I have heard of countless weaning/breastfeeding "horror" stories from some mothers. They recount that while they were weaning from breastfeeding, they bungled up at one point or another. But one particular mum stands out. She said she was so happy that her 6-month old daughter responded to the baby cereal and was weaned to formula almost immediately that a few days later, she included cow's milk as a cereal thickener.
The result? Her baby had a rare allergic reaction to the milk and made her lactose intolerant. Unfortunately, the intolerance included her mother's breast milk. So they had to spend tons of money for lactose-intolerant milk supplements.
The anecdote above is a jolting reminder to mothers that before babies reach 12 months, they should carefully choose their baby's meals. If there is a family history of allergies, it is best to consult with a pediatrician for him to recommend alternatives to baby's diet. If you don't have a history, then it's safe to be cautious as well. Listed below are types of food that SHOULD NOT be included in a baby's diet, especially if he is younger than 12 months:
- Salt. Breast milk and formula already have salt integrated in their substances. A baby doesn't need additional salt because of this fact. More importantly, never put salt on baby's food as his kidneys are not yet fully developed at this age. Salt content in food can actually cause damage to their kidneys, and is also a major factor for the contraction of diabetes in later life.
- Cow's milk. As mentioned above, it may make your baby lactose intolerant. This is because it has milk proteins that your baby may not take yet. This may be difficult for your baby to digest and absorb and may cause nausea or stomach pains - and there is no great stressor for a mother to see her child in pain. Also, completely avoid skimmed milk and low-fat milk products as it gives an inadequate quantity of iron, vitamin E and essential fatty acid. It also gives out too much protein, sodium and potassium. And studies have shown that infants who were given cow's milk suffer from iron deficiency.
- Unpasteurized milk. A baby (or a toddler even) must ALWAYS be given pasteurized milk. In pasteurization, milk is being heated (but not boiled, to avoid curdling), killing bacteria and some of the antibodies the body doesn't really need. If milk is not pasteurized, some bacteria like E.Coli would thrive. If given to babies and toddlers, they could have severe diarrhea which could eventually lead to dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the body, sometimes (but rarely) leading to death.
When it comes to baby, a mother should always be protective. His diet is no exception. There are other foods which may affect or be detrimental to a child (there is a part 2 and part 3 for this article as this information is very important, especially to new mothers). Even if your family does not have a history of allergies (and by allergies, asthma is included, not just those related to food), it is still best to consult your doctor.
Weaning from breastfeeding is easy to do, once you get the hang of it. Find out the joys of weaning, breastfeeding and see even a toddler's face light up. Click on these links for more information.
