Feed Your Baby Fish!

One of the reasons why I created One Family One Menu was because of the birth of my son.  I had come to the realization that cereals and bland mush could not be a good first meal for a perfectly healthy and allergy-free baby.  Starting a baby on these foods begins the separation from the foods we all eat as we grow older. We go from bland, dulled flavors of baby food to the standard children’s menu, without creating opportunities to expand our baby’s flavor palate.   Like most parents I did research about foods to feed my baby.  Dr. Frank Greer, former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition, has commented that cereals are not exactly a great choice for initiating an infant’s solid food stage.  Meats and vegetables are better options because they provide natural vitamins and proteins that cereals lack.  Moreover children who eat cereals will start to prefer carbohydrates, as opposed to bolder flavors.  We all know that carbs are important and a vital source of energy, but we also know that it becomes a problem as they grow older, and get...bigger.  All you have to do is look at the children’s menu in American restaurants: mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese and the eternal chicken strips and french fries dominate the back page of the menu.  The common denominator in all of those foods are carbs, and often there are no whole grain options. The AAP had a news release in October of 2010 that offered guidance to boost iron levels in children, due to their continual iron deficiency.  Although iron deficiency has lowered in the United States since the 70s due to the introduction of iron-fortified formulas, there are still many kids that have it and it is frequently not detected - and can cause many health issues long-term, irreversible issues that can directly affect their cognitive and behavioral development. Dr. Robert Baker, member of the executive committee of the AAP section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, declared that “feeding older infants and toddlers foods like meat, shellfish, legumes and iron-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as iron-fortified cereals and fruits rich in vitamin C, which helps iron absorption, can prevent iron deficiency”.  Based on age, for infants 6 to 12 months the amount of iron needed is 11mg per day.  AAP again reiterates how it is important that this group of children be introduced to iron-rich foods early on.  You can always give your child iron supplement, but why not do it the natural way if possible? The AAP has released articles in which it asks parents to feed their infants and children fish.  They also recommend it for breastfeeding women, pregnant women and women who may become pregnant.  There are many highly nutritious, low-mercury fish available in most places.  Some examples are salmon, trout, herring, anchovies, sardines, pollock, mackerel, shad and mussels. You are probably wondering - how are you going to give a 6 or 7 month old baby fish?  Isn’t that suppose to be bad?  In the pediatrics report released by the AAP in 2008, it explains how there is no conclusive evidence that there is a link between the timing of the introduction of complementary foods and the development of atopic diseases.  It goes on by saying that delaying the introduction of what

are considered highly allergic foods such as, fish, eggs, and foods containing peanut protein beyond infancy does not have a significant protective effect on the development of atopic diseases.  In other words, if a child will be allergic to peanuts, for example, the allergy will be there from the beginning, not because they were fed peanuts too early.

The article in which the AAP encourages people to eat fish is also proof that infants begin their feeding process in womb.  We already know that they eat while they are in our bellies, but we almost never stop to think that maybe they are acquiring different tastes that will affect their eating habits. It is true that the flavors passed through the amniotic fluid into your baby is their first culinary experience and we can contribute to the development of their palate starting from that special moment.  In the pediatrics report of 2008, it clearly states that there is no supporting evidence that can prove that dietary restrictions during pregnancy have any effects on the development of atopic diseases in infants.  This does not mean that if you are pregnant you can eat fried chicken and waffles every single day.  What this means is that your child will not become allergic to peanuts or shrimp just because you eat them during your pregnancy. The AAP pediatrics report also explains that food allergies, asthma and atopic dermatitis is more likely to happen in infants that have a family history of such.  If your child has tested positive for allergies, you are aware of allergies in either family or they suffer from an illness or disease, then you MUST contact your child’s pediatrician, and they will be able to guide you as to what foods to feed them in accordance to their specific issue.  I was very fortunate to have found a great pediatrician that encouraged flavors early on, because she knows how important it is for infants to eat a variety of things, and not be picky.  I was also blessed to have a very healthy child.    In the end, it is your decision as to what you feed your baby for the first meal, but I do recommend researching, reading and asking your doctor about the things you find.  Starting your child on a variety of foods, not cereals and jarred mush, will help them learn to eat. It will teach them to try new textures, help them become less picky eaters. There shouldn't be multiple menus at dinner, for adults and children - there should be one menu that everyone can enjoy.