2009 study published in Pediatrics went a step further, suggesting that waiting too long to introduce eggs, wheat, oats, potatoes and fish could actually boost the chances of developing allergies. "Some suggest that if you introduce it early and on a regular basis, you may actually decrease the likelihood that they will become allergic to it," says Kyriazi. "It's like an allergy shot. It slowly introduces you to a food in order to desensitize you." Kyriazi recommends starting with low-allergenic foods, like single-grain cereal, peas, or bananas. Then (if there is no family history of allergies) introduce eggs, peanut products, and fish around 9 months. Introduce foods one at a time, and wait three days in between to see if there is any reaction. He still advises waiting until 12 months for tree nuts and shellfish. And if you do have a family history of food allergies, consult an allergist. Health and Wellness Magazine • 37