Feeding and Nutrition

BAD ADVICE TIME...

Whilst I am well aware that offering advice can be fraught with danger, I do despair at times at how misled new parents can be by health professionals' advice. Take the following from my office today...

  • Almost 6 week old

  • Breastfeeding beautifully

  • Settling nicely

  • No parental concerns at all

  • Gaining excessive weight, but not too bad

Advice from Community Nurse: "Do not allow your baby to drop any overnight feeds until he is 6 months old and well established on solids".

This is complete nonsense!

Thankfully mum thought she'd ask me what I thought as her newborn wants to sleep longer at night.

Moral of the story - Please trust your own judgment! Don't take everything everyone else says as gospel in any way. Back yourself and don't look back!

Dr Scott Dunlop

Consultant Paediatrician

QUESTION:

Hi Dr Dunlop,

My 6 week old has a tongue tie, I’m booked with a specialist tomorrow who performs the snip, he doesn’t do laser, is this still ok? Is this an old fashioned procedure?

ANSWER:     

Dear L,

Thanks for your question and for again visiting Kids Consult. Tongue ties can be released in different ways - snip or laser. I still snip them but either way is fine.

Regards,

Dr Scott Dunlop
Consultant Paediatrician

QUESTION:

Dear Dr Dunlop

What 's the best first solid food to give a 6month old baby? And how much of it?

Thanks T

ANSWER:         

Dear T,

Thanks for your question and for visiting Kids Consult.

Most people either choose rice cereal, fruits (stewed apples or pears) or vegetables (carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin) and I have no real preference at all as to which one.

When you first start, it is likely your bub will only take a teaspoon or two at the most, so don't worry too much about volume. It's just about getting the process started, and the taste buds working.

In my experience, most new parents worrying unnecessarily about staring solids, and it's not their fault! The whole process is given way too much attention, analysis and discussion - just go with the basic recommendations and feel your way yourself. It's hard to go too far wrong.

Regards,

Dr Scott Dunlop
Consultant Paediatrician

QUESTION:

Dear Dr Dunlop, I am looking at putting my bub on formula at 6 months. How do I know which one to use?

I am a coeliac and have eczema. I have been on a dairy free diet since having bub due to bad wind. I have an allergy/ sensitivity to soy and dairy, including goat milk.

Do I just do a trial and error with bub on different formulas? First time mum and have no idea.

ANSWER:         

Dear E,

Thanks for your question and for visiting Kids Consult.

It's a little bit like looking into a crystal ball. Only time will tell whether your own sensitivities will be seen in your offspring. Therefore, I would start with a regular cow's milk-based formula and see what happens. There are obviously many brands, and I don't have a particular preference for starting off, although you can't go wrong with S26 Gold, Aptamil Gold or Nan.

Regards,

Dr Scott Dunlop
Consultant Paediatrician