Christina Taalla NTR450 Spring 2013

MYTH: Feeding your infant rice cereal in a

bottle will help him sleep through the night.
FACT: False. Research has shown that rice cereal
is ineffective in keeping an infant from waking
during the night. It will also not prolong time
between feedings, and is not advised due to the risk
of choking. Recommendations from the World
Health Organization as well as the American
Academy of Pediatrics are to breastfeed or formula
feed an infant exclusively the first 6 months of life.
However, research has shown that rice cereal may
be beneficial to infants with gastroesophageal
reflux, and can relieve symptoms such as
regurgitation, which can affect infant sleep.
Parents of infants in the newborn phase, between 13 months, may hear this rumor in many baby chat
forums, and is a wives tale. As it has shown to help
in the case of infants with GER, information may
have been misconstrued by the public. Also, the use
of rice cereal and an infant sleeping through the
night for the first time generally coincide together,
because this tends to happen around 4-6 months.
Therefore it is easy to reason that the addition of
rice cereal is what caused the sleeping, whereas in
reality it is simply that the 4-6 month old infants
stomach is probably expanded enough so they are
feeding enough to meet caloric needs during the day
and no longer need to wake at night.
Parents-providing rice cereal to an infant will not
help them sleep through the night because they are
still small little beings with small little bellies that
need to wake up in the middle of the night to feed.
Eating during the night helps your child grow and
gain weight. Your baby will sleep through the night
when they no longer need to wake up. It can also be
dangerous as babies are not ready to accept and eat
a thicker liquid than breast-milk or formula and
could choke on it. If you are want to feed your baby
rice cereal due to GER, you should ask your
doctors advice before trying it out.

References:
Macknin ML, VanderBrug S, Medendorp MPH,
Maier MC. Infant Sleep and Bedtime Cereal. Am J
Dis Child. 1989; 143(9): 1066-1068.
Vanderhoof JA, Moran JR, Harris CL, Merkel KL,
Orenstein SR. Efficacy of a Pre-thickened Infant
Formula: A Multicenter, Double-Blind,
Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Parallel Group
Trial in 104 Infants with Symptomatic
Gastroesophageal Reflux. Clin Pediatr July/August
2003. 42(6): 483-495.

Christina Taalla NTR450 Spring 2013

MYTH: Sugars cause hyperactivity in children.

FACT: False. Sugar has been blamed as the root of
evil for many conditions. While sugar is a form of
energy for the body, it is not the true cause of
hyperactivity. In most cases, it is the situation
surrounding the intake of extra dietary sugar which
leads to hyperactivity in children.1 While many
parents would like to blame sugar, studies have
demonstrated that neither sugar nor sugar
replacements such as aspartame significantly
increase hyperactivity in children.2 Research has
also examined higher than normal dietary intake
without any correlation of increased sugar leading
to hyperactivity.3 Of note, some of the children
enrolled as participants in studies were described as
sensitive to sugar, and still did not display signs of
hyperactivity after sugar intake. A mothers attitude
towards sugar is probably to blame for a diagnosis
of hyperactivity due to intake, and has been
revealed through research. A group of mothers were
told that their child was given either a high intake of
sugar or aspartame, while all in fact were given
aspartame. The mothers who thought their child had
eaten sugar believed their child to be much more
active compared to the group of children who
ingested aspartame.
It is easy to imagine sugar causing hyperactivity, as
we as adults refer to sugar rushes and such
phrases after consuming a high amount of sugar.
While it can contribute to how an individual feels,
both emotionally and physically after a high intake,
it does not directly impact hyperactivity and quite
the opposite; After a sugar high many feel tired.
This myth lies in the environment and
circumstances where high sugar intake in children
takes place, such as at a birthday party. In the
example of a birthday party, not only is there sugar
but there is also new and exciting stimulatory
objects and activities that can lead to
overstimulation, and ultimately hyperactivity.
As a parent, dealing with a hyperactive kid can be
tiring. It may seem like sugar is the culprit but

studies have shown that both sugar and sugar

substitutes dont cause hyperactivity. Often times
when your child is eating more sugar than normal,
they are at a special event such as a Halloween
party, or a carnival. During these special events they
are also seeing and hearing things they dont
normally see. These new stimulating experiences
are more likely to cause hyperactivity in your child.
However, if you do have a doubt regarding
hyperactivity in your child, always speak up to your
doctor about your concerns.
References:
Wolraich M, Milich R, Stumbo P, Schultz F. The
Effects of Sucrose Ingestion on the Behavior of
Hyperactive Boys. Pediatrics, 1985 April; 106(4):
657-682.
Wolraich ML, Lindgren SD, Stumbo PH, Stegink
LB, Appelbaum MI, Kiritsy MC. Effects of diets
high in sucrose or aspartame on the behavior and
cognitive performance of children. New England
Journal of Medicine, 1994 Feb 3:330(5): 301-307.
Hoover DW, Milich R. Effects of sugar ingestion
expectancies on mother-child interaction. Journal of
Abnormal Child Psychology, 1994; 22: 201-515.

Christina Taalla NTR450 Spring 2013

MYTH: Children prefer to eat the same thing

over and over again.
FACT: True and False. Multiple studies have
looked at food preference in children and arrived at
the same conclusion; Children prefer familiar foods.
Food preference is influence by exposure, which
plays a key role in forming food preferences. The
research has demonstrated that after repeatedly
exposing children to new foods, the child will
eventually pick and eat these novel foods.
Therefore, children do prefer familiar foods and will
pick familiar foods but familiar foods can, or
should, include a wide variety. Age may play a role;
studies have shown that as children age, the number
of repeated exposures necessary for food acceptance
increases. This leads right into the key factor in
determining partiality, as childrens preferences
follow maternal preference, which been confirmed
through research. Therefore it is important that
parents offer and encourage a diversity of food
groups and types on a childs plate.
Many children are described as picky eaters, and a
chief complaint among parents when it comes to
childrens appetite is that they always want to eat
the same thing. This is in part true, because this
food is familiar to them so it is easy for a parent to
come to the conclusion that their child prefers to eat
the same thing time and time again. And the parents
probably resign to this way of thinking and end up
only offering their child the same foods instead of
picking a battle. The parents are also going to be
reinforced in this behavior and thinking pattern by
social or peer influence, as well as the wiser
generation who tells them this is completely normal,
and most likely a phase. And thus parents fall into
the trap of feeding their child the same foods.

Childhood is a time of many changes, which can be

overwhelming for your child. They tend to prefer
familiar places and faces, and can be hesitant to new
experiences. As adults we still experience this
shyness towards the new and unknown. Your child
probably does prefer familiar foods as well but that
does not mean they wont ever eat new foods.
Studies have shown that kids need to be exposed
and re-exposed many times to a new food before
accepting it. They will eventually try it, and that
new food will become a familiar food to them. A
wide variety of foods is important to your childs
growth, and you can play a key role in what foods
your children like and find familiar. The more foods
you experience to them and with them, they more
likely they are to accept it. Make trying new foods a
family adventure!
References:
Birch LL, Marlin DW. I Dont Like It; I Never Tried
it: Effects of Exposure on Two-Year-Old Childrens
Food Preferences. Appetite: Journal for Intake
Research, 1982, 3(4): 353-360.
Addessi E, Galloway AT, Visalberghi E, Birch LL.
Specific Social Influences on the Acceptance of
Novel Foods in 2-5 Year Old Children. Appetite,
45(3): 264-271.
Birch L, Savage JS, Ventura A. Influences on the
development of childrens eating behaviours, From
Infancy to Adolescence. Canadian Journal of
Dietetic Practice and Research. 2007, 68(1): S1-S6.
Howard AJ, Mallan KM, Byrne R, Magarey A,
Daniels LA. Toddlers Food Preferences. The
impact of novel food exposure, maternal
preferences and food neophobia. Appetite, 2012. 59:
818-825.