03/03/2022
I thought this chart was pretty interesting.
As a recap: food will not necessarily make your baby sleep better 🤫
If you are feeling confused about feeding your baby, there’s good reason.
Recommendations for how, what and when to feed baby solids have boomeranged in the last century, and in some areas of medicine and allergy+immunology, have made a complete reversal.
A brilliant features writer recently asked us what we thought about the pendulum swings of parent advice from generation to generation—which got us thinking about the history we inherited as parents—and the baggage that came with it.
If you are struggling with how and when you want to start solids, you’re not alone. While the line on the chart above is likely to plateau at 6 mos based on evidence-based research and knowledge of infant nutrition, the HOW and the WHAT are being called into question.
In the 1920’s when baby food was invented, there was good reason: Straining green beans was tough work. Refrigeration was not super reliable. Home canning was dicey. It is not surprising then, to understand why pediatricians were swayed by the baby food companies sending them free samples to distribute. Baby food was “scientifically” prepared. Guaranteed nutrition. And canned safely.
But by 1950 the average age of starting solids falls to 4-6 *weeks* old. And what happened when the jarred pears were offered this early? It displaced breast milk and formula, which we now know is the optimal source of nutrition for a baby’s first year.
But that’s not the whole story. While parents were buying baby food products earlier and earlier in a baby’s life, they were also relying on textureless baby food for longer and longer. We now know that prolonged, *exclusive* feeding of textureless foods puts a child more at risk of weak jaws, severe picky eating, and delayed oral motor skills.
Not ready for the move the table food? There’s a reason for that, be easy on yourself. You’ve got the weight of the last century of misinformation on your shoulders. Do the research, trust your gut instinct, and cater your approach to your unique child and family food culture. And know that no matter what, you’re doing better. Because while the chart above is plateauing (a good thing), overall progress is trending up.🤍
