Bring on the meat
Parents once waited eight months before
introducing meat to babies. But that has
also changed. "We are now recommending
that they are included in the line-up of
first foods," says Tiehen. By six months,
babies have begun to lose the iron and
zinc stores they carried with them from
the womb, and they have trouble getting enough from breast milk or formula.
Pureed meat is a good source of both.
Skip the honey & milk, and
go easy on salt
"The only absolute no's for the first year
of life are honey, milk, and choking hazards,"
says Tiehen. Moms used to give babies
cow's milk within just a few months of
age, but then researchers realized it was
hard to digest, could lead to slight intestinal bleeding, and impair a baby's ability
to absorb iron –boosting the chances of
anemia. Meanwhile, honey can contain
botulism spores that an infant's immature intestinal tract can't fight off. And,
according to Philadelphia-based Monell
Chemical Senses Center, infants introduced to starchy table foods containing
added salt end up preferring salty foods
more in preschool. So go easy on the
animal crackers.
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