Baby Food Recipes, News and Information

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Some people prefer not to use the microwave to heat their babies' food - but sometimes the microwave can be very useful, particularly if your baby is very hungry and doesn't want to wait! As long as you follow a few important safety rules, then it IS possible to use the microwave to warm your baby's meal, or to defrost foods to cook for your baby...

• When heating baby's food in the microwave, it should be covered. You can either use a lid or plastic wrap that is labelled for use in the microwave. This is important because it holds in moisture and also helps the food to heat safely and evenly.

• If your microwave doesn't have a turntable to keep the food rotating throughout the cooking time, then turn it yourself several times to ensure that the food heats evenly. It's also a good idea to stir the food occasionally - microwave cooking can cause hot and cold spots in the food and bacteria may survive in the cold spots.

• You should heat food until it is steaming hot - the FDA recommends allowing the food to stand and then using a food thermometer to check that it has reached 165 deg F. They provide a very useful heat chart to help you ensure that the foods you cook at home are heated correctly.

• When heating your baby's food in the microwave, make sure that the container you are using is safe. It should be specially made for microwave use and should be labelled to confirm this. Never reheat food in plastic storage containers like margarine tubs or take-out containers. These can release possibly harmful chemicals into your baby's food. Even microwave-safe plastic wraps should not actually be in contact with your baby's food as it heats.

• Don't use aluminium foil in the microwave, or plastic bags that are not designed for microwave use (such as storage bags or grocery bags).

• Stir your baby's food well and cool to a safe temperature to serve to him.

• If you use the microwave to defrost food to cook for your baby, then IT IS IMPORTANT TO COOK IT IMMEDIATELY. This is because defrosting in the microwave can sometimes cause small areas of the food to actually start cooking and keeping the food to cook later can encourage the growth of bacteria.

Click here for more tips for the safe preparation and storage of baby food.

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April 11, 2007 11:38 - Feeding A Baby With Eczema

Infant eczema is relatively common and, unfortunately, there is no "cure". Different treatments may work for one child, but not another, and there has been a great deal of research into the factors that may trigger eczema for some individuals.

There are foods that seem to make eczema worse for some people and, when there is a family history of eczema, asthma, food allergy or hay fever, then there are certain foods that you should avoid giving your baby during his first year.

For more information about foods that may act as "triggers" for eczema and to discover which dietary elements may - in some cases - ease the symptoms, then visit our new "Eczema and Baby Food" page... Read more...

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April 12, 2007 21:23 - Recall of Children’s Wooden Sound Puzzles (US)

Children’s Wooden Sound Puzzles with Knobs by Small World Toys are being recalled because they pose a choking hazard to young children.

The "Sounds on the Farm" and "Sounds on the Go" puzzles, pictured below, have knobs on the puzzle pieces that can fall off - 42 reports of the knobs coming off have been received, although - fortunatley - no children have been harmed.

The two separate puzzles, which make sounds, were sold under the Puzzibilities and Ryan’s Room brands. They have four pieces in vehicle or farm animal shapes and make motor or animal sounds when the pieces are removed by their knobs from the puzzle boards.

"Sounds on the Farm" or "Sounds on the Go" is printed on the top left of the boards. The number 24101 or 24102 is printed at the bottom of the boards, along with ©2003 Small World Toys®.

These puzzles were sold nationwide at toy stores, by catalogs and by various retailers from June 2003 through February 2007, for around $16.

If you have these puzzles, please take them away from your child and arrange to obtain a free, replacement toy. To do so, contact Small World Toys at (800) 421-4153 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, visit their website, or email them at puzzlerecall@smallworldtoys.com.

Source: http://www.cpsc.gov

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April 13, 2007 15:46 - Can Babies Eat Rhubarb?

We received an e mail today from Ruth in the UK who remembers enjoying rhubarb as a child and wondered if it would be a good food for her 11 month old daughter.

Unfortunately, rhubarb - which many people believe is a fruit but is actually a vegetable - is NOT an ideal food for baby. For one thing, it is very sour and needs to be cooked with sugar to make it palatable. You should always avoid using sugar when preparing food for your baby and there are so many sweeter fruits available that it just isn't necessary to select a "fruit" that requires sweetening.

Another problem with rhubarb is that, although it contains some valuable nutrients, it also contains something called oxalic acid. Oxalic acid hinders the body's ability to absorb calcium and iron, nutrients that are crucial to your baby's healthy development.

So forget rhubarb when preparing dessert for your baby and take a look at our tasty fruit baby food recipes instead... Read more...

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April 15, 2007 11:55 - Various Toys Recalled In Australia

Sunny R & J Group Pty Ltd is recalling various toys that contain small parts and present a choking risk to children under 3 years of age.

All the toys were sold by Sunny R & J Group Pty Ltd between March 2006 and November 2006 in Sydney, NSW.

The toys involved are

• Mobile Machinery Shop Toy - Item number 728
• Turtle on Wheels Toy - Item number KC-001
• Baby Clown Rattle - Item number KC-022

If you have any of these toys, please take them away from your child and, for a full refund, return them to Sunny R & J Group Pty, B7, 27-29 Fariola Street, Silverwater, NSW, telephone 02 9737 0663.

Source: http://www.recalls.gov.au

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