Myth 6 - Giving your infant cereal will help him to sleep through the night.
This is one of the most common myths that just isn't true. When your child begins to sleep through the night has more to do with his development and having a good bedtime routine where he learns to fall asleep on his own, and not on how hungry or full he is. And remember that many children do not begin to sleep though the night until they are about 3-4 months old.
Breast milk or infant formula supplies all of your baby's nutritional needs for at least the first 4 to 6 months of life, so don't be in a rush to start solid baby foods. Starting solids too early can cause your baby to develop food allergies. Your baby's intestinal tract is not as fully developed during the first few months and introducing solids at this time can be too much to handle. Another reason for not giving solid foods earlier than 4 to 6 months is unintentional overfeeding, since younger babies can not offer you signals when they are full, such as turning away or showing disinterest. A third reason for holding off on solids is your baby's inability to swallow solids correctly before 4 to 6 months of age and this can potentially cause choking.
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(c) 2001 by Vincent Iannelli, M.D. (http://pediatrics.about.com), licensed to About.com, Inc. Used by permission of About.com, Inc., which can be found on the Web at www.about.com. All rights reserved.
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