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Ask Dr. Mommy Archive — April 2008

A Pediatrician's Q&A About Angels Foster Babies

Click here to submit a question to Dr. Mommy

Dr. Mommy is better known as Rachel Zahn, MD, a pediatrician and local mom of three kids, ages 20, 18, and 14. All three were born during her medical training, earning her the title. Rachel is also one of our newest Angels Board members. She attended our annual luncheon last year and says “I was so impressed with the organization, and so moved by the kids and their stories that I had to offer to help. The more I learn about Angels, the more passionate I become about our goals.”

Dear Dr. Mommy,
Our new foster baby just arrived! He’s 3 ½ months old and still taking only infant formula. Is that OK? When should we start him on solid foods? What should we start with? There are so many choices in the baby food section of my supermarket … where do we begin?

Confused at Vons

Dear Confused,

Your question is completely understandable. In our mothers’ day, babies were started on solid foods like rice cereal as early as possible, often through an enlarged hole in the rubber nipple of a bottle. More recent research has found that this is not the best nutritional choice for infants less than four months old.

Today’s infant formulas provide the best and most balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and needed vitamins for young babies who are not breastfed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends holding off on solid foods until about 5 months of age. Your little guy will grow beautifully on a diet of about 6 to 8 ounces of formula, given 5 to 6 times per day.

When starting solids in another month or two, start with small amounts of infant cereal mixed with formula (just a spoonful at first) a couple of times a day. Start only one new food at a time, so that any foods that cause allergies, or just don’t agree with your guy, can be easily identified.

When he’s happily eating cereal, you can progress to fruits and veggies. Again, introducing one new food at a time. I found with my own kids that starting with veggies, like strained peas, green beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes worked better than starting with fruits. That way, they develop a strong taste for veggies before being introduced to the sweet “dessert” taste of the fruits. This will serve your little guy well later in life … he’ll be MUCH less likely to turn his nose up at green stuff. Then, you can follow with the meat group … strained chicken blends usually work best at first.

By about 9 months he’ll probably be on a more-or-less three meals a day schedule, supplemented by as much formula as he likes. By this age it’s perfectly safe for him to try finger foods as well. Small bites of cut up table foods, similar to the ones he’s already eaten strained, work well. No hotdogs, peanuts, or carrots, as they tend to cause choking. Stick to those foods that don’t need much chewing. And don’t forget America’s favorite first finger food … plain Cheerios. They’re low in sugar, are the perfect size, and dissolve quickly if swallowed unchewed. This is also a great time to introduce the sippy cup.

A few things to note:

Watch for sugar and salt in early foods. These add no nutritional value and tend to become an acquired taste.
Do not switch from formula to whole cow’s milk until AT LEAST one year. It does not have the right nutritional balance for young infants. Babies under age 2 should not drink low fat milk.
Don’t try to force your baby to eat. He’ll know when he is hungry and will stop when he’s full. Expect a smaller and pickier appetite as he nears his first birthday and his growth slows a bit.
Avoid whole eggs and honey for the first year. Eggs can cause an allergic reaction and honey may contain dangerous botulism spores.

Happy feeding!

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Dr. Mommy chooses the questions that she thinks will be of widest interest to answer in future columns. She may sometimes answer the questioner privately, but we regret that she may not have time to answer every personal inquiry that comes in.

See the Video
Please watch our Earning Your Wings video to learn more about the crisis in foster care and how you can help. (9 min 30 sec)

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Call 619-283-8100 or contact us on-line to learn how you can make a donation or become a foster parent.

Please note that Angels places babies only in San Diego County of California.We regret that many of the interested applicants who contact us live outside of this area, but we cannot accept any applications from outside of San Diego County.