The Controversy over Raising a Baby

There are still some differences of opinion concerning how to care for an infant. When Dr. Linda Palmer had her first baby she did what nature told her instinctively to do; she nurtured her baby with affection, holding him when he cried, and chose breastfeeding instead of bottle-feeding. But she says she got some strange reactions to her parenting style and this spurred her to do some heavy research about parenting.

Dr. Palmer explains that her research proved that she had been on the right track. What had become known as attachment parenting actually worked better than the detached parenting some experts referred to as good advice. The babies and children that got the attention were healthier emotionally and psychologically. The breastfed babies were sick fewer times than bottle feed babies.

Palmer states that the newer practices of the last century have increased the man of the common problems for babies, including colic, reflux, rashes, diarrhea, constipation, sleeplessness, ADHD, diabetes, obesity, hyperactivity, and antisocial behavior. She also discovered that many of these issues continue into adult problems such as high blood pressure, depression, eating disorders, and even the inability to form strong interpersonal bonds.

Though the proponents of detachment parenting had won ground for a long time, more recent studies of hormones as well as neurological research have found that the attachment psychologists were correct in saying that bonding through affection and nursing with mother's milk helps babies form lasting bonds and that mother's milk helps to protect them from illnesses. These psychologists were stating this information in the sixties and seventies.

KeepKidsHealthy.com, a website designed to help parents supplement the information they receive from their doctors, lists ten different studies that support breast-feeding as the healthiest method of feeding baby, with proteins that are easy to digest and other factors that aid in digestion. It also helps the mother burn up to five hundred calories per day. Studies show it decreases the chance of the mother having breast and ovarian cancer later in life as well.

There are so many reasons in favor of breast-feeding that it is hard to understand how women strayed away from it, but it did happen. The good news is if a mother decides to feed by formula and lives in the United States, all formulas must meet FDA standards for nutritional requirements. The Infant Formula Act insures this. Keep in mind that the nutritional requirements are the recommended minimum. The major brands all have claims as to why their formula is better than others, such as more easily digested proteins, provides immunities like the mother's milk, and so forth.

If feeding with formula, the bottle shouldn't be propped, warming the bottle in the microwave isn't good as pockets of hot liquid can happen, and adding cereal to the bottle isn't a good idea when the baby is still very young. Honey should never be fed to any baby under one year of age. KeepKidsHealthy.com, recommends that giving the baby solid food prior to his being four-six months old should be avoided.

When it's time to start solid foods, the first solid food a baby usually gets is baby cereal. One tablespoon is enough to begin with; the increase should be slow, moving to three or four tablespoons per feeding during one or two meals per day. When the baby is approximately six months old, it should be a good time to begin vegetables. Start with one tablespoon at first and slowly increase to four or five tablespoons one to two times per day. Foods should be introduced one at a time in case of food allergies.

It will take a little time to determine which style of parenting and feeding schedule works for you and your baby. Just keep in mind that all families and babies are not the same and what works in some families for some children may not work for you. Always keep open lines of communication with your doctor and it is always a good idea to get a second opinion if something doesn't feel right to you.

Today, there are still differences of opinion concerning how to care for an infant. Every new mother faces the choice of breast-feeding or bottle-feeding. No matter which approach you choose, educate yourself of both options to make a smart choice.