July 03, 2007
Issue #0123 July 2007
What's in this issue...
- Visit our new Baby of the Month
- Preparing lentils for your baby
- New and updated pages
- Readers' recipes - see this month's winning entry
- In the news - baby-led weaning
- Baby care "tip of the month" - Dealing with slippery finger foods
- Safety recalls
- Our featured product review - the iCrib Music System
- Visit our "website of the month"
- This month's subscribers-only recipe - Vegetarian lentil bake
July's Baby of The Month
Thank you to everyone who sent in entries to this month's competition and for telling us more about the foods your babies enjoy.As you'll see, this month's winner has a truly beautiful and heart-warming smile - and we have also chosen three more cute tots to appear on July's Baby of the Month page. Please come and take a look!
Preparing lentils for your baby
This article has been moved...
New and updated pages
- They say that your school days are the best years of your life - but in our opinion, nothing beats babyhood! After all, you get to sleep as much as you like, play all day... and not only are you allowed to eat fattening foods - you are positively encouraged to do so! But why exactly IS it necessary for babies to consume lots of fat when it's considered so bad for the rest of us?
Our new Whole Milk and Fats page gives you the answer.
- Has anyone ever suggested to you that your baby start solids much earlier than current guidelines recommended?
Has advice from friends or family ever made you feel pressured to care for your baby in a way that you're not totally comfortable with?
If so, then read our page about starting solids too soon, which looks at the reasons behind current recommendations - and suggests ways to fend off unwanted advice!
- We receive lots of questions from our visitors about the various aspects of food safety related to baby food. So we hope our new pages will provide some answers!
How To Safely Prepare Baby Food provides some simple food safety guidelines, with lots of tips for good hygiene in the kitchen for the prevention of food poisoning.
Safely Storing Baby Food provides useful refrigeration and freezing guidelines - along with some great advice about what to do with your baby's food when the power goes out!
Safely Heating Baby Food looks at the issues surrounding using a microwave oven to warm your baby's meals - and also answers your questions about whether or not it is safe to heat foods that were cooked with previously frozen ingredients.
Readers' recipes - your delicious baby food ideas
We've had some more interesting and tasty recipes sent in this month for our competition - and you can see the winning recipe, along with our favourite entries, on our Readers' Recipes page.If you'd like a chance at winning next month's prize of a $20 Amazon voucher, please send in your recipe and share your ideas with other parents!
Expert claims that pureeing foods may be bad for babies
Big news this month was the publication of comments by Gill Rapley, deputy director of UNICEF'S Baby Friendly Initiative. Ms Rapley not only endorses delaying the introduction of solid foods until babies are at least 6 months of age - she also feels that pureeing food for a baby is "unnatural and unnecessary".
Find out more about her comments and the "baby-led weaning" approach based on her research in this post on our blog.
Tip of the month - Dealing with Slippery Finger Foods
When their babies start finger foods, one of the questions most commonly asked by parents is how to stop certain foods slipping through tiny fingers.Dry textured foods are fine, of course, but slippery fruits like peaches, bananas and avocado tend to behave like bars of soap! Despite the fact that most babies are incredibly patient and will keep on trying to pick them up, you can't help feeling sorry for them as their piece of banana pops through their fingers for the tenth time!
We usually recommend coating the food - wheat germ is great and adds a little nutritive boost - or you could try crushed cereal. Some parents like to use the powder left at the bottom of the cereal packet (it's always nice to find a use for something that normally gets thrown away!).
But Danielle from Canada has another technique and sent it in for us to share with you here.
She likes to use a "crinkle cutter" (like the
Crinkle Cut Serrator 7
) to cut her baby's fruits, veggies and any other foods he has problems with.
The serrated edge puts handy little "ridges" into the food, making it a great deal easier to pick up... and continue to hold on to!
We think this is a super tip - and, of course, you could use your crinkle cutter to make other foods (like sweet potato fries) simply look more fun and interesting.
Thank you, Danielle, for your great idea - and if YOU have a tip to share, please let us know!
This month's safety recalls
Fisher Price Rainforest Swings are recalled in Australia because they pose an entrapment hazard.Kathmandu Baby Carriers are recalled in Australia because they present a fall hazard to babies.
Ground beef is recalled in the US due to fears of contamination by E-Coli.
Simplicity Cribs are recalled in the US because they pose risks of entrapment and falling to babies.
1st Birthday Party Hats are recalled in the US because they pose a choking hazard.
Personalized Infant Long Johns are recalled in the US because the snaps can detach and pose a choking risk to babies.
Ground beef is recalled in the US due to fear of contamination by E-Coli, so please check your freezer.
Flashing Eyeball toys are recalled in the US because they present a chemical hazard to children.
Ice lollies are recalled by Waitrose in the UK because they contain undeclared milk.
Grated cheese is recalled by Iceland in the UK because it may contain pieces of wood.
Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Toys are recalled in the US, Australia and the UK because they are decorated with paint containing unsafe levels of lead.
Morrison's Play and Learn toys are recalled in the UK because they do not meet safety standards.
Nordstrom products are recalled in the US because they may present a choking hazard to babies.
Children's necklaces are recalled in the US because they contain too much lead.
Millions of cans of Wyeth baby formula are recalled in the Philippines because they were damaged during a major typhoon.
Next Newborn Dog Toys are recalled in the UK because they may present a choking hazard to babies.
Ugandan baby food, sold in the UK, is recalled because it may be contaminated by bacteria.
TK Maxx baby dresses are recalled in the UK because they may present a choking hazard to babies.
A warning is issued that infant formula sold at Bashas' stores in Arizona may have passed its "Use by" date.
Baby romper pyjamas are recalled in Australia and New Zealand because they may pose a choking hazard to babies.
Veggie Booty is recalled in the US because it has been linked to an outbreak of salmonella poisoning.
Our featured product review
These days, if you name an electronic gadget you can buy for an adult, then it's a pretty safe bet that there will be a child's version available too! Not all the mini versions of the grown-ups' "toys" are practical - or even useful - but here's one we think is a great idea!
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If you (and your baby) are tired of the monotonous tunes delivered by most "lullaby" type crib accessories, then you'll both love this!
You can set the iCrib to turn off after 15, 30 or 60 minutes, which is a really useful feature. It takes some babies longer than 5 minutes to doze off in their cribs - yet many musical mobiles won't play for much longer than that.
The volume on the unit is pre-controlled, which avoids it accidentally playing too loud and rocking the house! The iCrib also features a really good nightlight that cycles through 4 colours - and when you buy the unit you also receive free music downloads and two Mozart albums... encouraging sophisticated early musical tastes!
The only downside to the iCrib is the fact that it will only run on batteries (4 x AA) and has no AC adapter. If you're playing it for long periods each day, then be prepared to put aside a little battery fund! But from a safety point of view, the lack of AC power isn't such a bad thing - and if (like us) you've had to frequently replace the batteries in a crib aquarium that takes 4 x Ds, then replacing the AAs seems positively economical in comparison!
Visit our Website of the Month
From our e-mail "conversations" with many of our visitors, we know that allergies are a growing concern for parents these days.But, of course, it's not just food allergies that can affect our little ones - indeed, there are many other allergens that may bring about a reaction in a sensitive baby.
We were contacted this month by the owner of Exit Allergy, a site that gives information about a range of allergies - including pet allergy, asthma, pollen allergy, dust mite allergy and reactions to insect bites. We thought the site was excellent and packed with useful advice, so we decided to share it with you here.
Exit Allergy isn't geared specifically to babies - so, of course, not all the information will be applicable. Nevertheless, a great deal of relevant topics are covered in detail and there is lots of general advice about how to spot different allergy types, how they are diagnosed and how they may be avoided.
Of course, if your baby ever displays any symptoms that you suspect may be part of an allergic reaction, your first course of action should ALWAYS be to consult your doctor.
But it never hurts to do a little detective work of your own - particularly when it comes to allergies, which are notoriously difficult to diagnose. Exit Allergy is certainly a good resource to use when working to pinpoint the possible cause of any inexplicable symptoms.
This month's subscribers-only recipe - Vegetarian lentil bake for baby
This delicious and simple lentil bake isn't just for vegetarian babies, of course - it would make a nutritious meal for any baby and you can even substitute some of the veggies in the recipe for ones that your baby prefers. Although the ingredients used in this recipe are suitable for babies from 6 months of age, it is more suitable for older babies who are happily coping with more textured foods (if you're having difficulty transitioning your baby to lumpier textures, then please see our feeding problems page).Ingredients
4oz red lentils
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 small apple, grated
2tsp vegetable oil
16 fl oz water
1tsp chopped fresh parsley
1tsp chopped fresh thyme
2oz Cheddar cheese, grated
wheat germ
How to make it
Pre heat the oven to 390 deg F, 200 deg C.
Heat the oil in a medium pan and saute the garlic and carrots until tender.
Add the lentils, stir well and cook for a couple of minutes.
Carefully add 4oz of the water (the mixture may spit a little) and stir well. Reduce the heat and simmer until most of the water has evaporated.
Add another 4oz of water, stir and continue to simmer for 10 mins.
Add another 4oz of water and continue to cook. Your objective is to cook the lentils, which will be nice and mushy when done. If they are still not quite cooked by the time you have used up all the water, then it's fine to just use a little extra.
Once the lentil mixture is cooked, stir in the grated apple, 1oz of the cheese and the herbs.
Put the mixture into a small oven proof dish, then top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with wheat germ.
Bake for around 1/2 hour, until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
Serve to your baby, topped with homemade applesauce!
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