For all the latest baby food news, updates to nutrition guidelines, product recalls, great new baby food recipes, hints, tips and more!
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January 22, 2007 07:37 - Checking Food Labeling - Alternative Names For Sugar
Even if you make your own baby food, there may be times that you will choose to buy a commercially made snack for your little one - in which case, it's very important to check the labeling to make sure that it doesn't contain any added sugar. But sugar often comes disguised with many different names... so are you sure that you can truly spot it in a list of ingredients?
When checking the labels on food packaging, the ingredients that appear first, second and third in the list are contained in that food in large quantities. The problem with sugar is that it can appear on the ingredient list more than once, under its various names. This is misleading - and a food that may seem to be low in sugar is actually far higher in sugar than you realize.
Here is a list of the commonly used alternative names for sugar that you should look out for, helping you make healthy choices for your baby:
sucrose
dextrose
corn sweetener
corn syrup
fructose
levulose
fruit juice concentrate
glucose
high-fructose corn syrup
lactose
syrup
maltose
barley malt
invert sugar
grape sugar
grape sweetener
sorbitol
mannitol
sorghum
maple syrup
polydextrose
caccharin
sucralose
sucaryl
demerera
evaporated cane juice
muscovado
sucanat
turbinado
unrefined cane juice
whole cane
yellow-D
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January 23, 2007 07:42 - Unhealthy Kids Snacks Named In Australia
Australia's consumer watchdog has compiled a list of 10 popular snacks, designed specifically for children, that are not as healthy as parents believe.
The snacks were named in a Choice magazine survey, because they are market leaders and are hugely advertised as being ideal for children - yet they contain the same number of kilojoules per 100g as a Big Mac. Choice say that parents are misled by labelling into thinking they are buying healthy food for their children - and that the consumption of these foods will very likely increase Australia's obesity epidemic.
The list comprised
Arnott’s Tiny Teddys
Uncle Tobys fruit roll-ups
Nestle’s Milo Cereal
Steggles Chicken nuggets
The Natural Beverage Company’s Apple Naturally Flavoured Soft Drink
Go Natural Berry Pieces in Yoghurt
Kraft Dairy Bites Snack Abouts Cheese Spread
Kraft Chicken Flavoured Biscuits
Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bar
Ferrero’s Nutella spread
As this report illustrates, it's important to carefully read and analyse the labelling on any snacks you are buying for your baby - rather than accepting the claims of advertisers as to their health benefits.
Or, of course, you can stick to making your OWN food for your baby... then you can be sure of exactly what it contains and confident in the knowledge that he is eating only the very best ingredients!
Click below to visit our baby finger foods page, for some healthy alternatives to commercial snacks...
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January 24, 2007 09:09 - Infant Diarrhea - Simple Tummy Upset or Something More Serious?
Many babies suffer from a mild bout of diarrhea from time to time. Quite often, the reason is simple - perhaps a new food that didn't agree with baby - and the problem clears up very quickly (although diarrhea in a infant should always be taken seriously, as babies can de-hydrate very quickly).
However, a dangerous intestinal infection - called rotavirus gastroenteritis - can be particularly severe and it is a good idea to be aware of the symptoms.
Rotavirus gastroenteritis is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in babies and children in the U.S. and can affect children and adults of any age. It is passed on through contact with contaminated surfaces, soiled nappies/diapers, skin etc. There are no drugs available to treat the infection, so so the most important factor in caring for a child with rotavirus is ensuring they remain hydrated.
Signs of a rotavirus infection may include
moderate to severe diarrhea, often watery
a high, persistent fever
vomiting
blood in the stool
cough
runny nose
Your baby's doctor can diagnose rotavirus by testing a sample of his/her stool. He can then advise you on the best way to care for your child and the best fluids to give him/her to maintain hydration. Doctors do NOT recommend the use of over-the-counter medication for infants with diarrhea, because these medications may contain aspirin, which can be dangerous for your baby.
Always wash your hands THOROUGHLY after changing the nappy/diaper of a baby with rotavirus, to avoid spreading the infection to other family members.
Visit Kidshealth.org for more information about rotavirus gastroenteritis or click below to visit our baby food allergies page, which helps you identify if your baby may be reacting to a certain type of food.
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January 25, 2007 07:32 - Cot Death Risk Warning
A UK report is warning parents to take the same precautions against cot death during the day as they do at night.
This means that babies should be put on their backs to sleep when they take their day-time naps - and researchers also recommend that babies take their naps in the room that their parents are in. Around 75% of babies who died during the day were asleep in a room where no adult was present.
Joyce Epstein, of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, advises "For day-time naps, we suggest keeping your baby nearby in a carrycot or in a playpen while you go about your daily chores or, if possible, having a nap whenever your baby naps."
This research was conducted at Bristol University, Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and the Nuffield Institute for Health. Studies took place over a three year period and included 325 UK infants who died and 1,300 of a similar age who did not.
83% of the deaths occurred during the night. But for those deaths that occurred during the day, 75% were when babies were placed in rooms alone to sleep. It was found that one in four of the babies left unattended had bedclothes over their head as opposed to one in 10 where a parent was in the room.
Peter Fleming, co-author of the report, said "In the past and in other cultures it is unheard of to leave babies on their own, it is something people in western countries should get back to."
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January 25, 2007 15:00 - Have You Heard About Sittercity, the Online Babysitter Network (US)?
Sittercity is America's leading babysitter website and its first and largest online babysitter network. It makes finding the perfect babysitter easy, by matching your needs with one of the many thousands of carers registered with them throughout the US. And now, in addition to babysitters, users can find nannies, tutors, elder care providers, housesitters and petsitters.
Sittercity first launched online childcare in 2001. Their service has grown rapidly since then and Sittercity now has hundreds of thousands of users nationwide. Their website features a handy zip code locator, which makes it easy to find a sitter near you. The site also offers other useful tools, including online background checks, four-step easy screening, specific search, interactive babysitting tools... and even discussion boards.
Sittercity has won a range of awards and has been featured in hundreds of press features, including appearances on the Today Show, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX.
Click the banner below to visit Sittercity to find out more.
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January 26, 2007 07:41 - Don't Be Fooled By Misleading Packaging
A report released at the 2007 California Childhood Obesity Conference in Anaheim revealed that almost half of children's food with names or pictures of fruit on the packaging actually contained NO fruit at all. The main culprits were certain types of cereals and yogurts - although the packaging gave the appearance of a product filled with fruit, closer inspection of the ingredients revealed that many of these products simply contain red and blue dye.
And did you know, for example, that Yoplait Go-Gurt Strawberry Splash yogurt actually contains NO strawberries?
Another area of confusion for many parents is the difference between fruit juice and fruit drinks. Did you know that a "fruit flavoured drink" probably contains less than 10% real fruit juice - despite the packaging showing pictures of lots of healthy fruit? In fact, these drinks invariably contain more sugar than nutrients. Even juices marked "100% juice" contain a great deal of fructose (sugar) and lack the dietary fibre and nutrients of whole fruit.
So what is the solution?
Firstly, always keep in your mind the fact that advertisers in general do NOT have your child's best interests at heart. They are merely trying to sell their product. Until the rules for marketing children's products are tightened, you simply cannot trust their claims as to the "health benefits" of their products. Make a point of carefully checking the labeling on all products that you purchase for your baby.
The simplest solution, however, is to avoid buying these products at all and stick to making your baby's food yourself. By doing so, you are actually spending LESS in order to give your baby HEALTHIER foods and - most importantly - you KNOW what these foods contain.
If you want a fruity breakfast for your baby, then why not stir a little pureed fresh fruit into your baby's rice or oatmeal - far more appetising than red or blue dye! For a tasty and healthy fruity yogurt, then stir pureed fresh fruit into plain, natural yogurt. As for juice - give your baby water instead and serve whole fresh fruit to your baby. Create simple, healthy snacks for your baby instead of buying pre-packaged products - our finger food page offers lots of nutritious suggestions.
If you raise your baby on good, wholesome ingredients from the start, then he'll very likely find commercially made children's snacks unappealing anyway - after all, nothing tastes like the real thing!
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January 26, 2007 22:01 - Hummus For Baby
Many babies love the strong flavour of hummus - but many hummus recipes contain tahini, which is made from ground sesame seeds. Sesame can be highly allergenic and many parents prefer to avoid it altogether for the first year at least - so here's a tahini-free recipe to help you create hummus for baby!
This recipe is suitable for babies happily feeding themselves, as it makes an ideal dip for vegetables or pitta bread. Chickpeas (or Garbanzo beans) are legumes, with the potential to cause gas/wind in babies, so you may wish to wait until your baby is a little older before giving him hummus if he has a delicate tummy.
Cover the chickpeas in cold water and soak overnight. Drain, then place in a saucepan and cover with fresh water. Cook until tender (1- 1 1/2 hours) Drain, reserving the cooking water. Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the other ingredients and puree well. Slowly add a little of the reserved cooking water and continue to puree until you reach the desired consistency.
Click below to discover a delicious swede/rutabaga dip recipe for your baby.
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January 28, 2007 14:02 - Giving Your Baby Foods Containing Sesame Seeds
Did you know that sesame seeds are now ranked 9th in the list of most allergenic foods worldwide?
An allergic reaction to sesame seeds can be very severe and studies are showing that the rate of sesame allergy across the world is growing. Recommendations about the timing of introducing sesame seeds to babies vary from country to country, so it's not always easy to know when it's safe to offer ground sesame seeds to YOUR baby, in foods such as hummus and halva, for example.
Our new "Giving Baby Sesame" page looks at the growing problem of sesame allergies in infants. It tells you how sesame allergy is diagnosed, includes a list of alternative names for sesame and how to identify if YOUR little one is particularly at risk of an allergic reaction to sesame.
If your baby has already been diagnosed with a sesame allergy, you will also find a list of foods to avoid and a list of other foods to which a baby allergic to sesame may react... Read more...
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