Updated baby feeding guidelines - End of the Sippy Cup?

As a first time mom it was interesting to hear the differing opinions regarding how to introduce solid foods to babies after six months. What is the best order that foods should be introduced in? Should you expose your child to common food allergens (ie. peanut butter) early?

Recently, Health Canada, Dietitians of Canada, the Canadian Pediatric Society and the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada together released updated guidelines for feeding infants aged six to 24 months. The revisions are based on the latest scientific evidence and are meant to simplify the current feeding messages.

Below are some of the recommendations:

• Breastfeeding - exclusively for the first six months, and continued for up to two years or longer with appropriate complementary feeding.
• Support breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond, as long as mother and child want to continue. 
• Recommend a daily vitamin D supplement of 10 µg (400 IU) for infants and young children who are breastfed or receiving breastmilk.
• If parents and caregivers are introducing cow milk, advise them to delay until nine to 12 months of age. Recommend limiting cow milk intake to no more than 750 mL per day.
• For most healthy young children, there is no indication for the use of commercial formulas beyond one year of age.
• Soy, rice, or other plant-based beverages, whether or not they are fortified, are inappropriate alternatives to cow milk in the first two years.
• Recommend iron-rich meat, meat alternatives, and iron-fortified cereal as the first complementary foods.
• Ensure that lumpy textures are offered no later than nine months.
• Common food allergens, such as peanut, fish, wheat (including iron-fortified infant cereals with wheat), milk products, soy and whole eggs, can be introduced from about six months of age.
• Do not to give honey to a child under one year of age. This helps to prevent infant botulism.
• Promote offering finger foods to encourage self-feeding.
• Encourage use of an open cup, initially with help.

All of the guidelines, rationale and references are available at:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/infant-nourisson/recom/recom-6-24-months-6-24-mois-eng.php#a6

The updated guidelines are clear, straightforward and addressed all of the feeding questions that I remember having as a first time mom. These questions and feeding strategies were often the subject of conversation with other parents and at mommy groups. I was pleased to see the recommendation to introduce common food allergens (ie. peanuts, egg, seafood, wheat) early and to serve the foods often so that babies do not develop an intolerance.

I think that the guideline which will be most difficult to adopt will be the use of an open cup starting at six months of age. Is this the end of the sippy cup? I must admit that as the parent of a little girl who likes to play rough and drinks water like it is going out of style, giving her an open cup will be a challenge. Learning to drink from an open cup will take patience and time but I understand the need to support the development of mature feeding skills. I don’t think I am prepared to fully remove the sippy cup just yet, especially if eating away from home. However, I will now start to introduce drinking from an open cup, which is much earlier than expected.

I’m always interested in hearing the feedback of others. What are your thoughts on the new feeding guidelines? Will you be abandoning the sippy cup?