I started Jacob on this yesterday and didn't thicken it-big mistake! We had a choking episode. So I added the cereal. The problem is I can't get this stuff thick enough-not like the Alimentum/Nutramigen. I put 6 tsp of rice cereal for 8 ounces in that stuff, but even 8 tsp for 8 ounces in the neocate is still too runny. I don't think it's a good idea to put anymore in there. I might have to switch back to Alimentum-I can't take anymore of the not breathing episodes. Is this bad to switcg back?? Should I stay w/ Neocate??

When we first started putting cereal in Trent's bottle, the GI doc told us to use 2 tsp per oz of liquid. I don't think it would hurt for you to double the amount of cereal you are putting in.

Amy

Here in Canada we're told never to add pablum to bottles, as it can be a choking hasard. It's strange that doctors from country to country don't have the same information to share. Just out of curiosity, what have the rest of you been told about putting infant cereal into a baby's bottle?

I don't know about everyone else, but the doctors here advise putting cereal in the bottles for a variety of reasons. When Trent was 2 months old, he had really runny stools and kept a diaper rash, and we were told to put cereal in the bottle to firm his stools a bit. Also, our GI doc tells all parents of refluxers to put cereal in the bottle because he says it is actually more of a choking hazard to not put the cereal in due to aspiration. We found that true with Trent. Trent would aspirate and choke on thin liquids, but if we thickened them, he had no problem. When my friend lived in Italy, and Germany, she was told to never put cereal in the bottle as well. So, I really don't understand it either.

Amy

Normally the drs tell you not to put cereal in the bottle. However, my mother in law used to do it with my husband and his borthers/sisters-supposed to help them sleep longer. It's something I believe people did for years and years and then the pediatric community said it wasn't a good idea. The thought process with reflux babies (at least from the physicians we've seen) is that if the formula is thicker, it's harder for it to come up when the babies reflux. Jacob has refluxed both ways, but it seems worse w/o cereal.

Strange...Evan has always been kind of "backwards" to all of the "rules of reflux". He has only recently, at age 26 months, been able to tolerate thickened liquids, puddings, etc. It was only in the past week that I have been able to add pablum to thicken his fruit purees and to add a little more nutrition. Until then, he would gag on anything that was thickened, even on chunks of food.

Have you stayed with Neocate? How are things going now?