September is here. For many of us, it can feel like a busy and
expensive month as we prepare to fall back into our family's
routines. If bargain hunting is in your plans, check out our
first article on what to watch for when purchasing used
goods.
September can also mean back to reading, writing, and
arithmetic for many. Did you know that reading to babies has
loads of benefits? Check out article two to find out more.
Articles three and four offer some great tips on feeding
babies and toddlers: introducing solid food and how to help
toddlers enjoy their veggies.
SEPTEMBER 2016
USED GOODS - SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS TRUMP
SAVINGS!
REAP THE BENEFITS OF READING
INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS
TO SNEAK IN OR NOT? THE GREAT VEGGIE
DEBATE
SOURCES AND WHERE TO GO FOR MORE INFO
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USED GOOD S - SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS TRUMP SAVINGS
Most of us love scoring a great deal. Garage sales, classified ads, flea markets, and used goods websites
can be great places to find that "almost new" item at a fraction of the retail price. But how can you be
sure the items you are purchasing do not pose a health or safety risk? Many used items do not meet
current safety regulations under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act(CCPSA).
Health Canada strongly recommends the following:
Do not purchase products that are banned, damaged, or that are missing labels or instructions.
Banned products are illegal to sell or give away because they may present a danger to health and safety.
Banned baby products include:
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Baby walkers
Infant self-feeding devices
Polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA)
Check for labels: Some products, such as cribs and car seats, need to have information stating the
manufacturer, the model number, and the date of manufacture and
expiry.
Look for damage: Check products carefully. Look for cracks and
broken, loose, or missing parts.
Be aware of product recalls: Before buying a second-hand product,
check with the manufacturer and Health Canada to see if it has been
recalled.
Learn about product regulations and safety hazards: Use caution with
children's products. Many children's products are regulated under the
CCPSA. Second-hand children's products may pose safety hazards
including:
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Car seats
Sleepwear
Cribs, cradles, bassinets
Play pens
Safety gates
Strollers and carriages
Toys
And more! Health Canada's website has a complete list and more details.
Here in Canada, although it is the seller's legal responsibility to ensure their products are safe, meet
current regulatory requirements, and have not been recalled, being an informed consumer goes one step
further to help make sure the products you use are safe.
REAP THE BENEFITS OF READ ING
You've probably heard that reading to children is an important
way to build language skills and intelligence. But did you know
that reading to infants is important, too? You wouldn't hold off
on talking to your baby until they can form words, talk, and
understand so why wait to start reading?
While it may seem like an infant won't get much out of books,
the truth is reading to your new baby helps build a foundation
for lifelong learning and development.
Here are some added benefits to reading to baby early:
Bonding: Your little one will find your voice, your heartbeat,
and your scent very comforting. Over time, she'll come to
associate books with being close to you.
Early skill development: Listening to you read exposes baby
to words, phrases, and interaction which are building blocks
of life-long skills.
Brain stimulation: The colours, textures, and sounds in books
will help with baby's mental growth and awareness of her
surroundings.
Better sleep: Reading together as a part of your night-time routine is a calm, soothing activity that helps
set the stage for a restful sleep.
What to look for in books for babies:
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Fun to look at: books with bold contrasting colours, patterns, and shiny surfaces will fascinate
your baby.
Fun to touch: look for books with noisy or "crackly" textures.
Washable and durable: board books and cloth books are great for babies and toddlers.
It's never too soon or too late to start reading to your child. In fact, if you start before baby is born you
may notice she responds by kicking and moving. If you want to learn more about the benefits of reading
to toddlers, check out this article.
INTROD UC ING SOLID FOOD S
Baby's first solid food is a very exciting time. Get the camera ready
to capture those funny faces and messy hands!
As with most new things, you may be wondering where to start.
Here are answers to some common questions:
How do I know when my baby is ready for solid foods?
Your baby is ready to try solid foods at about six months and when
she:
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sits, leans forward, and holds her head up
watches and opens her mouth for the spoon
does not push food out of her mouth with her tongue
can turn her head away to let you know when she is done
can pick food up and bring it to her mouth
What food is best to start with?
Start with foods high in iron like well-cooked, finely minced or
tender pieces of meat, poultry or fish, iron-fortified infant cereal,
and cooked egg, lentils, beans or tofu.
Next, between 6-9 months of age, you can offer vegetables, fruit, cheese, and plain yogurt, and a variety
of whole grains.Try a variety of textures right from the beginning: smooth, mashed, lumpy, tendercooked, minced, and soft finger foods. There is no need to introduce most new foods one-at-a-time or in
a particular order. The exception is with common food allergens. See this article for more information.
Continue to offer foods high in iron at least twice a day.
Hold off on milk (to drink) until 9-12 months of age and honey until your child is over 12 months old.
How should I offer food to my baby?
Choose a time when your baby is content, interested, and alert. You can offer food by spoon or you can
place food on your baby's tray to explore with her palms and fingers. When using a spoon, hold it so your
baby can see it. Let her touch the spoon and help guide it to her mouth. Babies love to feed themselves
at their own pace, using their fingers and hands. They will make a mess feeding themselves, but this is an
important part of learning to eat.
For more information:
Healthy Families BC - Solid Food
Interior Health - Healthy eating for infants and toddlers
Health Link BC - Preventing Choking in Babies and Young Children
TO SNEAK IN OR NOT? THE GREAT VEGGIE D EBATE
We all know that vegetables provide loads of
nutrition and are an important part of healthy
eating, but is sneaking vegetables into your
child's food a good idea?
Pureeing vegetables and adding them to
common foods such as pancakes, muffins, or
spaghetti sauce can help get nutrients into your
little one, but it won't help them learn to accept
or enjoy eating their veggies.
It is important to offer soft-cooked vegetables in
their whole form so your baby has an
opportunity to explore new tastes and textures.
As your baby gets older, sneaking in vegetables
may backfire. If figured out, your child may
start refusing even more foods.
Consider these tips to avoid being a sneak:
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Be sure to eat lots of veggies yourself and eat together with your child. The most powerful
predictor of what a child eats is what his parents eat.
Babies over six months do not need pureed or 'blenderized' food. Offer a variety of textures right
from the beginning (well mashed, minced, lumpy, soft finger foods like mashed squash, steamed
broccoli pieces, or soft cooked carrot chunks).
Give your baby lots of opportunities to feed himself.
Offer vegetables often to your older baby. Veggies have complex tastes; it may require 20 or
more exposures to each new vegetable until your toddler accepts them.
Try not to rely on dinner as the only time to offer vegetables. Toddlers are often tired and less
accepting of new foods at the end of the day.
Don't be surprised if your older toddler starts refusing foods she used to like - this is a normal
phase. Continue to offer but never force your child to eat.
Use fun names such as 'trees' for broccoli or 'Dino sticks' for green beans.
Involve toddlers in preparing foods. Let your toddler help make his smoothie by adding some kale
or spinach leaves into the blender. It gets blended together but he knows it is in there. In time
he will become more willing to try them in other dishes like sautéed kale or spinach salad.
If you have questions about feeding babies and toddlers call HealthLinkBC Dietitian Services at
8-1-1. You can also check out these websites for more information:
Ellysatterinstitute.org
Bettertogetherbc.ca
Sources an d where to get more in fo
Interior Health - Search for Health Centres under "location type"
Interior Health
Better Together
Ellyn Satter Institute
Health Canada
Healthy Families BC
HealthLink BC
This e-newsletter is an Interior Health project to provide quick and easy health tips for new parents and
caregivers of children ages 0 to 2 years. Your comments and topic suggestions are welcome! Simply email
us at: [email protected].
For more info or to attend a free child health clinic, contact your local Public Health Centre. You can
find contact info online at: www.interiorhealth.ca or look it up under Interior Health in the blue pages of
your local phone book.
Sincerely,
Interior Health Authority