A native angeleno, Dr. Lindo treats her young patients four days a week at the three sites Clinica Romero has in the San Fernando Valley (two in Van Nuys and one in Canoga Park), as well as the site in Alvarado Blvd. in Los Angeles.
Average healthy babies will triple their weight by the first birthday. In the first six months, babies gain about 1 ounce a day, slowing to about 20 grams a day by around 4 months, and gaining about 10 grams or less a day after six months.
To reach that weight, they’ll need more than breastmilk.
Starting at six months, parents need to start introducing solid food into their diets so that they receive the necessary nutrients to keep them healthy and strong, says Dr. Ruth Lindo, pediatrician and medical director at Clinica Romero.
A native angeleno, Dr. Lindo treats her young patients four days a week at the three sites Clinica Romero has in the San Fernando Valley (two in Van Nuys and one in Canoga Park), as well as the site in Alvarado Blvd. in Los Angeles. Those clinics provide an increasing variety of services spanning obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, counseling, and behavioral health.
One jar at a time
Foods introduced at 6-months-old should be rich in iron, such as vegetables like peas, green beans, spinach and carrots.
And Dr. Lindo suggests parents start with jarred baby food because homemade baby foods, she says, tend to have too much fiber and may be hard for babies to digest.
“I do recommend they do one jar at a time,” she notes. “If they have a bad reaction, we won’t know what it is if they’ve been mixing things together.”
So, give a single type of food at a single seating.
The amount to feed will depend on the child. “As long as the baby is willing to take the food, you can continue feeding,” she says.
The next thing to introduce into their diets is your average “kitchen table refried beans. And don’t worry about the fat. “Fat is wonderful for babies,” Dr. Lindo says.
Give the baby as much food as he/she wants. “They’ll let you know when they’re full, they won’t open their mouth anymore,” she says.
Just make sure the beans are pureed to be easily chewed and digested.
“Foods like beans and lentils have a lot of iron and protein,” she says, which help with their health and development. They also provide a good way to gradually introduce fiber into their diet without upsetting their stomachs.
Next comes cooked meat—preferably beef—, which can come from baby jars or from you blending the meat.
“The amount of fat and iron in beef is not appropriate for senior citizens but it’s wonderful for babies,” Dr. Lindo says.
She adds, ” For babies 6 to 9 months, our primary goal is giving them food that is high in iron and easily digested.”
9 to 12 months
At 9 months, you should introduce table foods.
“The baby can eat almost anything that the grown ups are eating, as long as it’s something they don’t choke on,” she notes. “As long as is food that’s been pureed or soft, you can give that to them.”
This includes vegetables, beans and beef.
She recommends that parents avoid giving (or giving very little) fruit to babies at this stage.
She explains that bananas are very constipating and constipation is often a concern for babies. Other fruits may have the opposite effect and loosen the baby, which can bring rounds of constipation and diarrhea, which may affect the baby’s health.
She suggests giving fruits “only in very small amounts and only after a good meal has been eaten, not instead of a meal.”
12 months
All babies must eat solid food before 12 months, Dr. Lindo stresses.
If they don’t, they may reject it later, which in severe cases may lead to iron deficiency (anemia), which is very common in children.
Solid food should not replace breastfeeding entirely, but be a compliment to it.
Breastfeeding is strongly recommended until 12-14 months of age, Dr. Lindo says, as “it provides immunity against many infectious diseases, providing several amino acids that don’t exist in common food.”
But as the baby gets older, “breastmilk is not a complete diet.”
By the age of 12 months, babies should be eating solid food three or four times a day, often in small portions—even four ounces— and soft enough that they can chew it and digest it.
Give the baby as much food as he/she wants.
“They’ll let you know when they’re full, they won’t open their mouth anymore,” she says.
By the time the baby is 12-months-old, the baby should be eating a diet very similar to the diet of their parents, Dr. Lindo explains.
“That’s the way you will get the appropriate amount of protein, fat, and iron.”
COMMON MISTAKES
One common mistake that Dr. Lindo sees is parents giving too much cow’s milk when transitioning from formula to regular milk at the age of 12 months.
“They should only drink two cups of cow’s milk a day,” she recommends. “If they’re breastfeeding, they shouldn’t drink any cow’s milk at all.”
She often sees babies that receive large amounts of cow’s milk and not enough beef, beans and vegetables.
Such a combination may leave the baby with an iron deficiency, the number one problem in children between the ages of 1-3, which can lead to delays in the development of the baby’s brain, crawling, walking and speech.
And even “plump” babies may have iron deficiency.
Instead of fruits and cow milk, “We want them (the babies) to eat grown up food,” she says.
“The common table food in Latino households—burritos, tamales, tacos—those are all perfect,” she notes.
She often sees that parents are feeding meat to the older adults who may not need it, and not to the babies who need it most at this age.
“Take the steak off the old man’s plate, put it on the blender and give it to the baby,” Dr. Lindo says with a chuckle.
Meat portions don’t have to be large—even four ounces is fine—as it’s fine to give them hamburger and meatballs.
Another common mistake is parents who prefer to give the babies caldo (broth), which she says tends to be too low in calories as it’s mostly salt water, or those who feed them cereal, which is not high in protein, fat, and iron.
“Don’t feed them fruit and cereal; they don’t provide complete nutrition,” she says. “Don’t be afraid of feeding children grown up food.”
And, most importantly, keep honey away from children under 12 months, as it can cause botulism—a severe health condition where babies can literally stop breathing.
Addressing the needs of the community
Such recommendations and personal attention is what patients will receive under Dr. Lindo and the medical professionals at Clinica Romero.
“Clinica Romero provides very high quality medical care, which is individualized,” Dr. Lindo says. “We do it in a way that is culturally sensitive and appropriate.
“When people come to Clinica Romero they’re pleased to see we do it the old fashioned way: we get to know you and we try our very best to give the highest quality of care.”
Founded 41 years ago, Clinica Romero continues to expand its health services and deliver the highest quality of care to the communities it serves.
“We’re very sensitive to the needs of immigrant communities. They’re our VIPs,” Dr. Lindo says. “They’re our reason for being. When they come to us, they are special to us.”
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