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Baby Food Recipes, News and Information
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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March 24, 2008 13:55 - Only 6 More Days to Win a Portable Highchair
The closing date for this month's competition to win this handy 'Safety 1st Grow with Me Portable Booster Seat' is March 30th - so that gives you just 6 more days to send in your entry!
All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is send us a review of your favorite baby product.
Maybe you have found the sippy cup that never leaks... a toy that keeps your little one occupied for ages... even a feeding bowl that's impossible for your baby to remove from his table!
If you constantly find yourself recommending a certain baby care product to other parents, then our visitors would like to know about it, too... and the best review we receive each month wins a prize.
With summer just around the corner, this month's prize is great for feeding your baby when you're out and about... so don't delay -
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March 24, 2008 14:07 - Moms' Experiences with Infant Reflux
Babies with reflux may react differently to various solid foods, although some foods seem to be responsible for flare-ups more commonly than others. Our section devoted to Introducing Solid Foods to a Baby with Reflux aims to help you avoid flare ups in YOUR little one by listing the foods most likely to cause a negative reaction.
If you have a tip that might help other parents with infant reflux, then please share it by completing the simple form on this page.
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March 24, 2008 21:06 - Two Recalls of Cantaloupes (US and Canada)
If you and your family enjoy cantaloupes, there are two recalls that you need to be aware of.
The first concerns Charlie's Produce Brand Cut Cantaloupe Products, which may be contaminated with Salmonella. Please visit the FDA website for further details, including a complete list of all the products involved.
The second recall involves cantaloupe from the Honduran grower and packer Agropecuaria Montelibano which seems to be responsible for a widespread outbreak of Salmonella poisoning in both the US and Canada. You can read more about this recall here, along with tips for the safe preparation and storage of cantaloupes.
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March 25, 2008 15:26 - Adding Baking Soda to Veggies - A Good Idea or Not?
Lynne from the UK asked us today whether or not adding baking soda to the pot when simmering vegetables is a good idea. She explained
'My Mum always used to do this when she cooked broccoli - she said it made it stay really green. So I've always added it to my vegetables, too. But now I've started to introduce vegetables to my son - and I'm wondering if it's still OK to put in the baking soda.'
In a word... no!
Adding baking soda to vegetables is a rather old-fashioned practice, done - as Lynne said - to preserve colour. This is probably because it used to be the 'fashion' to boil vegetables to death - causing them to lose their colour and most of their nutrients, too!
But adding baking soda to vegetables as they cook has two important negative effects - it adds sodium to them (the harmful component of salt) and it destroys much of their vitamin C and thiamine (also known as vitamin B1). Clearly, sacrificing the goodness of the vegetables for the sake of retaining their colour is NOT ideal - particularly when these veggies are intended for your baby.
The best way to keep your home-cooked veggies looking bright and appetizing is to cook them for the shortest time possible (i.e. until they are just tender) in a very small amount of water - or by steaming them.
Sorry, Lynne, but this is one of those occasions when Mum DIDN'T know best!
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March 26, 2008 15:36 - Recall of Toy Penguins (US)
Toy Penguin Figures, made by Plan Toys Inc. and sold via speciality stores and online, are being recalled. The head of the penguin may come off - and this exposes connectors with sharp points that could cut a child.
The toy (pictured below) makes a gentle jingling sound when spun and is about 3 3/4 inches high.If you still have the packaging, you can find the UPC number of 084543521109 or the EAN number of 8854740052117 and 'PLAN TOYS' printed on the outside.
These items were sold from May 2007 through February 2008 for between $15 and $20.
Please take these toys away from your children if you have them and return them to the store you bought them from for a refund. You can return the toys by mail if you prefer - just contact Plan Toys toll-free at (866) 517-7526 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday for details of how to do this. Alternatively, you can visit their website.
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March 26, 2008 15:44 - Recall of Metal Water Bottles (US)
Backyard and Beyond Metal Water Bottles are being recalled because their surface paints are too high in lead.
These bottles were sold in a variety of stores - including major retailers - from February 2006 through February 2008 for around $8. They have a black sip-top made from plastic and they came in green, pink or blue, with pictures of insects or animals on the outside.
The following model numbers are included in the recall (you can find the model number on the hang tag)
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March 26, 2008 15:55 - Recall Of Children's 'In the Night Garden' Cutlery Sets (UK)
'In the Night Garden' Cutlery Sets are being recalled because there is a possibility that the plastic handle will detach from the metal base, leaving the collar exposed. This could be dangerous for younger children.
These sets have been on sale since October 2007 and have a 'Model Number' of 5020.
If you have one of these sets at home, please note that you should not return it to the store you bought it from - instead, you are asked to send it to:
Spearmark International Howard Road Eaton Socon St Neots PE19 8GA
You will be sent a repacement set as quickly as possible.
If you have any questions, please visit Spearmark's website, contact them by telephone on 0845 850 1241 or by e-mail at recall@spearmark.co.uk
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March 26, 2008 16:04 - Recall of Mothercare Wooden Maracas (UK)
Wooden Maracas sold by Mothercare are being recalled because there is the risk that they can break, releasing small parts that may pose a choking hazard to young children.
The maracas, with a Style Number of F6633, are red or yellow and have a plain wooden handle. If your child has these toys, then please return them to Mothercare, who will give you a full refund.
For more information, please contact Mothercare's Helpline on 08453 304030 (lines open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday).
Whilst healthy eating for children has been promoted by Public Health Agencies for some time, experts said that the long term food preferences of children are instilled in the womb, during breastfeeding and by the foods they are offered in early infancy.
Evidence has shown that repeatedly offering certain foods plays a part in whether or not babies accept them.
This means that you can influence your little one's acceptance of healthy fruits and veggies by regularly including them in his meals - even though he may, at first, reject them.
On the other hand, regularly offering your baby UNhealthy foods (such as foods high in sugar) can create a preference for junk foods throughout childhood... and in later life.
This, of course, can lead to obesity and other health problems related to poor dietary choices.
It can seem a little daunting, can't it, to realise just HOW responsible we are as parents for the lifelong eating habits of our children. But providing a healthy, age-appropriate menu from the onset of weaning simply means offering a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, avoiding sugary/salty foods - and trying to steer clear of pre-prepared 'snacks' for children. These are often cleverly packaged to give the impression of being healthy (you'll find the word 'natual' used a lot, for example), but in many cases these snacks are far from nutritious.
Checking labels is important but, better still, is to stick to snacks you've prepared yourself - the easiest way to know just what your baby's consuming!
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March 27, 2008 16:21 - Welcome to Laura and Annabelle from the UK
Laura from Shropshire in the UK is the latest visitor to create a page on our site just for her little one, Annabelle.
After a very early start to solid foods she is now experiencing some feeding issues and has become very disinterested in food in general. You can read about Annabelle's Eating Habits here - why not stop by and see if you can offer any advice or share any experiences with Annabelle's Mum?
Would you like to see YOUR baby on our site?
Then just visit our baby food blogs section - you can either set up a blog for your baby, or just a page to show him off to the world!
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March 28, 2008 09:32 - Recall of Plush Rocker Toys (US)
Tek Nek Toys is recalling its 'Rock ‘N Ride' Plush Rocker Toys because the rocker's base can become unstable. This means that a child could fall forwards or backwards from the toy - in fact, there have been 35 reports of the rocker tipping over and 10 reports of minor injuries.
The Rock 'N Ride toys were sold in eight models - pink pony, pink unicorn, brown pony, deluxe pony, deluxe bull, lil’ propeller plane, lil’ penguin and Clifford big red rocker. You can see images of the recalled toys here.
The rockers were sold at Toys R Us, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Target, Pamida and Attwoods stores and online for around $30, from September 2007 through March 2008. They have molded plastic bases and play music and words when a button on the ear, hat or dash is pressed. The rockers were intended for children from 18 months of age, up to 65lbs in weight.
The recalled rockers have a date code from July 26, 2007 through December 29, 2007, which you can find printed on a sticker in the battery compartment.
If you have one of these toys, please don't allow your child to use it. Instead, you should contact Tek Nek Toys toll-free at (888) 686-2728 anytime, to arrange for a free repacement base.
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March 28, 2008 09:44 - The Spoon That Tells You If Baby's Food Is Too Hot
The Sassy Ideal Temp Feeding Spoon is designed to let you know if your little one's food is too hot for him to eat.
The convenience of this spoon has been a big hit with Jody from Kansas in the US, who is the latest visitor to send in a review of her favorite baby care product.
If there's a gadget or gizmo that makes your life easier and that you just couldn't live without, then we want to know!
This month's competition, with the prize of a portable highchair for our favorite review, closes on midnight (EST) March 30th.
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March 29, 2008 11:04 - Breastfed Babies NOT Iron Deficient at 6 Months - New Study
Exclusively breastfed babies born at full term are NOT at risk of iron deficiency at 6 months, according to new research published in the International Breastfeeding Journal.
Traditionally, many doctors have recommended iron drops - or even iron rich foods - for breastfed babies prior to 6 months of age. This is because it was feared that the lower iron levels in breast milk (as opposed to iron fortified formula) put breastfed babies at risk of iron deficiency.
This has always been a controversial subject - and we have heard from many parents who have been given iron drops for their babies with no test for iron deficiency ever having been carried out. Parents who have insisted on simple tests for iron deficiency have found that their babies iron levels were perfectly normal - therefore, supplements would have put them at risk of receiving TOO MUCH iron, which carries its own hazards.
Full term babies are generally born with adequate iron stores. Whilst the level of iron in breastmilk is lower than that in formula, it is far more bioavailable (easily absorbed by baby). This new study has confirmed that this greater bioavaiability means that breastfed babies are at no higher risk of iron deficiency than any other - even if their mothers were anemic.
This is good news for all mothers who are receiving pressure to give their babies iron supplements - and supports the advice that Breast is Best!.
Learn more about babies and iron, including how it is used by your little one, signs of deficiency and how introducing solids may impact on your baby's iron levels...
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March 30, 2008 21:18 - New Homemade Baby Food Recipes From Our Readers
We have five brand new homemade baby food recipes for you today - courtesy of our readers!
If you are a new subscriber to our blog, you may not know about our Baby Food Recipe Competition - where we invite YOU to submit your original recipes for a chance of winning the monthly prize of a $20 Amazon voucher (or local equivalent).
It's now easier to find the recipe you're looking for...
Our Readers' Recipes page has grown so huge recently that we've now split it into several new pages, to make it easier to locate the type of recipe you're looking for!
Each month's winning recipes are displayed as usual, but older entries are now divided between the following pages:
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