Mother explains that she breastfeeds, gives porridge twice a day and some dinner. What porridge do you use? asks the public health nurse. A home-made porridge, based on millet flakes, oatmeal and oat flour, answers mother. She explains that she has apricots for extra iron, before boiling it in with water. Water? asks the public health nurse. After many years of experience in child and family health, we have noticed an increasing trend in the last year. More children than before fall off the growth curve when they are introduced to solid food. At the same time, we are seeing a disturbing development where parents feel ashamed if they do not prepare the children’s food themselves. They have an opinion that powdered porridge is dangerous. Influencers share recipes, give advice on infant nutrition and cast doubt on the competence of healthcare personnel. We read about it in newspapers and social media, and the ripple effects are uncertainty on the part of parents and can result in children not growing as they should. The debate about baby food In the autumn of 2023, there was a debate in the media about baby food. Kaveh Rashidi’s attempt at public education was quickly shot down by influencers and private players who are opposed to powdered porridge. They share their own recipes, which are presented as a “healthier” alternative. We are generally positive that parents want to cook home-cooked food, but when it comes to the youngest children, more knowledge is needed than what we see conveyed on social media. Food for the little ones is not “just children’s food”. We are now beginning to see the consequences of this. The concern is linked to the children’s physical health and the parents’ mental health. Iron needs in children In Norway, there are many mothers who breastfeed their children beyond six months. It is good. However, breast milk contains little iron, which is why it is recommended to start with solid food at six months. It is important that the food offered is nutrient-dense and rich in iron. Traditionally, powdered porridge with added iron has been the most important source of iron for babies. Baby food in Norway is carefully adapted to the child’s needs and is subject to strict regulations to ensure safety and quality. Homemade porridge and iron Even if you choose cereal products that contain more iron than others and you prepare them so that the iron becomes more available to the body, it does not change the amount of iron that was there in the first place. The formula used for the 8-month-old baby contained a total of 4.3 mg of iron. At first glance, the content looks good, and even a trained eye can be fooled. When you mix the grain with water, the iron content is diluted and even if you add the iron-rich fruit apricot, the child must eat almost a liter of porridge daily to meet the iron requirement. Such a large quantity is neither practically possible nor recommended for a small stomach and a beginner in eating. But powdered porridge is full of sugar, argues one influencer. Well, this is actually milk sugar (lactose) which is found in large quantities in breast milk and breast milk supplements, because milk powder is used in the porridge powder. Milk sugar plays an important role in stimulating the growth and establishment of beneficial intestinal bacteria, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in an immature intestine. In addition, lactose promotes the absorption of calcium, which is essential for the skeleton to become strong. An infant’s skeleton consists mainly of cartilage and soft bone mass. It is therefore important to ensure sufficient calcium intake through the diet. Although many infants get some calcium through breast milk, it is not enough to cover the child’s needs after the first 6 months of life. Homemade porridge contains only 3.2 per cent (14.4 mg) of the daily calcium requirement per portion, while powdered porridge has eight times more per portion. What is the solution, then? Should healthcare professionals advise against making the baby food yourself? The important thing is that you use quality-assured information or discuss with health personnel with clinical experience and expertise in child health and nutrition. We assess energy balance based on satisfactory length and weight gain in infants and when a child is not growing as it should, it should be investigated what the child actually eats. Even with good intentions, it is very disturbing that social media and private actors take over nutrition information for the smallest children. Many appear convincing and self-confident in their own assessment and it can be easy to believe they are right. In the worst case, they can cause deficiency diseases and persistent poor growth in children. Infant nutrition is a complex topic and children’s health should be looked after by qualified personnel such as health nurses, clinical nutritionists, GPs and paediatricians. All these professional groups now see young children with uncertain parents, who are given incorrect advice. Those who give the advice are not the same as those who clean up afterwards, that is what the health personnel have to do. The recipes we have found on influencers’ Instagram and blogs bear witness to a lack of knowledge about infants’ special nutritional needs. Many recipes are simply slimming porridges for babies. They are poor in calories, proteins, calcium, iron, iodine and other important micronutrients. Our children deserve better than vassgraut.
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Not just baby food – Speech
