My son's reflux seems aggravated by giving him rice cereal. Could he be allergic to it? Is there another option to try??? He doesn't spit up more, but he seems in pain and is REALLY gassy.
Rice cereal is completely unnecessary and constipating. Try banana, avocado, or anything else soft and easy to digest. If he's still not able to digest any solids, then hold off on them. He's just not ready for them.
I haven't heard of an allergy to rice cereal before, but you may want to call your doctor just to be sure. How are you mixing it? Are you using the same milk as he is used to drinking? As for another option, my daughter didn't really like the rice cereal very much and we gave her oatmeal instead.
Good luck! It's so hard to watch them in discomfort, try to comfort him the best you can.
Everyone I have talked to, including our pediatrician, has told me they have not heard of an allergy to rice cereal but I swear my son always reacted to it. Each time he had the rice cereal (even in small amounts) he was not himself and struggled to sleep. We tried oatmeal and that was even worse.
As he got a little older I tried the organic rice cereal and he hasn't had an issue with that. If you compare the ingredients there is a difference.
Also, message me if you want to hear my thoughts on reflux and what we have been through with that for my son (now 8 months old).
Good luck!
Yes it is possible, in fact, there was a study published late last year that they were encouraging new moms to not introduce grains until 8-9m old, b/c of the potential increase of gluten allergies later in life. Grains can aggrevate reflux, for myself, I was given rice cereal (in the bottle...a no no these days) at 4m old, and I cannot eat any gluten, same with my sister..I gave my daughter an avocado as a first food, high in good fat for the brain and you can mix it with your preferred formula or breastmilk. There is a natural enzyme in bananas that helps easy heartburn/acid reflux, sweet potatoes are all good first foods, no allergies and easy to digest.
You also need to give your baby probiotics to help boost the good bacteria in his gut, http://www.bodyecology.com/07/09/20/introduce_babies_prob... is a good article to read. In a book called Baby Matters, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You, will say the same thing in this book, so will Dr. Sears. In the previous book, they talk about colic, acid reflux, etc...when we don't have the good bacteria in our gut, it does make digestion any easier for them. A few docs are on board with this, when they do their research.
I hope that helps, feel free to email if you have more questions.
J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Coach
My allergist told me that allergies to rice are possible.
Maybe he's not ready for solid foods? Perhaps try waiting a few weeks?
my older dd had an allergy to rice, so yes, highly possible
i'd try baby oatmeal ans see if there's a dif reaction
What is his age?
Also, what are you mixing into the cereal: breastmilk or formula? Perhaps the reaction is to one of those? A dairy allergy might be a possibility. I had to go dairy-free while nursing my child.
I would recommend the book "Is This Your Child?" by Doris Rapp. It is a terrific book about allergies.
