M.Macknin, S. VanderBrug Medendorph, M. Maier:  Infant Sleep and Bedtime
Cereal. AJDC 1989; 143:1066-1068.

"Folklore suggests that feeding infants solids prior to bedtime increases the
duration of uninterrupted sleep..." A study done at the Cleveland Clinic
tested this hypothesis in a clinical trial in which 106 infants were randomly
assigned to begin bedtime cereal feeding (1 tbsp per oz in a bottle) at 5 wks
or at 4 mo. of age. Caregivers recorded sleep from age 4-21 weeks for one
24-hour period per week.  Sleeping thru the night was defined as sleeping at
least 8 consecutive hrs, with the majority of the time between midnight and
6AM. "There was no statistically significant trend or a consistent tendency
of one group to have a higher proportion of sleepers than the other.
 Therefore, feeding infants rice cereal in the bottle before bedtime does not
appear to make much difference in their sleeping through the night."

In The Children Nutrition Research Center's newsletter:  Nutrition and Your
Child, Summer 1990, Vol. 1 No.1 on pg 1, there is a story about a CNRC study
done by a Dr. Robert Shulman, which supports the AAP advice to begin solids
at 4-6 mo.  Using a stable carbon isotope to tag the rice cereal, it was
offered in bottles of formula to infants.  Results showed that the infants
(around 1 mo of age) digested nearly 90% of the cereal -- showing that they
possess the enzymes to do so at an earlier age than had been supposed.
 However, the extra protein and calories contained in the cereal were lost in
the stool.  "The babies actually absorbed just as much protein and energy
when they ate only formula...[Dr.] Shulman cautions that early introduction
of cereals may reduce absorption of needed minerals."

 So you can offer bedtime cereal, but it comes out the other end without
providing any particular benefit.  There is other research discussing the
link between early introduction of solids to food allergies which constitutes
a specific risk.  Why bother?

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE,IBCLC
priv. pract. Austin, Tx