When do i stop feeding my baby rice cereal

When Can You Start Feeding Your Baby Rice Cereal

Adding solid foods to your baby’s diet is a big milestone, and you may be wondering when to begin the process and what foods to start with. In the past, single grain infant cereals have been the traditional first choice when transitioning to solid foods, with rice cereal being one of the more popular ones. These days, though it is still OK to start with cereal, experts say that there is no evidence that introducing foods in a certain order provides any advantage for your baby (though babies do tend to like cereal).

Keep in mind that experts highly recommend giving rice cereal as part of a mixed diet of single ingredient choices, rather than as an exclusive food.

Find out how to safely give rice cereal to your baby, and what other infant cereals you might want to give instead.

What Is Rice Cereal?

Rice cereal for babies has been a traditional first food for infants who are being introduced to eating solids. The most common type is a dry powdered cereal, to which liquid is added to form an oatmeal-like consistency, but it can also be purchased premixed. It's one of the single grain cereals that have been recommended for infants when they start on solid foods.

Is Rice Cereal Safe for Your Baby to Eat?

It’s OK to include rice cereal in your baby’s diet as long as you’re not exclusively feeding your baby rice cereal.

The reason experts recommend rice cereal be limited is because of the naturally occurring levels of inorganic arsenic in rice (in this case inorganic refers to the arsenic’s specific chemical compound bound with carbon).

As rice is grown, the plant absorbs more inorganic arsenic from its environment compared to other crops. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can enter the food supply through water, soil, or air.

When body weight is considered, a baby’s intake of inorganic arsenic through rice cereal could be three times more than an adult’s. Eating too much rice cereal as an infant can cause long-term health problems.

What Infant Cereals Can You Give Your Baby Instead of Rice Cereal?

Instead of rice cereal, you can offer another single grain infant cereal such as oat or barley cereal. You can find many of these infant cereals in premixed or dry versions to which you would add breast milk, formula, or water to create a consistency that your baby will like.

Look for cereals that are specifically made for babies because they will be fortified with nutrients like iron and zinc that your baby needs.

Just remember that when introducing new foods — including different types of infant cereals — do so gradually, offering one new food at a time, and then waiting a couple of days before adding another food, to watch for any possible allergic reactions. Once your baby has become accustomed to eating solids, feel free to offer a variety of single ingredient, soft foods.

How Many Times a Day Should You Feed Your Baby Infant Cereal?

When your little one is just starting on solids, spoon-feed your baby a small amount of infant cereal once or twice a day, ideally just after he’s been bottle-fed or breastfed. Start with one or two teaspoons of cereal so that your baby can get accustomed to this new food.

Eventually you can introduce other foods one at a time—and you can even make your baby’s food at home.

Are Other Rice Products Safe to Give Your Baby?

Not necessarily. You can give rice to your older baby as part of a varied and balanced diet. However, it’s best to avoid certain rice-based products like rice syrup, often used as a sweetener in processed foods, as well as rice milk, which should not be used as a substitute for cow's milk.

If your child has turned 1 and is sensitive or allergic to cow’s milk, your healthcare provider will be able to recommend milk alternatives if needed, and can also weigh in on any rice products you’re considering giving.

At What Age Should You Start Feeding Your Baby Infant Cereals?

For most babies, 6 months is a good age to start to introduce solid foods, which can include infant cereals. Breast milk or formula will continue to provide most of your baby's nutrition for the first 12 months.

Waiting until this age is important because by this point your baby would have outgrown a natural reflex that all babies are born with that causes them to push their tongue against anything inserted into their mouths. Most babies grow out of this tongue thrust reflex between 4 and 5 months.

Can You Give a Baby Younger Than 6 Months Infant Cereals?

Most babies are not ready for solid foods, including infant cereals, until they are about 6 months old, though some babies could be ready a month or two earlier. Experts recommend that babies be breastfed or bottle-fed (with expressed breast milk or formula until 6 months of age.

How Do You Prepare Dry Infant Cereal for Your Baby?

If you’re using dry cereal, mix one tablespoon of dry cereal with four tablespoons of breast milk, formula, or water; or follow the recommended directions on the container.

Be sure not serve the cereal from a bottle for reasons we mention in the next section. Gradually, you can add less liquid to the dry cereal to find a thickness your baby likes.

Can You Feed Your Baby Cereal in a Bottle?

Although this might be a practice you’ve heard of, don't feed your baby cereal in a bottle unless your baby’s healthcare provider says otherwise. Feeding your baby through a bottle can lead to unnecessary calories—she may consume more food than she actually needs.

Although rice cereal may have been a popular choice, experts now say there are other infant cereals and first foods that may be safer for your baby. If you’re ever unsure about which infant cereal to give, or need advice about expanding your baby's menu, reach out to your baby’s healthcare provider for advice.

As your baby transitions to solid foods, you deserve lots of rewards for all those diaper changes. Download the Pampers Club app to get rewards for all your Pampers purchases.

How we wrote this article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.

Baby Food for Thought: How Safe is Rice Cereal?

For generations, rice cereal has been a top choice for babies starting solid foods, but lately there’s growing concern about what’s in it besides the rice: arsenic. UR Medicine’s Dr. Ruth Lawrence, an internationally recognized expert on breastfeeding and infant nutritional needs, offers some information and advice for parents.

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil, air and water. Because rice is grown in water, any arsenic in the water supply binds to the rice as it grows. A known carcinogen, arsenic can influence risk of cardiovascular, immune and other diseases, and research has shown that even low levels can have a negative impact on babies’ neurodevelopment.

Both adults and infants are exposed to arsenic when eating rice, but it’s a bigger concern for babies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says rice intake for infants, primarily through infant rice cereal, is about three times greater than for adults relative to body weight. In fact, people eat the most rice (relative to their weight) at approximately 8 months of age, a prime time for infant brain development.

The FDA recently proposed a limit of 100 parts per billion of inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. Their testing found that most infant rice cereals on the market either meet, or are close to, the proposed level. A JAMA Pediatrics study, published on the heels of the FDA’s recommendation, advises parents to keep an eye on the amount of cereal their babies eat. Researchers followed children for a number of years, noting the amount of rice products they ate and analyzing the arsenic levels in their urine. Babies who ate rice cereals had higher concentrations of arsenic than those who didn’t.

Here’s some advice for parents who are wondering if, why and when to consider feeding rice cereal to babies.

Follow the “six-month” rule. Don’t feed your baby rice cereal—or any other solid food—prior to six months of age. Babies should be exclusively breastfed or given formula (or a combination of breast milk and formula) for the first six months of life. Breast milk, and even formula, is much more nutritious for babies at this age than solid-food alternatives.
Note the benefits of rice cereal. There are reasons why rice cereal is so popular: it’s easy to digest, doesn’t trigger an allergic reaction as the gluten in wheat can, and is well tolerated by babies who are transitioning from breast milk or formula to solid food. In an appropriate quantity, it’s still a food you can include in your baby’s diet.
Watch your baby’s intake. The greatest brain development occurs in the first year of life and a baby’s diet has an impact on that development. When you feed your baby rice cereal, follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice: Don’t feed rice cereal every day and don’t make it the only food in the meal.
Pick your brand of rice cereal wisely. Levels of inorganic arsenic can vary widely by brand in both baby foods and products for adults. (Check out Consumer Reports’ study of arsenic levels in a variety of products.)
Expand your baby’s diet. Add other grain cereals to your baby’s diet, including barley, quinoa, and oats. Choose single-grain cereals, rather than multigrain so you can see how your baby reacts to various grains and avoid any that seem to cause a problem. When it’s time to add vegetables and fruits, follow the same principle and introduce one new food at a time.
Choose iron-fortified cereals. These help ensure your baby gets the nutrients it needs for optimum brain development.
Don’t overlook other potential sources of arsenic. Arsenic can be found in other foods and other sources besides rice cereal—especially groundwater. If you have a well, be sure to have it checked periodically for arsenic as well as heavy metals such as lead, which also can be harmful to babies’ and adults’ health.

Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., is a professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and medical director of the Ruth A. Lawrence Poison and Drug Information Center and of the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center. She is an internationally renowned expert in breastfeeding and author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, now in its eighth edition.

Rice porridge - Encyclopedia Baby food

Levchuk Victoria ©

Rice porridge is ideal for the first feeding, as it does not contain gluten.

Rice is different, so you can find on sale long-grained, medium-grained, round-grained, and rice also differs in color: white, brown, wild or black, yellowish. The most ideal option for usefulness for baby food is brown rice, which retains the shell of the cereal, which is the benefit. But you can use any kind of rice for baby food.

Brown rice and any other rice are unlikely to cause allergic reactions, the absence of gluten contributes to this. Nutritious and versatile, brown rice can be paired with any meal your child loves.

Brown rice is a minimally processed brown rice with a light nutty flavor.

Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice. This is because it is unrefined and the natural shell is preserved. Brown rice on the Russian market is a little more expensive than regular white rice, but it's worth it. Moreover, you can cook rice flour for baby porridge at home without industrial additives, which will reduce the risk of allergic reactions.

Table of contents:

Rice in the form of porridge can be introduced into complementary foods for a child from 4 months of age. However, it is necessary to remember the WHO recommendation to introduce complementary foods at the age of 6 months.

The second step in starting complementary foods is to identify the first type of complementary food and the first product (see here). Usually mothers have a choice between cereals and vegetables, if there is a lack of weight, then, most likely, cereals are introduced into the baby's diet. But buckwheat and rice are considered the first complementary foods. Most often, buckwheat is chosen as the first porridge, since the child's stool most likely will not change. But rice porridge strengthens, it is ideal as a therapeutic diet for diarrhea.

But it should not be discarded and it can be introduced as the first complementary food, as it is easily digested, coats the stomach, helps to remove toxins from the body, and is often recommended for unstable stools and frequent spitting up. It is also necessary to note the nutritional value of rice, with its low calorie content, which is useful for overweight. Rice also helps the body meet the need for complex carbohydrates, which are then used to build muscle mass and feel full for a long time.

Rice is introduced into complementary foods like any new product, it is necessary to withstand the first 4-7 days to monitor the reaction of the child's body to a new product. Usually, butter is introduced along with porridge, so if a child is about 7 months old and porridge is introduced, then butter must also be introduced, also as a new product. With an undesirable reaction of the child's body in the form of worsening stools, rashes, etc. consult a doctor and stop giving rice.

How to select and store rice

It is best to choose local varieties of rice, as they travel less from seller to buyer. Our Krasnodar rice is ideal for baby food. Moreover, there is brown rice of Russian production, but you need to look for it. It will be difficult to choose rice, since there are more than 150 types, and it also differs in the way it is processed: polished, unpolished, steamed.

Therefore, mothers usually use rice, which the whole family eats for a long time. You can, of course, buy brown rice for your beloved baby, but this is decided individually with the pediatrician and at the family council.

When choosing rice, you should pay attention to the appearance of the cereal, which should be the same size throughout the package. If it is long-grain rice, then round-grain rice should not be found in the package. It is also worth checking for the presence of larvae, insects, checking the GOST sign and making sure that the rice does not smell of anything nasty.

Whole grains can be stored for 12 to 18 months in a cool, dry, dark place. If the temperature becomes extremely warm in the house, you can store the grains in the refrigerator. However, do not forget to look at the expiration date on the package.

Cooked rice is stored for no more than three days, for a child it is worth preparing a new porridge every time.

Ground whole grains such as rice flour should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Flour can be stored in a cool, dry place, but should be checked frequently.

When the grain is ground, the natural oils found in rice can become rancid if left unrefrigerated. When buying any type of ground whole grain, it's best to buy a smaller amount to ensure it's used quickly and completely before it goes rancid.

By the way, brown rice should be stored in the refrigerator, and preferably in the freezer. If such rice is stored in the kitchen at above zero temperatures, then the oils begin to oxidize, which makes brown rice harmful.

Freezing rice or rice porridge

Freezing rice porridge does not behave very well, namely it becomes too soft and tasteless, therefore, it is best to freeze multi-ingredient dishes where there is very little rice porridge. Boiled rice is better than frozen rice porridge. Here's how food behaves after freezing.

Preparation of complementary foods: Rice

You can use a rice cooker, slow cooker, steamer and just a pot of water to cook rice porridge. Usually, rice in its pure form is not very suitable as the first complementary food, because after cooking it, whipping it into a homogeneous mass with a blender and other devices turns out badly, only a plastic grater will help, but it will take a lot of time. Therefore, rice must be prepared for the preparation of baby food. You need to pass it several times through a regular cereal mill, which is not difficult to buy in any store. Someday I will write a review of two mills that I have at home, one Soviet, the other modern. It turns out ordinary rice flour, from which it is easiest to cook children's rice porridge.

Approximately ¼ cup of rice flour uses 1-2 cups of water, depending on the final consistency and the child's preferences. Next, rice flour is poured into boiled water, everything is whipped with a whisk to get rid of lumps. Then everything is cooked over low heat until cooked, see the recipe here.

I think everyone knows how to cook whole grain white rice, but remember, wash in several waters, you can soak for 1 hour, simmer for the first time, stirring until the rice is ready.

There is another original way to cook rice, but it is worth trying to understand whether it suits you or not.

Wash rice, boil water, add rice, cook at a boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat, close the lid and leave to cool or reach for 5-10 minutes, until cooked. You will get fluffy rice.

Brown rice cooks a little differently because it is more firm. It is best to soak brown rice overnight in cold water, then wash it thoroughly in new water in the morning, pour new cold water over it. Boil for about 10 minutes, then rinse again with cold water, pour again and cook for 15 minutes. And then you need the rice to reach, so we remove it from the fire and wrap it in a blanket.

We would like to remind you that children should not be introduced to sugar and salt until they are one year old.

The difference between brown and white rice

The difference between brown and white rice is not only in color. A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the topmost layer, the husk, is removed to make what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing of the grain.

If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result will be white rice, rice that has lost more nutrients.

However, the rice is still unpolished and is polished to make the white rice we are used to seeing. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grains, filled with essential fats. Because these fats are highly susceptible to oxidation when exposed to air, this layer is removed through a refining process to extend the shelf life of the product.

The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely stripped of its original nutrients.

How often should I give rice?

If the child is prone to constipation, a pediatrician should be consulted, as the product is too useful to be abandoned forever, it may be worth introducing it later into the child's diet or feeding rice porridge only 1 time per week.

If the child is healthy, then we still monitor the stool while rice porridge is introduced into the diet, then when other products are introduced, when the child’s menu expands significantly, rice porridge or rice should be given 2-3 times a week as part of various dishes, not only like porridge for breakfast.

Foods that go well with rice:

Fruits, vegetables, yogurt, meat, fish, poultry, seafood, seaweed, mushrooms, dried fruits are great foods to mix with boiled rice.

Herbs and spices, which perfectly complement the taste of rice:

Cardamom
Curcula
GDs
Chuskaya nut
rice porridge with apple and pumpkin
cauliflower and rice puree

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On our site Encyclopedia Baby Food there is useful information on the nutrition of your children, which is useful for everyone, and we update the site "Encyclopedia Baby Food" constantly and try to search and write only excellent, verified and necessary information for you and your children.

Disclaimer No. 1: It must be understood that the author of the articles on the Baby Food Encyclopedia website is not a medical staff, “I am not a doctor.” The information I share is based on my own experience. My goal is not to teach you how to eat or feed your child, but to talk about how we did it, what new things I learned or read. This expands the picture of Baby Food knowledge, gives you a glimpse of the whole process so you can decide if you like it or not.

Disclaimer No. 2 : However, the above does not cancel visiting a pediatrician. Before you start complementary foods, you need to get his professional opinion on the best way to introduce new foods for your baby. I also draw your attention to the fact that you need to look at the original date of the published articles, because some of the "best practices" may have changed. Always check with your child's pediatrician about complementary foods and their health.

Disclaimer #3: Keep in mind that every family is unique, every situation is also completely unique. There are no universal solutions. Only you can find what works best for you. Certain goals require certain sacrifices and priorities - not everyone wants to make those choices, and that's GREAT! Just know what you want to achieve and be ready to get to work, putting the best of your strength!

Disclaimer No. 4: On the Encyclopedia Baby Food website, photos from books on baby food with attribution are used to better understand the information (Article 1274, paragraph 1, part four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Literature on baby food is found in the public domain on the Internet.

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When is it safe to feed rice porridge to a child?

If you ask for advice on when is the best time to start feeding your baby rice porridge, the answers will vary. Some people may suggest feeding the baby rice porridge starting at 6 months, while others may suggest starting at 2 or 3 months.

But just because someone else gives the baby rice porridge early doesn't mean you should do the same. For advice, it is best to contact your pediatrician - he is an authority on the health of your child. In the meantime, here's what other experts recommend.

Updated Guidelines

Create Guidelines Caution: Rice flakes should not be the only solid. Thus, the old practice of starting iron-fortified rice cereal at around 6 months is no longer recommended.

What are the recommendations for starting complementary foods?

For the first few months of life, you will exclusively breastfeed or formula feed your baby. Anything other than breast milk or formula is considered solid food. Therefore, when deciding when it is right to start feeding your baby with rice porridge, you should follow the same recommendations as when switching to solid foods.

Some people argue that rice cereal is an exception to the recommendation, perhaps because of the ability of rice cereal to dissolve (and "thicken") in breast milk or formula when added in small amounts.

However, rice porridge is a solid food. Babies are not ready for solid food until they are about 6 months old.

Signs that your child is ready for rice porridge

Since each child is different, it is important to look for signs that your child is really ready to start eating rice porridge before giving it.

You must refrain from feeding your baby solid foods until he can control his neck and head. Your little one will need to stand upright while eating so they can sit on the high chair.

Most importantly, do not give your child rice porridge until he has developed the ability to move solid food from the front of his mouth to the back. This skill usually does not develop until at least 4 months of age. Until then, your baby's tongue will push out any food that enters his mouth.

Another clear sign that your child may be ready for solid foods is when they show interest in food. If you are eating in their presence, they may try to grab your food or lean into your food with their mouths open (camera ready!).

Is it safe to give rice porridge to a child before it is ready?

For the most part, you should not give your child rice porridge until recommended. While the extrusion reflex—that automatic reflex that causes a baby's tongue to push food forward—may provide some protection before it's ready, offering solid food too early can still pose a risk of choking or aspiration.

Feeding rice porridge or other solid foods too early can also increase the child's risk of obesity.

But when they're done, rice cereal can be a great starter food, among other things.

How to introduce rice porridge for the first time

After several months of only breast milk or formula, some babies have difficulty adjusting to solid foods.

To begin the insertion process, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of iron-fortified rice porridge with 4 to 6 tablespoons of formula, breast milk, or water. Some people also mix rice cereal with fruit juice. But this is not recommended because fruit juice has no health benefits and is very high in sugar.

Spoon iron-fortified rice porridge to your child. (It's important that babies get enough iron once they start eating solid foods.) But don't be surprised if it takes your baby a couple of feeds to learn to eat this way. You can breastfeed or bottle feed first and then finish with rice porridge.

Doctors used to recommend rice porridge as a "first meal". But we now know that age-appropriate foods can be introduced in any order, and rice cereal should not be the only solid food that can be given for a long time due to arsenic exposure. Food and Drug Administration.

You can introduce other jarred or pureed foods such as fruits and vegetables before or after you introduce cereal. Include other iron-fortified whole grains in your diet besides rice. Variety is the seasoning for life—even for a child!

When introducing a new solid food to your child, do it one at a time. This way you can detect any potential food allergies or sensitivities early on. For example, after you feed your baby peas for the first time, wait 3-5 days before introducing carrots.

Can rice flakes be used to thicken breast milk or formula?

You may have heard of adding rice porridge to the bottle to thicken breast milk or formula. This, however, is not recommended unless your pediatrician allows it.

If your child has episodes of acid reflux, the doctor may recommend this method to thicken milk and prevent spitting up. But this is rare.

Conclusion

Getting your baby on solid foods is an important milestone, but rice porridge should not be introduced too early. This creates several different risks. So wait until your baby is about 6 months old and watch closely for signs that he's ready for solid foods.