In what form to introduce gluten?

[clairebear3]

My DD is 5 months old and has not really had any solids, apart from a try of avocado to see if she was ready, she was not!  Over here the health visitors say we have to start solids no later than 6 months.  DH has celiacs disease so I informed with the UK Celiac society what was the best age to introduce gluten, they said before 6 months when the baby is still getting breast milk.  Two other doctors have since told me the same.  I am currently EPing and will be doing so until DD is 6 months so I do need to start gluten before then but in what form?  I can't very well give her a slice of toast

At the local supermarket there are various cereal powders and cookie powders containing gluten and there are of course shop bought baby puree's containing gluten but I want to make my own puree's and I don't want her to get accustomed to the shop bought texture.  I want to start with proper solids at 6 months so i'm thinking some sort of cereal powder to put in her bottle would be good.

Does any one have an idea on what is best?

[sageowl]

"My DD is 5 months old and has not really had any solids, apart from a try of avocado to see if she was ready, she was not!" 

Part of the challenge of introducing solids, is that it tends to go a lot better when the child is interested/curious to try foods.

"Over here the health visitors say we have to start solids no later than 6 months."  

In the US, they also recommend you start solids around 6 months, but I've never heard anyone say you HAD to do it or else... 

"DH has celiacs disease so I informed with the UK Celiac society what was the best age to introduce gluten, they said before 6 months when the baby is still getting breast milk." 

That does seem to be the current consensus:  "Celiac disease is a common multisystemic disorder...prevention strategies, including encouragement of breastfeeding and introduction of small amounts of gluten whereas still on breastfeeding at fourth to sixth month of age, become more important than before."  (an excerpt from an article on PubMed).

"I am currently EPing and will be doing so until DD is 6 months so I do need to start gluten before then but in what form?" 

Probably some sort of cereal (flake).  Don't know what kinds/brands you have available since we're in different countries.

At the local supermarket there are various cereal powders

That's probably where you'll need to start if DD isn't eating solids yet.

"I want to make my own puree's"

Good idea.  It's pretty easy, and a lot cheaper.  You'll have a lot more control over the ingredients, and they taste way better!

"Does any one have an idea on what is best?"

It totally depends on what is available in your area.  I'm guessing, taste-wise, they're all about the same, but the quality of ingredients, no doubt varies widely. 

Good luck!  Hope the initial trial goes well.  Just for the record, I discovered that my child was sensitive to wheat when we started solids, so I did not give him anything containing wheat again until he was 2, and then the problem was gone, but I don't have a family history of celiac disease.

[Dove84]

Why are they saying you HAVE to start solids before 6 months!?!  My friend has Celiac and her little boy is not yet a year and she hasn't given him any gluten... we don't have celiac but DD is still completely grain free at 12.5 months.

[treegardner]

What do you mean by they said you have to start solids by 6 months? I have always heard that 6 months was the earliest you should start introducing solids, but not every baby is ready at 6 months.

 

[clairebear3]

Well the guidelines here are that formula babies start around 4 months and BF babies around 6 months.  The last time I had an appointment was around 5 months, I said I hadn't started purees yet because she has zero interest in food, she said that was fine but I MUST start at 6 months.  My DD will be on formula at 6 months (I can't EP any more) so maybe it's different than an EBF baby?  I have no idea why they would force solids on an EBF baby!

Re gluten, this is the advice i have had from two doctors, the books from the health clinic and the UK Celiac society.  I do really trust the Celiac society and think if anyone should know it it should be them!  I have been giving DD 1 spoon of cereal in her bottle at night since she was about 5 months...

Now I think she may be ready to try some purees in a few weeks.  When she sees me coming with the spoon with her vit D (mandatory for babies who get less than 500ml formula over here) she opens her mouth wide up, it's so funny!
 

[LivingSky]

I think it depends a lot on the baby. DS wasn't interested in solids, period, until he was past a year. But even though he had no interest in solids, I introduced frozen fruits and veggies to him in a mesh feeder (like this one http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2738035). Since the food was frozen, it really helped with his teething and so he was willing to try almost anything. I'd think you could do the same thing with something that contains gluten - could you bake a bread or muffin or something like that, freeze it and cut it into chunks? Then you would have complete control over the ingredients you do and don't want her to have.

For DS, it was great because he was introduced to a wide variety of foods early, and now he'll eat pretty much anything we give him. The downside - it's messy