Celiacs, Iron & Breastfeeding
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Topic: Celiacs, Iron & Breastfeeding
Posted By: FionaS
Subject: Celiacs, Iron & Breastfeeding
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 11:51am
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Ok so I spoke with our doctor today regarding Elle’s blood results. She said that her iron level is one of the lowest she has ever seen. She also mentioned that she had raised lymphocytes which indicate a viral infection. Apparently her tummy bug wouldn’t have caused this and as Elle hasn’t been sick other than that, it is possible that the lymphocytes are high due to some kind of inflammatory condition. My doctor specially mentioned celiac disease.
The plan is to give her the iron supplements for a month, then get more blood work done. If the iron is not coming up + the lymphocytes are still raised we will need to examine possible inflammatory diseases. She has always had issues with irritability, reflux and constipation so we’ve always known there was some gut issue going on. She has never had any skin issues though and the naturopath intolerance testing did not show up any issues with wheat. The interesting thing is that my doctor supports extended breastfeeding BUT said that after 12mths, children don’t get as much iron from breast milk as from formula and as Elle has such low iron, thinks it would be good for me to wean and introduce one bottle of formula per day instead. I had read that the iron from breasmilk was more easily absorbed and hence breastfeeding was the best option...hence why I am still going! LOTS to think about! Any comments about your experiences of low iron, wheat intolerance + the weaning debate are very welcome. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Replies:
Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 11:58am
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Not much help with any of the above but if you do want to try formula I still have S26 gold - opened tin but almost full - that you are welcome to. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 11:59am
| dont know about the rest but... if you are going to give her formula dont put it in a bottle, a cup will do fine. and no reason why you cant do both if you want. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 12:01pm
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Wow, those blood results could certainly answer some of your questions re: Elle's grizzling, if her iron is that low she must be feeling pretty crappy, and if she does have coeliacs then that is probably irritating her too. So at least now you know you're not mad, and you're not imagining that there's something not right!
I agree with your doc re: iron in breastmilk, it is more readily absorbed than iron from non-meat food sources, but the amount present in breastmilk depends hugely on YOUR iron levels (if they're low, there will be less iron accessible in your breastmilk), and a lot of the formulas are fortified with vitamins, including vitamin C which enhances iron absorption. I wouldn't say that means you neccesarily have to wean tho (unless you want to?), you could keep breastfeeding and just add the bottle of formula in as an extra. That's what I've tried to do with the gremlins Pediasure supplements - kept up the same amount of bottles, and added the Pediasure in as an extra. It might also be interesting to eliminate gluten for a while and see if there is any improvement in her temperament and whether that has any impact on her iron levels. Although that's a huge undertaking, and if you were planning on trying it you should probably ask your doc for a referral to a dietician to discuss wheat alternatives. In fact it probably wouldn't hurt to see a dietician regardless to talk over the iron issues and how you can increase Elle's iron absorption. There's no public waiting list to see a paed dietician atm in ADHB and all you need is for your doc to fax a referral thru. Good luck! -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Two Blondinis
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 12:04pm
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Just a comment about the breastfeeding and iron intake - Did the Dr check your iron levels? Perhaps you have low iron too and aren't passing on enough for Elle? Just a thought.
With all the conditions you've mentioned I'm not surprised she's not been a box of fluffys and sleeping for so long, poor love must be feeling just miserable (hence the irritability you've been getting from her). DH's cousin has Celiacs and apparently has terrible stomach cramps when he eats anything with wheat/gluten. At least now you have a plan and can work on dealing with the problems and hopefully you'll see a positive change soon 
Good luck hun and let us know how you get on 
P.S We tried the wheat/gluten free diet for 5 months when the GP thought Caitlin's constipation was due to food allergies (it wasn't, but anyways...) I found it really easy to manage as it's mentioned on all the food, same as nut allergy etc and there are some really good websites I found just through Google-ing. I'd assume you'd have to go on the same diet if you're still BFing her. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
 
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Posted By: ShellandBella
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 12:05pm
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I think it is true about the formula thing...my sister is having the exact same problem with her youngest who is nearly 18 months...she has just had a biopsy of her gut and they suspect coeliacs disease or some other inflammatory disease (possible allergy to egg/dairy) as her whole intestinal system was very inflamed. My sister has struggled with her to get her to take ANY solids and is only successful giving her 2x weetbix in the morning, so her GP suggested some high strength, complan-type formula as her iron stores were almost non-existent. My sisters oldest, who is 4, has coeliacs (hence the suspision) and always suffered with terrible constipation too...
(I don't think this helped you at all  )...I think my point was that formula has a place in the diet when necessary... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 12:06pm
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have a client whose child was still BF at age three and they found out bubs had coeliac....made sense as had always found it hard to poop, or went too much...and altto didnt have any skin probs either when it was diagnosed and things liek bread etc were removed bubs improved big time...he was often irritable etc also and otherwise was a very nice child who at times i wondered what was going on causebubs moods dropped a lot - he was very intelligent but that got lost at times cause of coeliac effects....
until final diagnosis why dont you experiment and remove stuff that irritates coeliac...even mc donalds buns etc - i know she stopped all bread, glutens and wheats etc etc...there are differing types of wheat allergies and coeliac level disease so you will need to experiment if she does have it anyways... go to this link (cant change it to a linky so cut and paste) http://www.vegsoc.org/info/gluten.html and scroll down and there is a really good list of foods. i actually think that coeliac might be a diagnosis in the right direction for her now comparing you to that bubs i knew....but def keep on pursuing a definitive diagnosis ok! |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 12:38pm
Poor wee Elle. BUT woohoo! I knew I wasn't nuts!     ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 12:56pm
We knew you weren't nuts too! ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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FionaS wrote:Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:16pm
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Poor Elle!
I don't have full blown coeliac, but do have gluten intolerance and did the coeliac diet for years. I'd suggest the same as Emma, eliminate gluten for a bit and see if it helps. It wasn't a huge undertaking for me and as she is so little she probably won't miss particular foods like I did! I was feeling 100% better within a few days of starting so would definitely recommend trying it if you think it is a possibility. The horrid cramps and upset tummy would certainly explain her irritability if that's what she's got. Hope you get some answers soon! ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and: 
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Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:25pm
It did help! :) What is your sisters little one like? Is she irritable too? I guess they must feel yucky with such low iron. You see I thought that the naturpath test would've come back positive for wheat if she had an issue there + I thought she'd have skin problems & growth issues too. I suppose the naturopath tests could be wrong????? ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:36pm
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Coeliacs is a completely different ballgame to wheat allergy, it's a disease rather than something mediated by the immune system like an allergy so you wouldn't neccessarily expect skin problems.
I'm not sure about the naturopath testing as I don't know much about it, but I do know that conventional allergy testing doesn't pick up Coeliacs as when Maya was in hospital with her allergies they did another specific test for coeliacs even tho all her allergy tests had come back clear. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: caraMel
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:39pm
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Yeah I had a gastroscopy (sp) to test for mine, hope there's an easier way to do it for littlies though?! ------------- Mel, Mummy to E: 6, B: 4 and:
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Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:40pm
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Good points Emma. Yes, they test "celiac markers". My doc ordered that test with the last one but said to only do it if they had enough blood. There are no results through yet so we are not sure whether it is still being processed or whether it wasn't done. If it wasn't done, we'll do it with the next round.
Interestingly enough, DH's sister has recently been diagnosed with some kind of coealic thingy...she isn't full blown but since removing all gluten her health has improved 10 fold. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:45pm
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Yep, Maya's Coeliacs test was just a blood test. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 1:53pm
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ask for another test form just to test for coeliacs then....dont wait for them to say they didnt get enough blood....
and noone thinks you are nuts.... |
Posted By: ShellandBella
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 2:23pm
Yeah, she had the gastroscopy (sorry it is one of the most reliable methods to diagnose coeliacs disease  ), and thats how they found the inflammed intestinal tract HOWEVER, because she is hardly eating any solids, they are finding her difficult to diagnose, because you have to have something in your diet to know whether you are allergic or not (if that makes sense) and since all she eats is weetbix, my sister suspects this is what it is (as well as an allergy to egg I think). But until she eats more food, they aren't coming up with anything conclusive from her blood tests (which my sister is finding frustrating). Her 18 month old suffers from severe diarrhoea, but her 4 year old (with diagnosed coeliacs) suffered terribly with constipation and literally 'stopped' growing and was off all the plunket charts for being underweight. And yeah, they were both very grizzly babies, but the 4 year old is thriving now that she is on a correct gluten-free diet.
Again, I digress but what I'm trying to say is that coeliacs seems to be difficult to diagnose, and if you suspect this, although you want to cut wheat from her diet, it can give you 'false' results with testing. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: ShellandBella
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 2:29pm
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Also, my sister had to really fight with the medical system to get a diagnosis with her oldest (they all thought she was a crazy woman who didn't know her own child). She wound up going to 2 different GPs before finally getting a referral to a specialist ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 2:56pm
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oh yeah coeliac is hard to diagnose and know my client had hard time convincing docs to test let alone once diagnosis was in....
hadnt thought about the weight thing slipping but Emma with the wheat allergies etc of the gremlins have you had them tested for this too esp with her weight dropping? |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 4:02pm
I can totally relate to that! **sigh** I guess it is a fair enough conclusion for someone with a happy baby to make though..."if the child is irritable it must be due to the parenting". **sigh**. Elle's weight gain is good thankfully. She is tiny but her Mummy and Daddy aren't the biggest kids around either. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: SquishysMum
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 4:32pm
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The coeliac blood test is only a marker for coeliac's disease. If it is negative, it's UNLIKELY that you have coeliac's, and if it's positive, it doesn't mean you have it either. Unfortunately the only definitive test is a biopsy of the bowel. The blood test is good for screening though - if it came back positive I'd be pushing for a biopsy.
Ask your doctor whether they had enough - he'll be able to find out from the lab. It also takes a couple of days for the coeliac results to get done - I think they are done the next day, while the standard tests like iron are done as soon as they come in. If not enough, ask to try again. For the full coeliac test they will need 2 full micro containers, for just the antibodies they will only need one. Hope all goes well Fiona, and do ask if you have more questions. |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 4:37pm
My sister in law came back as negative on the test but since cutting out wheat her iron has normalised, her consitpation has gone, her mood has stabilised, her insomnia has gone + her tummy is settled. So if the tests come back negative I may try a gluten free diet anyway. The bloods were taken on Wed afternoon...would the results be through by now? ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 5:21pm
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Fiona, you are totally right. Iron in breastmilk is more easily absorbed than any other iron form. Had same argument when they started with me about McKayla being iron deficient (which by tests she wasnt at all.) However it also depends on the mothers iron levels as well.
What you can do instead of dropping a breastfeed (if she doesnt want too) is to give her formula over her porridge or cereal in the morning instead of cowsmilk. Other thing is milk ice lollies with formula. Even mix her veggies with a bit of formula milk to get the iron in. If she eat stuff like bake beans. They are great for iron. And I have McKayla on an iron drop supplement for those days she doesnt eat as much. She loves it. I give that with the Floradix multivitamin syrup that your one should be able to have now. It is suitable for kids under 2. (only one I found so far.) ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: SquishysMum
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 6:45pm
| If you are in Auckland then I can almost guarantee they would have been done by now. The Dr would have been notified probably on Friday if there was insufficient to do the test, or they should have results by now. |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 7:12pm
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hehe ice lollies = iceblocks in NZ
I've done the whole bf until 11mos thing x2 and bf Kryssi until 8mos and she's been our first one put on formula (1-2 per day now that I'm working). So I can see why after lasting this long you'd hesitate to change over. In fact all medical issues aside, you would usually be able to wean straight to cow's milk right now with no probs. IMO formula is great for children who are particularly underweight or have other issues such as iron deficiency - so I would seriously consider it. But what I'd be wanting to ask your doc first is: a) get you tested, they can test your iron levels in the blood as well as your core/bone iron levels (I forget what they are called). If you are to continue with bf, or even for your own health, you need to know if you are deficient. If you are, then your bm won't help Elle until your own diet is being supplemented. b) what is the doc's view as to formula and whether Elle might have trouble digesting the ingredients? I think in your position I'd be inclined to give gluten-free a trial for a month and see if there is any noticeable difference. If you decide to continue with bf you will need to go gluten-free also. ------------- |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 9:21pm
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I had my iron tested today so will have the results in a day or two. I've read that the mothers iron level doesn't affect the iron level in her milk though???
I don't want to cut wheat out :( I would if Elle was under 12mths but now she is over 14mths I think I'd rather wean if it came down to it. Too confused re: the formula etc so will just stop thinking about it and do what feels right come the time. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 9:31pm
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i got his info that supports the theory that iron in breast milk is abosrbed more readily than formula...
The main area of controversy involves the iron content of infant formulas. For reasons unclear to researchers, infants absorb 100% of the iron in breast milk (less than 1 mg/L), but cannot absorb all of the iron in infant formulas. Most infant formulas contain approximately 12 mg/L of iron, which usually allows for adequate iron uptake. However, some parents attribute symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, colic and irritability to iron intolerance. In response, manufacturers have marketed low-iron formulas containing only 2 mg/L of iron. The low-iron formulas may alleviate these symptoms, but they cannot maintain proper hemoglobin status and should be avoided.1,5 Iron deficiency can result in anorexia, failure to thrive, delayed development of the immune system, and impaired psychomotor and mental development.9 this is the site it came from - http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/cons/acf2f78.htm - link |
Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 29 October 2007 at 9:35pm
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Every site says something different. The general consensus seems to be that babies absorb around 70% of the iron from breastmilk and about 10 to 15% of the iron in formula. To compensate, formula has higher iron so in reality, children get about the same from each source.
My doctor was simply saying that in her experience, it is more common for breastfed toddlers to get low iron than formula fed toddlers...why that is remains a mystery and is probably due to factors other than the milk in question. Perhaps breastfed infants eat less food or something???? Who knows. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 11:27am
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This is a media release I got a couple of months ago on a study done at Starship, so NZ-relevant. Pretty scary stuff. Dr Cameron Grant, who supervised the study, was Maya's paed when she was in Starship a few years ago.
Media Release August 2007 MAJOR STUDY FINDS 1 IN 7 BABIES IS IRON DEFICIENT New Zealand’s infants and toddlers have high levels of iron deficiency, with one in seven missing out on this vital micronutrient, a major new study has found. Researchers examined 405 children aged between six and 23 months from New Zealand’s three largest ethnic groups and across all socioeconomic levels. The dietary habits of these children were examined in detail by Deborah Brunt, a medical student at the University of Auckland. Her detailed work was performed under the guidance of Dr Clare Wall, Paediatric Nutritionist, and Associate Professor and Starship paediatrician Dr Cameron Grant. The study discovered that New Zealand’s young children have a rate of iron deficiency twice that of American, Australian and European youngsters. Dr Grant said the study identified four key dietary risk factors for iron deficiency: • Drinking cow’s milk daily and not breast feeding or using infant formula in children less than 12 months old; • No infant formula; • Having homemade rather than commercial solids as the first solid food; • Having fruit as a snack rather than with a meal. “Any one of these factors, as part of a baby’s feeding habits, increases the risk of iron deficiency at least three times,” Dr Grant said. “Once you have two or more factors present, the risk increases dramatically. For example, if a child aged six to 23 months is drinking cow’s milk every day, and the first solid food is homemade, the likelihood of iron deficiency increases by a factor of eight.” “Very young children have high iron needs. In New Zealand, as in many developed countries, there is a nutritional paradox – we eat many foods that are high in energy but don’t contain enough micronutrients.” Dr Grant said one of his team’s main discoveries was that the feeding habits of many youngsters were not consistent with current recommendations. Less than one third of infants and toddlers consumed the currently recommended four servings of fruit and vegetables per day. “We discovered that the timing of fruit consumption was important. Having fruit or fruit juice with meals protects against iron deficiency whereas having it as a snack does not. This helps to explain why iron deficiency is more frequent in Maori and Pacific children. Maori and Pacific children were more likely to be given fruit as a snack, while European babies tend to have it with meals.” “The research results stress the need to breastfeed infants, to give infants and toddlers fruit with meals and feed them infant formula instead of cow’s milk. It also showed that homemade foods need to be iron-rich, and that commercial baby foods are useful for baby’s first solids,“ Dr Grant said. The study also found that for 39% of children, the introduction of meat into the diet was delayed beyond the recommended age of six to seven months. Meat is an excellent source of iron. The study was funded through a grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Mrs Brunt’s work was made possible by a research scholarship created by the Starship Foundation and endowed by the baby-food producer Only Organic. Muir McCallum, director of Only Organic, said his company wanted to work with Starship to find out how they could meet parents’ needs. “One of the biggest things we find when talking to parents is that they’re often confused about the best ways to feed their kids, with all the conflicting messages about health and nutrition. The findings of this research make it very clear to parents that there are some key things they can do to keep their babies and toddlers healthy.” Mr McCallum believed many parents would be reassured by the study’s evidence that giving children commercial baby food may assist in preventing iron deficiency. “The difficulty is even for the best home cooks, it can be tough to master the techniques for getting baby food to the right consistency without losing some of the micronutrients. On top of everything else you have to do to care for a baby, preparing the right food for them is a lot of work.” Iron deficiency is the world’s most common micronutrient deficiency, with an estimated 3.5 billion people affected worldwide. Iron is essential for brain development, and many studies have linked a deficiency in iron to lower mental and motor function and altered social and emotional behaviour in infants. Behavioural effects can include clinginess, weariness and irritability, and the results of deficiency can last into childhood and adolescence. The research team conducted interviews with 405 families about their toddlers’ diets and eating habits, and compared this information with an analysis of their iron status, determined from a blood sample. The results showed the prevalence of iron deficiency varied across ethnic groups; overall, 13% were found to be iron deficient, compared with 20% of Maori children,16% of Pacific children and 7% of European children in the same age group. In a fourth, smaller category – defined as Other and including mostly southeast Asian, Chinese and Indian children – 27% of toddlers were iron deficient. Starship Foundation Chief Executive Andrew Young was pleased parents could take away some helpful messages from the study. “It’s reinforced the nutritional importance of fruits and vegetables, as we expected. However, we were surprised at how some simple dietary changes, like using formula instead of cow’s milk, and the use of baby food from the supermarket, can prevent iron deficiency.” The study has been published in the July-August 2007 issue of the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. ends For further information: For Starship Foundation Andrew Young +64 (0)9 307 2833 ayoung@adhb.govt.nz Dr Cameron Grant +64 (0)9 373 7599 ext 86192 cc.grant@auckland.ac.nz For Only Organic Kate Alexander +64 (0)27 244 6094 kate@alexandercomms.co.nz About Starship Foundation Starship Children’s Health is part of Auckland District Health Board, New Zealand’s largest public healthcare provider. The Starship Foundation charity is set up to provide additional equipment, support and help to staff, patients and families, in addition to state funding. About Only Organic Proudly made in New Zealand, Only Organic is the only range of baby food made from pure organic meat, fruit and vegetables, with no thickening agents or artificial additives – ingredients you would find in your own kitchen. Only product sourced from certified organic producers is used in Only Organic Baby food and Only Organic production is certified organic by AgriQuality New Zealand and under the supervision for the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). About the Research Team Dr Cameron Grant is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland and a paediatrician at Starship Children’s Health. He received his paediatric training at the University of Auckland (where he also earned a PhD) and in the United States, at Duke University Medical Centre and the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University. Dr. Grant’s research into improving health in early childhood focuses largely on child nutrition. In 2006 he was awarded a University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Award. Dr Clare Wall is a Senior Lecturer in Human Nutrition at the University of Auckland Medical School. After qualifying as a dietitian in the UK in 1984, she specialised in paediatric dietetics in the UK and Australia. She has an extensive research and clinical background, with many years of practical experience assisting parents and children with nutrition advice and support. Dr Wall is extensively published in scientific and professional journals on subjects related to infant and childhood nutrition. Deborah Brunt is currently in her last year at the University of Auckland completing a medical degree. She completed this project as her Master of Health Science thesis. Her interest in this project was stimulated in part by her two young children. She hopes to be able to continue with this work and help New Zealand children become healthier. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 11:45am
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That's great emma, really interesting read and definately food for thought. I have introduced solids and am home making mine, I have no intention to change to the store bought ones but will be researching my cooking techniques to ensure I am cooking them in the best way to keep nutrients. I find it quite odd that that organics company can claim to make suitable baby food with out additives but yet they are saying you can't do the same at home. Will def not be buying watties they stick sugar in all their baby foods. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 12:01pm
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Not all of the Watties baby foods contain sugar, only the custards and yoghurts, their meat and veg ones are sugar free. The Golden Circle custards and yoghurts also contain sugar.
The study was partialy funded by Only Organics, hence their interest in promoting their products! I think their angle is that they can commercially prepare meat so that it is suitable for babies younger than what you can prepare at home as it is difficult to get meat smooth enough for very young babies at home. One thing I did for the gremlins was boil up a piece of lambsfry and pureed it and I add 1-2 cubes to their veges twice a week (liver should only be eaten twice a week max coz of vit A levels) to boost the iron content. Then they have kiwifruit or mandarin after dinner to help boost absorption. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 12:04pm
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I asked watties at the p n c show in christchurch what they put in the babyfood to allow it to stay on the shelves for so long and she said they use sugar as a preservative, I took that as meaning they put it in all their foods. Definately had lots of good info in that article though -------------
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Posted By: ShellandBella
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 2:19pm
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That was really interesting, as I intend on making my own foods for Bella when she is ready for solids. Obviously the method in which you cook the food (i.e. not boiling away the nutrients and then tossing them down the sink) is key for homemade foods...Will have to look into that one. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 4:39pm
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Yes, I ensure I use the water the food is cooked in as part of the puree for Elle. Funnily enough she has always had meat and vegetables, followed by fruit (usually including kiwifruit and prunes) and yet her iron is still so low so that is even more reason to suspect an absorbtion problem.
Thanks for taking the time to post that Emma! Always good to read local studies. ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 5:18pm
Their baby foods don't have any preservatives, it's the canning process that keeps the food fresh for long periods of time. I'd say whoever it is you spoke to at the P and C show wasn't one of their dieticians. If you look at the ingredients list on their 4m+ pureed apples for example the only ingredients are apple and Vit C, no preservatives, colors etc. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 5:20pm
If you're going to puree the foods, you can always use the water you boil the veges in to get the consistency right, that way the nutrients that are boiled into the water are retained. I do that when I do the gremlins liver. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 5:28pm
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Most of the ones i've read have said to steam and use that water when pureeing, and to bake apples/pears etc. Oh and is also best not to microwave to heat up. (which is a real pain in the butt) -------------
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 6:02pm
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The microwave is ok for heating as long as you stir the food well and let it sit for a couple of minutes after heating it to avoid hot spots. The only thing that really can't go in the microwave is breast milk as it affects the proteins in it. I find with the gremlins food I defrost the veges until they are pretty hot then throw in a cube of meat and let the heat of the veges defrost it, and if it's still too hot I throw it in a sink of cold water to cool down. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 6:09pm
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Some of the sites I looked at said that the microwave destroy the nutrients (in some foods, they didn't specify which ones though). I have been using it up till now. -------------
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 6:21pm
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The 10-20 seconds it takes to heat the food isn't long enough to destroy the nutrients. I wouldn't recommend *cooking* them in the microwave tho. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 6:30pm
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i dont have a microwave and always heated the babies food by standing in a bowl of hot water...
apparently nz has a very high rate of low iron babies/toddlers... |
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 30 October 2007 at 6:34pm
| we do our own food...well grannie does anyways. We leave it to defrost and then it only takes 10-15 secs to reheat. We have done chicken etc in the food too as latest ones...and you can only see flecks of white which is chicken as it all goes via a blender with the juices etc...I would challenge watties etc to see if theirs really was higher in iron etc without additives to help it along.... |