Solid foods making baby sick...

[petepie2]

My dd is almost 7 months old and breastfed. She has never eagerly eaten any solid food I've given her. She has mainly just tolerated me shoving a spoon at her. She will swallow some of the food (I see what comes out the other end!), but mostly she ends up wearing it. I think she probably swallows about a teaspoon, but no more than a tablespoon.

 

I have offered her bananas, peaches, a little rice cereal sprinkled in to thicken things up, and a little breastmilk thrown in on occasion. She has managed to get a little of all of this through her system.

 

Well, Sunday before last, I offered her bananas with a little rice cereal. She swallowed a little and refused the rest. I then nursed her. She started throwing up about an hour later. She threw up everything over the course of an hour until she was down to nothing but heaving. She was finally better by that afternoon. I didn't offer her any solid food until last Wednesday. It was pears with a little rice cereal. Repeat scenario. I nursed her about an hour and a half later. It all came back up and she continued throwing up and heaving until her stomach was completely empty. Then she was fine.

 

I didn't attempt to feed her any solid food until today. Pears with a little rice cereal. The whole scenario was then repeated with her throwing up about two hours later until she had nothing left. Now this afternoon she is fine.

 

Does anyone have any ideas as to what is going on with her?! The rice cereal is the only thing that is common in the three sick episodes. However, she's had a little bit of it before without problems. She's also had bananas without problems. Pears??

 

I don't know what food allergies look like. It seems that she's getting sick once the food (what little there is!) gets into her digestive system. She doesn't throw up right away or gag when I'm feeding her, etc...

 

She has also been in a spica cast for the past 11 weeks since her hip surgery. It will be removed in one more week. It doesn't seem too tight, so I don't think it's causing the problem.

 

Any help?? Sorry this is so long!!

[Mrs Mungo]

I would try feeding without the rice cereal. Try something different, like avocado, feed only one thing for a week at the same time. So, a little avocado for lunch every day (I wouldn't do it at night if there is potential for another episode) for a week and see how it goes.

[DarcyB]

I'd actually just hold off for awhile. She might not really be that ready or interested in solid food, yet. At least that's just my perspective.

[Pamela H in Texas]

A couple things. You know that she doesn't NEED food right? There is no positive about it at this point. She is getting what she NEEDS from you. Food is just fun at this point and should be a side, not the meal anytime soon. However, it sounds like she may be one that you really need to follow the recommendation to feed only one new food per week with in order to see what she'll tolerate and what she won't. I guess between the two thoughts, I'm really saying not to be in a hurry.

[Mom2J112903]

A couple things. You know that she doesn't NEED food right? There is no positive about it at this point. She is getting what she NEEDS from you. Food is just fun at this point and should be a side, not the meal anytime soon. However, it sounds like she may be one that you really need to follow the recommendation to feed only one new food per week with in order to see what she'll tolerate and what she won't. I guess between the two thoughts, I'm really saying not to be in a hurry.

 

:iagree:

[Hedgehog]

Well.. for a start, if you are happy to continue exclusive breastfeeding, then your child won't suffer for it in the least. In some societies in the world, babies are not offered any food (apart from breastmilk of course!) until they can walk. Unusual, maybe, but not unhealthy. Breastmilk changes as your baby grows and is perfectly suitable for them as food, medicine and comfort. You might need to feed your baby overnight if they are exclusively breastfed.

 

It may just be that she is a little slow in developing the ability to digest solids. It will come in time. If she was premature that might explain why she's taking a little longer than most to be ready for it.

 

Re. food allergies.. and intolerances for that matter. Dairy and gluten are very common food allergies, and can sometimes cause vomiting and diarrhoea. You might be able to get that sort of thing checked out. Two of my dc were dairy intolerant - even through breastmilk - and grew out of it when they were around 5yo, the other two were fine from day 1.

 

I would say that if you cope with it and feel that your baby isn't suffering unduly, I would try giving her solids every week/fortnight or so - single foods - and see how she goes on.

[Paige]

Try giving her the fruits and veggies without the rice cereal and see what happens. My son and cousin's child could not tolerate rice. It sometimes takes exposure to develop an intolerance so even if she didn't react the first few times, it could still be the rice. My son's reaction got worse each time he had the rice and the last time was just horrible with him vomiting every 5 min for 6 hours! Usually he would start reacting about 60min after I fed him. It took me a while to make the connection between rice and the vomiting. By the time I figured it out, (after the last and most severe episode) he had developed an oral aversion and would not eat anything from a spoon for several months. He still wasn't eating much at 12months at all.

 

Our pediatrician refused to call it an allergy and said it "just doesn't agree with him." Now, at 9yrs old, he can eat rice without any problems so I guess the pediatrician was correct but we didn't try rice again until he was about 6! I'm not sure if my cousin's child can eat rice or not now that she's older.

 

For my daughters who had a different problem that caused them to vomit after eating, we were told to only give them 1 tablespoon a day of the same food until they had tolerated it for a week. Once that food stayed down, we could try a different food with a tablespoon a day for a week. It was a slow process but eventually they could eat most baby foods.

 

I agree with whoever said that she doesn't need food too. I didn't start any of my kids on food until 6 months but after the nightmares I'd had with the older 3 I waited until about 9 months with my youngest and she is by far the best eater I've ever had.

[J'etudie]

My son and cousin's child could not tolerate rice. It sometimes takes exposure to develop an intolerance so even if she didn't react the first few times, it could still be the rice. My son's reaction got worse each time he had the rice and the last time was just horrible with him vomiting every 5 min for 6 hours! Usually he would start reacting about 60min after I fed him. It took me a while to make the connection between rice and the vomiting.

 

Read all food labels for rice. Rice is in many things labeled "multi-grain." It is also in a lot of packaged baked goods. I'd never heard of rice syrup until I saw it on a food label.

[smrtmama]

Honestly, not all babies are ready at 6 months. Some aren't ready until closer to a year. My middle child was nearly 9 months old before he'd eat anything but my milk. I'd stop stressing over the solids and stick with what's working, breastmilk.

[Parrothead]

I agree with the others that say cut the rice cereal. Try just the mashed banana if she is ready for food. Only introduce one new food at a time every 3-4 days.

[Lucy in Australia]

I don't think rice intolerance is that unusual, actually. My DD (who ate like a little horse from the time she was 4 months old) really didn't like rice cereal and would get very constipated from it. We also have a little friend (same age) who vomited quite violently every time she had it.

 

I would try some sweet potato or pumpkin first. That seems to be very gentle on their little digestive systems.

[abbeyej]

If it were my child, I'd just skip the solids for a few more months. Then try again without the rice cereal (it might be something as simple as all the added minerals in the rice cereal upsetting her stomach) in 2-3 months. If she grabs something and sticks it in her own mouth in the mean time, I wouldn't worry too much, but I would just let her nurse.

[NanceXToo]

I'd actually just hold off for awhile. She might not really be that ready or interested in solid food, yet. At least that's just my perspective.

 

I agree with this. A 7 month old really doesn't NEED solids.

 

I waited til 6 months to even TRY to introduce any solids to my son and he just wasn't interested either, so I didn't bother. He waited until he was about 9 months old to show an interest, and then it was in real table food, not baby food. We never did the baby food/baby cereal thing. I'd just drop it altogether for a month or two and then try again with some table foods and see how it goes.

[Luckymama]

DdNow15 would dry heave for hours after a smidge of rice cereal. It took me 2 weeks to realize it was the rice cereal :( She was about 7 months old and had been grabbing for food from her older brother. She also got the red allergy ring around her anus---which of course, I didn't recognize it for what it was.

 

After that, she had serious feeding issues for six months and wouldn't let a spoon get near her mouth. I continued to breastfeed. She eventually starting eating finger foods, totally skipping traditional "baby" foods. I didn't give her any rice until she was about 4yo.

 

She was diagnosed with her allergies (soy, bunch o' fruits) at 12yo. The allergist believes that she was either allergic to rice and outgrew it OR the rice cereal was contaminated with soy. This was pre-labeling so who knows.

[petepie2]

Thanks to everyone for your responses.

 

I do know that she's getting what she needs through nursing. So, I'm not that concerned that she isn't taking in much solid food or that she has little interest in it. (My last child didn't eat any solid food until he was 9 months. He would cry from just looking at the spoon!)

 

However, I am concerned that she's throwing up what little bit of food she is eating. Something is obviously wrong. From the experience of others posted here, it sounds like rice could be the main culprit.

 

I think I'm just going to give her some time off from any solids. I don't want her to have a mental aversion to food and get upset about it. When we try again, I'll leave out the rice cereal and maybe start with some single vegetables, avacado or bananas......one thing at a time....

 

thanks!!

[NanceXToo]

You might also want to take a peek at this link:

 

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

 

In one part it says: "Cereal is not at all necessary, particularly the baby cereals. Regular (whole grain) oatmeal is more nutritious for your baby."

 

and in another:

LLL suggests this progression when introducing your baby (6 months or older) to solid foods:

 

 

 

• Ripe banana, avocado, yam, or sweet potato (sweet like breastmilk)
  
• Meats
  
• Whole-grain breads and cereals (rather than baby cereals)
  [wheat and corn are usually delayed until baby is 9-12 months old]
  
• Fresh fruits
  [citrus fruits are usually delayed until baby is 9-12 months old]
  
• Vegetables
  
• Dairy products after 9 months
  [cow's milk is usually delayed until baby is 12-18 months old]
  

 

[Ravin]

I'd chuck the baby cereal, let the baby's system recover for a couple of weeks, and try some fruit, veggie, or meat--just one at a time. DD had no interest in solids at 7mo., around 9 mo. she started feeding herself a bit. She never would let me spoon feed her anything. It was either something thick on a spoon she could maneuver into her mouth herself, or finger foods.