As I mentioned yesterday, I was fed up with Maya and her feeding againg and her thickeners in her formula. I fed Maya this morning and she was feeding poorly and I gave her apple and pear puree instead of porridge and she had 3 good feeds with my father in law who took her off my hands this afternoon. I had a nice relaxing afternoon with my non gerdling going swimming and to soft play. It was nice to spend time with him as he has lost out on attention with Maya around and I can recouperate. I was wondering whether or not it was me that Maya only feeds bad for, but Maya did do a big number 2 at my father in laws house so I think maybe the cereal and baby rice is causing BM issues. So rather than abandon the thickener in the bottle, I propose abadoning the cereal and baby rice. I still have duocal to make her purees more calorific from when she was on Neocate and I am adding this. Maybe this is the answer.... until another bad day!

Is Maya taking thickened feeding for swallowing issues, for weight gain or to reduce reflux episodes? If it is for swallowing, any type of thickener that will thicken to the consistency she needs should be alright although some refluxers react to the corn based ingredients of some thickeners. If it is for weight gain cereal has more calories than commercial thickeners and these types of thickeners are not meant to increase calories. If it is to reduce reflux episodes, some young infants are not ready for cereal or react to the milk based ingredients in some cereals and may actually have more problems due to thickening. Rice can be very contispating - many parents often choose oatmeal to thicken for this reason.

Although many parents are told to thicken and many find that their infant spits-up less when drinking thickened liquids, research not proven that thickening is an effective treatment fo reflux. In reality although many infants will have less visible spit-up when drininking thickened liquids, they often continue to reflux silently which can be worse as the infant's esophagus is exposed to the acid reflux twice - once going up the esophagus and once comming down versus only one exposure when it comes up and out.

The European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology even made a statement in 2002 againist thickening.....

> "Although thickening foods for infants with recurrent regurgitation caused
> by severe gastroesophageal reflux has been practiced for a long time and was
> recommended in recent consensus reports (3,4), evidence on the effects of
> thickened diets in infancy is limited. Thickening agents can potentially
> decrease the amount of visible regurgitation and associated losses of energy
> and nutrients, but no evidence suggests benefit with respect to acid
> exposure of the esophageal mucosa or with respect to bronchopulmonary
> complications of gastroesophageal reflux.
>
> The effects of thickening agents in infant feeds on the bioavailability of
> nutrients; on mucosal, metabolic, and endocrine responses; and on infant
> growth have not been clarified sufficiently. The frequency of allergic
> reactions to various thickening agents in infancy also is unknown.
>
> In view of the limited information available, the Committee recommends that
> thickening agents and infant diets containing thickening agents should not
> be used indiscriminately in healthy, thriving infants who spit up. Until
> better information is available, thickening agents and infant diets
> containing thickening agents should be used only in selected infants with
> failure to thrive caused by excessive nutrient losses associated with
> regurgitation, and used only in conjunction with appropriate medical
> treatment and supervision. The current practice of indiscriminately offering
> thickened infant diets to the general public in retail stores, with claims
> that these products benefit infant who spit up, results in their frequent
> overuse and misuse, and should be discontinued."


I am not saying you should stop for this reason but if you want to see how she reacts if you stop, you could then decide if she require the benefit of thickening.

My daughter was a huge puker and I found her reflux to be hugely relieved by thickening. We didn't start thickening until she was 7 months old at the suggestion of her Ped. GI and I was doubtful, but it did the trick. We thickened until she was 11 mos. old and grew out of the spitting up/throwing up. I'm so happy we did it, though. We didn't use a thickener, instead using rice cereal, but she'd always tolerated the cereal.

Sarah, I have to say that Cady used to eat the best for my Mom. It was frustrating, but at least she'd eat well when she was with her. Also, I believe that if a baby isn't doing well with cereal, but tolerates purees, then I would go ahead and feed the purees exclusively. Solid feeding is for practice right now. Most of Maya's nutrition is going to come from ehr formula, thickened or no. Cereals can be introduced again later, in my opinion.

We've thickened and stopped thickening many times, and my final conclusion, THICKENING IS A MUST! Noah wreaks of puke if we don't thicken. He wet burps constantly (which makes him scream) and he always seems to be chewing on something....ewww....

Noah always eats the best after a big BM. If she isn't going well, call your ped and and see what he/she wants you to do. There are many easy things you can try, like prune juice, pedialyte, or prunes. If you build them into her day, it might keep her going if the constipation isn't too severe.

We have been using commercial thickeners in her bottles not cereal, this is not for calories her formula is calorific enough. After having gone a day without thickeners in her bottles I am now going back to them. They are a necessity for her without them she coughs chokes and generally refulxes more after each feed, she doesn't vomit she is a silent refluxer.

I think though that the cereal we have been giving to her on a spoon has been constipating though and the constipation seems to have led to a poor appetite today. What kind of remedies can you give to a five month old. I'll certainly give the prunes a try, this won't be too harch on her system?

.What kind of remedies can you give to a five month old. I'll certainly give the prunes a try, this won't be too harch on her system?

As early as 3 months, we were advised to start adding prune juice to Joshua's bottles, as needed. If you can find a baby version, that is best. If not, then water down the regular stuff. We added 1 oz daily when he was on Zantac. Now that he is on Prevacid, we only use it as needed.

Hope that helps!

They are a necessity for her without them she coughs chokes and generally refulxes more after each feed, she doesn't vomit she is a silent refluxer. What kind of remedies can you give to a five month old. I'll certainly give the prunes a try, this won't be too harch on her system?


We use barley cereal as it is not as constipating. I also add pear juice to his formula (in place of water when I mix them up). Sam needs the thickened feedings due to aspiration of thin liquids. When he aspirates he starts to cough and choke and gag and his eyes water a lot. We thicken to honey consistency using the barley cereal, and addind the pear juice to keep constipation away. The recipe I use to thicken is:

20oz water
4 oz pear juice (prune can be used)
scoops of formula for 24 oz of water
2 cups barley cereal
1/4 cup rice cereal

Put in blender and blend until smooth.

Works like a charm for us! Hope you can find a way that works for you!