Advice on Feeding/Starting Solids

Okay, so here is the varied advice I got about starting solids:

Old Pediatrician (In Salt Lake City): Typically, rice or barley cereals (mixed with breast milk or formula) are offered first. Fruits, yellow/orange vegetables, and green vegetables are added, introducing yellow/orange vegetables first followed by green vegetables and finally fruits. Introduce new food approximately every 5 days. Meats should be saved for after 12 months of age.

New Pediatrician (in State College): For most babies it does not matter what the first solid foods are. By tradition, single-grain cereals are usually introduced first. However, there is no medical evidence to indicate that introducing solid foods in any particular order has an advantage for your baby. Though pediatricians will recommend starting vegetables before fruits, there is no evidence that your baby will develop a dislike for vegetables if fruit is given first. Many pediatricians recommend against giving eggs and fish in the first year because of allergic reactions, but there is no evidence that introducing nutrient-dense foods, after 4 to 6 months of age, determines whether your baby will be allergic to them. Within 3 months of starting solid foods, your baby's daily diet should include the following: meats, cereal, vegetables, fruits, eggs and fish.

The new pediatrician in State College also indicated that meats are particularly important for younger babies because they contain iron. He said that instead of reacting to an anemia at 18 months old, most anemia in young kids can be prevented by giving them iron, through meat, in their diet earlier.

He also stated that there is really NO empirical evidence about how babies and young kids should be fed. He said that most of what pediatricians tell parents is based on convention and not because it is known to be what is best. He said there simply isn't any money in doing research on feeding and diet (compared to researching vaccines, for example), so the research just isn't done, especially in the US. He did indicate that there is one large scale study that was completed in Finland about this issue and he is supposed to get me the information on that study when I take Ellie in for her well-child in early September, so we will see.

I just thought it was interesting, and really, to me, means that you (parents) have to do what you think is best for your child. There really isn't a lot of evidence to suggest that certain foods should be avoided for periods of time (as many pediatricians will say).

As for sleeping advice - the new pediatrician is A LOT more tough love approach than the old pediatrician was. He basically just recommended sleep training (put him down awake but drowsy, and if he cries DO NOT pick him up - comfort from the side of the crib). He also stated that if we don't have it down by about 9 months (the sleeping thing) it's gonna be a lot harder cause Jack will start to play us after that age. Anyway. Interesting conversation.