Beyond Breast and Bottle

Raisins are a big choking hazard for infants. And I would like to make one plea: Toddlers don't need lollipops. And the danger of the lollipop is, if you've seen a child walking around with a lollipop and then running with a lollipop. Not to mention the problem with sugar and effect on the developing teeth, they fall and the problems can be life-threatening.

Is honey dangerous for children?
Yes, there is a potential serious danger of honey, because there's a condition called botulism which is spread by certain spores of bacteria that can be present in honey. And that's a condition that could cause cessation of breathing and even death in some babies. So we recommend never giving honey to infants and certainly below a year of age.

These botulism spores have been found in some other syrups such as molasses, corn syrup or maple syrup. In the past, even currently, some parents have used some of these syrups as treatments for constipation and other reasons. And we recommend really staying away from those and any kind of sweetened syrups in infants under a year.

Many babies are anemic. Why?
The most common reason is nutritional anemia. Now, how do you develop nutritional anemia? These are most commonly formula-fed infants, very often receiving a formula that's not supplemented with iron. And one of the biggest culprits is the early introduction of whole cow's milk. Whole cow's milk is not only devoid of iron, but it also can cause blood loss. And so the American Academy of Pediatrics, again, recommends not instituting any whole cow's milk prior to ten months of age. I like to say a year, to be on the safe side.

Babies who are breast-fed generally are fairly replete in iron, because iron in breast milk is very highly absorbed. It's very poorly absorbed in formula, so I recommend that all formula-fed infants receive an iron-fortified formula. The use of cereals as the first food, again, provides you with an added source of iron.

Copyright © Daniel Neuspiel and Steven Schwartz. Permission to republish granted to Pregnancy.org, LLC.