Q: When I was raising my son 23 years ago I thought solid food was not supposed to be introduced until they were close to a year old because of fear of developing allergies. My niece started feeding Pablum to her son when he was four months. What are the latest suggestions?
A: When I raised my daughter 40 years ago, we had no idea about food allergies in infants, except that some of them seemed to have a problem with milk and were then switched to formula.
I remember giving a little Pablum mixed in with the milk to help the child sleep better through the night even at about two weeks of age. She was fine and still is.
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However, I am not sure if this fits the definition of solid food, and also because Pablum was invented in Canada, I am not sure if the powdered cereal was made with the same ingredients in England, where I was living at the time.
Perhaps I should first define Pablum. The word is derived from the Latin, pabulum, which literally means food. It was invented in 1930 by Frederick Tisdall and Theodore Drake, who were Canadian pediatricians working at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. They were trying to prevent rickets caused by a lack of vitamin D in the diet. Pablum is a mixture of precooked and ground wheat, oats, corn, bone meal, yeast and alfalfa, which together provide vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. The brand was later acquired by Heinz and sold under that brand name. Apart from infants with gluten sensitivity, it is unlikely to cause allergies.
There are a variety of reasons why babies should not be fed solids with a spoon at an early age. First of all, the child’s intestines need time to mature before they can absorb anything other than milk.
To prevent potentially allergenic foods from entering the blood stream, the maturing intestines produce IgA, a protein immunoglobulin that acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens.
In the early months, infant IgA production is low and it is easier for potentially allergenic food molecules to enter the baby’s system. Once food molecules are in the blood, the immune system may produce antibodies to that food, creating a food allergy. By six to seven months of age, the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it’s important to delay solids if there is a family history of food
allergy.
Another good reason to delay introducing solid foods is the risk of choking and the physical difficulties of feeding with a spoon. The infant has a natural tongue thrust reflex that pushes the spoon out of the mouth. There may be difficulty in swallowing due to immature throat muscles, which are designed for sucking, not chewing, at that age.
Also, babies cannot sit upright even in a high chair until they are six to eight months old. Spoon feeding also lacks the intimacy of breast feeding.
What foods should you introduce first? Favourites are Pablum and other cereals, peaches, applesauce, mashed bananas, carrots, squash, pears and rice. Soft boiled eggs and meat are usually introduced later.
Should you feed fruit juice? Babies get all the fluids they need from milk, so they do not need juice. If you do feel you have to feed juice, give a little unsweetened apple or grape juice in a cup as long as the child is able to manage a cup. Do not give juice in a bottle because this can cause early childhood cavities.
For more information on when and how to introduce solid foods, go the Alberta Health and Wellness website at www.health.gov.ab.ca/public/NT39Solids.html.
Clare Rowson is a retired medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
