Month: March 2013

Many mothers give their babies solid foods too early, says a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors recommend waiting until a baby is 4 months old to introduce solid foods. However, 40 percent of mothers in the study said they started solid food before that age. Nine percent started at 1 month. The most common reason for starting solids early was that “My baby is old enough to begin eating solid food.” But babies are not physically ready to eat solid food during their first few months of life. They usually cannot sit up by themselves or hold their heads up well. Starting solid food early also has been linked with several conditions, including diabetes, eczema and celiac disease. The study was published March 25 in the journal Pediatrics. The New York Times, USA Today and other media wrote about it.

Without a medical reason for a cesarean section (C-section), doctors should recommend vaginal delivery to pregnant women. This is a new recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). About 2.5% of pregnant women choose to have a C-section with no medical reason. A C-section involves risks, including bladder injuries, bowel injuries and complications in future pregnancies. Women who have C-sections also have longer hospital stays and recovery times. ACOG notes that voluntary C-section is particularly not recommended for women who want to have more than one child. This is because the risk of complications increases with each C-section. The guideline was published March 22 in the April issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.