The addition of rice cereal to formula or breast milk is an important moment for all parents who want to introduce solid foods into their child's diet. Generally, babies can start eating rice cereal with formula at 4 and 6 months of age. The ideal age varies according to the recommendations of a pediatrician or health professional by considering whether the child has reached a certain stage of development or not.
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Part 1 of 4: Making Sure Baby Is Ready
Step 1. Visit your pediatrician or healthcare professional
You should talk to a medical professional before introducing solid foods to your baby. The pediatrician will determine if your baby is ready to eat solid foods. Now is the time for you to ask questions or raise any concerns you have about solid foods.
- It may be that the baby's digestive tract is not fully developed or the baby can't feel full yet so that it will make him overeat.
- Don't give your baby solid food until your doctor recommends it.
Step 2. Wait until the baby is 4-6 months old
A baby's digestive system is not ready to digest cereal until he is 6 months old. If you give him cereal too soon, he's more likely to choke or inhale the cereal mixture into his lungs. Introducing cereals too early can also increase the baby's risk of developing food allergies.
- Babies may be ready to eat rice cereal at 4 months of age. Your doctor will help you make the right choice.
- If your baby has reflux problems, you can introduce rice cereal before 4-6 months of age. However, discuss it with your pediatrician first.
- In addition, before adding rice cereal to the baby's diet, he must be able to eat using a spoon.
- Giving solid foods to babies too early can increase the risk of obesity.
Step 3. Make sure the baby has reached the right stage of development
In addition to the age factor, the baby must reach a certain stage of development before you introduce cereals. He should be able to sit without support, be able to control his head and neck, propel himself up from a lying position using his elbows, put his hands or toys in his mouth, and lean forward while opening his mouth when he is hungry or sees an appetizing food. If your baby is 6 months old but has not yet reached this stage of development, wait a little longer before feeding him rice cereal.
- It is important that you wait until your baby reaches this stage of development. That way, you'll know if your baby can safely swallow rice cereal.
- Babies also have an extrusion reflex that causes them to lift their tongue and push objects placed between their lips. This reflex usually disappears when he reaches 4-6 months of age. Trying to give cereal to a baby who still has this reflex can be frustrating and difficult.
Part 2 of 4: Adding Rice Cereal to Bottles
Step 1. Ask your pediatrician for advice
Don't try to add cereal to your baby's bottle, unless your pediatrician recommends it. Usually, this option is only considered for infants with gastroesophageal reflux (GER). If you bottle feed your baby, it will be more difficult for your baby to learn to eat with a spoon and can increase the risk of your baby overeating and becoming overweight.
- To reduce the risk of reflux, have your baby sit up straight (e.g., propped up on your shoulder) for 20-30 minutes after eating.
- Try feeding your baby an "antireflux" pre-mixed formula. This formula contains rice flour.
- Give a hypoallergenic (allergenic) formula that does not contain cow's milk or soy milk and observe if the baby's reflux condition improves. Give it to him for a week or two.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend bottle feeding rice cereal. However, your pediatrician is the best reference for determining whether your baby can eat rice cereal by bottle.
Step 2. Add rice cereal to the bottle
At first, add 1 teaspoon of rice cereal for every 30 ml of formula. Prepare the bottle just before you want to feed the baby. The mixture will thicken even more if left alone.
- Your doctor may recommend a different comparison of rice cereal and milk.
- You can add up to 1 tablespoon of rice cereal to the bottle.
Step 3. Give a mixture of milk and cereal at night
Preferably, a bottle containing a mixture of milk and cereal is given at the last meal of the night. This trick will help the baby sleep longer because the stomach feels fuller. Make a bigger hole in the teat because the mixture will be thicker than regular formula.
- Do not give the rice cereal mixture at every feeding schedule for the baby. Rice cereal is mostly carbohydrates, which don't provide the same nutrition as formula or breast milk. If you give rice cereal at every meal, your baby will get less of the nutrients.
- To make it easier for your baby to suck the milk and cereal mixture, make an "x" or "y" cut in the teat or use a larger teat.
Step 4. Monitor baby's reaction
Watch how the baby swallows the rice cereal. If the mixture is too thick, your baby will have a hard time sucking it up and will feel tired while eating. Observe if the baby is constipated or gaining weight. This is a common side effect of giving rice cereal.
- Adjust the amount of rice cereal you give your baby based on your observations.
- If your baby is constipated after eating rice cereal, you can replace it with oatmeal.
- If you want to treat your baby's reflux problem, you should start seeing results in 2 or 3 days. If you don't see improvement in that time period, rice cereal may not be the right solution for your baby.
Part 3 of 4: Feeding Baby Rice Cereal
Step 1. Mix rice cereal with formula milk
Read the directions on the package for preparing rice cereal. Generally, you should add 1 tablespoon (about 15 grams) of rice cereal per 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of formula or breast milk. For example, if you are currently giving your baby 8 tablespoons of formula, add 2 tablespoons of rice cereal.
- Use a spoon to stir the mixture until it looks like light milk or thick like soup.
- If you buy rice cereal that already contains formula, prepare the cereal according to the directions on the package. For some brands, you may just need to add water.
Step 2. Serve the rice cereal and infant formula mixture with a spoon
Even if the resulting mixture has a milky consistency, give it to the baby using a small spoon. Using a spoon to give your baby the cereal mix can prevent your baby from overeating and consuming excess calories.
Babies are used to bottle-feeding formula and instinctively know how much to drink by volume. However, if you add cereal and give it to your baby using a spoon, he may have a hard time knowing when to stop eating
Step 3. Give only small portions at first
The first mixture that the baby consumes must be diluted. You can make it thicker over time. Initially, give the baby 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the cereal mixture after the feeding, either with breast milk or formula. Increase the amount you give gradually, to about 1-4 tablespoons (15-60 ml) of the cereal mixture twice daily. This process will allow the baby to develop the ability to swallow.
- Place the spoon near the baby's lips and let him smell and taste the cereal from the spoon. Maybe he will refuse at first.
- If your baby isn't interested in the cereal mix and refuses to eat it, try giving it back the next day. Try to make a thinner mixture.
- It's possible that your baby will spit out some cereal with his tongue from time to time, but it's a natural reflex.
- You can also bottle-feed formula or breast milk, spoon-feed the cereal mixture, and complete the process of bottle-feeding your baby with formula or breast milk.
- You can start making a thicker mixture once your baby can tolerate the cereal mixture well for 3-5 days.
- It's possible that your baby vomits up cereal the first few times you try it. Do not worry. Give him more rice cereal the next day.
Step 4. Recognize the symptoms of allergies
If your baby is allergic to cereal mixes, he or she may experience bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, or produce a lot of gas. If your baby has any of these symptoms, stop giving cereals until you consult a doctor. See a doctor immediately if your baby has itching or difficulty breathing after eating cereal.
- Babies are more susceptible to allergic reactions if a close family member has allergies, eczema, or asthma.
- When you talk to your doctor about introducing rice cereal and solid foods to your baby, share your family history of food allergies.
Part 4 of 4: Considering Other Alternatives to Solid Foods
Step 1. Avoid the arsenic found in rice
Generally, rice cereals are made from refined white rice. Compared to other grains, rice has a higher concentration of arsenic. Arsenic is a carcinogen (cancer-causing) which can cause children to suffer from health problems later in life. If you're concerned about exposing your baby to arsenic, choose cereals made from other grains, such as oats, quinoa, oats, and barley.
- In addition to reducing arsenic exposure in infants, whole grain cereals also contain more fiber and nutrients than white rice cereals.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends cereals made from oats as an alternative to rice cereals.
Step 2. Introduce another solid food first
Rice cereal is the most common first food, but you can also give your baby other foods. Finely chopped meat and pureed vegetables can be a baby's first food choice. Mashed avocados and steamed pears are great choices for baby's first solid foods.
- Introducing rice cereal has become a tradition, but it's OK if you want to try another solid food first.
- Whatever solid food you choose, make sure it doesn't contain sugar or salt.
- Wait 3-5 days to introduce another new food.
