Doctor insisting on solids for 4 month old.

[Ella-6]

Our family doctor says that the World Health Org has got it wrong with starting solids at 6 months. She quoted studies that report that if you start solids at 6 months or beyond that your baby is at risk of developing food allergies. She feels very strongly about this and repeated her case more than once in our consultation.

My baby is only 4 months old and it just doesn't feel right for us.

[MusicianDad]

I'd get a new doctor. A 4 month old doesn't need solid food. A 4 month old needs mama-food!

[D_McG]

edit - didn't read the OP correctly.

[LadyCatherine185]

From what I understand, most of those studies were done on formula fed, or mixed fed babies. Babies who are exclusively breastfed are being exposed to lots of different types of food via Mama milk. Your ped is wrong, at 4 months baby's gut is still full of holes, and introducing solids is NOT a good idea. Great kellymom link, briome.

Get a new ped, or just smile and nod. FWIW, my DS did not eat much in the way of solids until about 15 months old.. he has always been in the 95% for weight (well, up until 18 months when he started evening out.. ) and now eats a wide variety of solids. We followed Baby Led Weaning/Solids with him, and he will eat ANYTHING. He loves all kinds of fruits and veggies, meats, grains, etc. Follow your baby's lead.

[beebalmmama]

Good time to look for another ped!

[YvonneC-M]

Trust your instincts. The important thing is whether your baby is ready. These are the signs listed on kellymom:
--Baby can sit up well without support.
--Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
--Baby is ready and willing to chew.
--Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
--Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

If your baby isn't showing these signs, then your doctor is wrong.

[Sharlla]

I was told I could start solids at 4 months but i didn't feel that it was pushed on me.

[ShwarmaQueen]

That's just bad advice. Also, It's a sign he's not staying current on his research, and there's no wonder what other outdated advice he'll give you.

I'd find another one.

[Novus]

I know there are studies on both sides of this issue (some saying delaying is better for allergies, others saying delaying is worse)--there was even one I read a few months ago saying that early introduction of common allergens in small amounts (like nuts) helps avoid allergies. But that was one study, as opposed to many resources and organizations that recommend waiting. Of course, in 10 years, all the new studies might recommend giving our 4-month-olds pureed peanuts, but given what we know right now, waiting is probably a good idea, especially because you're not comfortable with starting him yet.

[mambera]

I actually think your dr is correct that delaying solids beyond 6 months (not 4 months) does not reduce, and may increase allergies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19685855
Breastfeed Rev. 2009 Jul;17(2):23-31.
Is 6 months still the best for exclusive breastfeeding and introduction of solids? A literature review with consideration to the risk of the development of allergies.

Anderson J, Malley K, Snell R.

"Health professionals advising mothers on the introduction of solid foods to infants need evidence-based guidelines. A literature review on this topic was undertaken to examine the current international recommendations of expert bodies and evidence-based research published since 2003. Particular reference in this review is made to the timing of introducing food allergens and the risk of development of allergy in the child. Recommendations in developed countries of reducing this risk by avoidance of allergenic foods until the child is of varying ages past 6 months have been challenged by recent population studies. Where the risk of allergy is a key consideration, currently-available research suggests that introducing solids at 4-6 months may result in the lowest allergy risk. When all aspects of health are taken into account, the recommended duration of exclusive breastfeeding and age of introduction of solids were confirmed to be 6 months, but no later."


From what I have read, the earlier recommendations for delay were based on speculation bc the evidence was not there. Evidence has started to accumulate in the past few years and so the guidelines are starting to change.

However, this does not seem to me like a good reason to start solids in a child who is not ready or interested. I really think that your child's behavior is the best indicator of his readiness, because your kid is not a statistic. Remember these studies are population averages.

If your kid is sitting well, has lost his tongue thrust, and is grabbing at food at 4 months, I say why not. If he's not doing these things, I would not push food at him because you think it is going to reduce his allergy risk by 15.7% or whatever.

[Alisse]

Originally Posted by mambera

I actually think your dr is correct that delaying solids beyond 6 months (not 4 months) does not reduce, and may increase allergies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19685855

However, this does not seem to me like a good reason to start solids in a child who is not ready or interested. I really think that your child's behavior is the best indicator of his readiness, because your kid is not a statistic. Remember these studies are population averages.

Absolutely and i agree.

Plus, consider that when they first even start to eat, the LO's aren't going to be terribly into it. We started at 4.5months because he was showing all the signs, but we treated it as a time for our son to experiment with new tastes rather than a time for any serious consuming.

And i don't think disagreeing with your doctor on this issue is a reason to switch physicians. Sounds like your doctor has the right heart in wanting the best for your child. You could just take in her advice, consider it, then make a decision on how to act. Too often ppl, for some reason, get offended by advice given to them by the doctor without realizing that in the end the individual is ultimately responsible for their (and their baby's) health and (almost) always has the choice not to go ahead with the advice given. Plus, doctors are VERRRRRY use to ppl not following their advice.

[mommy92109]

Originally Posted by Alisse

And i don't think disagreeing with your doctor on this issue is a reason to switch physicians. Sounds like your doctor has the right heart in wanting the best for your child. You could just take in her advice, consider it, then make a decision on how to act. Too often ppl, for some reason, get offended by advice given to them by the doctor without realizing that in the end the individual is ultimately responsible for their (and their baby's) health and (almost) always has the choice not to go ahead with the advice given. Plus, doctors are VERRRRRY use to ppl not following their advice.

I agree with you that doctors are used to people not following their advice, and that most doctors have your baby's best interest in mind.

However, I did switch peds for this exact same reason (among others such as disagreement about cosleeping etc). Now we see a ped who agrees with our style of parenting and it is just so much easier and less stressful when you don't have to sit and nod. My advice is that if you can find someone who has the same philosophies as you do, it makes the relationship much more pleasant.

[MusicianDad]

Originally Posted by Alisse

And i don't think disagreeing with your doctor on this issue is a reason to switch physicians. Sounds like your doctor has the right heart in wanting the best for your child. You could just take in her advice, consider it, then make a decision on how to act. Too often ppl, for some reason, get offended by advice given to them by the doctor without realizing that in the end the individual is ultimately responsible for their (and their baby's) health and (almost) always has the choice not to go ahead with the advice given. Plus, doctors are VERRRRRY use to ppl not following their advice.

If it were once, I'd agree with you. But it's one thing for a doctor to suggest something, and expect people to not follow, totally another for a doctor to continue to bring it up after it becomes obvious the patient or the patients parents have pretty much indicated they aren't comfortable with it. I would change doctors if mine kept pushing me to do something I had a very good reason for not wanting to do.

[Llyra]

The red flag for me is not that you disagree with the ped-- that happens, even with the best and most knowledgeable docs-- but that your doc is handing out advice that doesn't fit any of the current research. I'd be concerned about that-- that in a situation truly requiring medical expertise, that your doctor would be more likely to follow his hidebound prejudices than to go searching for the best and most current information about treatment.

That's why I would switch peds. Not just because you disagree. And I sure as heck wouldn't feed solids to a four month old baby because of a doc's say-so, regardless. The doctor can insist all he likes, but in the end, he doesn't live in your house, and it's you that makes these decisions.

I would not want a pediatrician who agrees with me on absolutely everything. That's not good-- I want to hear differing points of view when the issue really is one with several different possible "right answers." But I do want a pediatrician who is willing to admit that his/her opinions ARE in fact OPINIONS. I would also want a doctor familiar with current research, or at the very least, open-minded about current research.

[nia82]

Time to find a new doctor. I agree with the pps, especially how that research about allergies refers to formula fed babies. Breastmilk is full of different kinds of foods in a way. And a child that's not ready to eat solids shouldn't be force-fed cause that doc thinks so, yikes!

DS didn't eat his first solids til he was 11 months old and only recently really took off. He's always been in the 95th - 99th percentile of weight. and he's not allergic to anything.

[Ella-6]

When it comes to real life - I'm of the mind that all facts are fluid. That's why I am so happy to receive varying points of view regarding my original post. After considering your replies, my doctors opinion and my own, here's what I'm thinking:

Based on my baby's cues, if I feed my baby solids now, I would be pushing them onto him before he's ready.

1. As of yet, the only sign of readiness he is displaying is curiosity.
2. Next, what's needed is to be on the lookout for physical signs of readiness.

My doctor and I do tend to disagree on some issues and I may disagree with her communication style, but currently I feel she is meeting enough of my needs to not warrant changing to another ped. And likewise at the end of the day even though she does not agree with all my choices she congratulates me on a job well done with my son. Thanks to those who shared their concern.

After all this, it will be interesting to note when my son becomes ready for solids, whether it was before, at or after 6 months.