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Subject:
From:
Patricia Young <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 31 Jan 1998 07:59:22 -0500
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Dear Linda, the "six-month thing" is tied to the baby's iron stores.  The
average well nourished pregnant mom helps her fetus store up enough iron to
supply baby for the first 6 mo or so.  It's the "or so" that gets us into
trouble.  Some babies run out by 3 -4 mo and some at 6, 9, or 18 mo.  So
the "reasonable" idea is that ALL babies need iron enriched foods by 6
mo.(based on the law of averages or Murphy's Law, whichever you care to
use.)

I agree, it should be individualized!  30 years ago when my 8 mo old wasn't
eating much of anything, the dr pulled down his eye, said it looked a
little pale and put him on 1/2 dose of iron a day for a while.  His
appetite picked up, he decided food (read that Cheerios) were interesting
and went on to be a normal little kid who eventually ate everything in
sight.

Another point is that historically, when people just fed babies cows milk
well into 2nd year, with little supplemental foods, for whatever reason
(usually poverty) they were frequently quite anemic.  Turn of the last
century I think - "milk anemia".

I personally think (IMHO or IMNSHO- for Dr Rob "in my humble opinion" or
"in my not so humble opinion" - computer shorthand) that we let too much in
life be governed by the best for the largest number and forget to look at
the individuals.

I strongly subscribe to the idea that an infant-toddler who refuses most
foods is probably an allergic kid whose body tells him/her "watch out-you
won't feel good if you eat that".  I've described my granddaughter Elisa in
previous posts.  I think we need to pay more attention to what our bodies
tell us or what the child's body tells us, not just blindly use the same
standard for everyone.

Sincerely, Pat in SNJ

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