Q&A:
Are my 9-month-old twins getting enough nutrition without eating cereal?

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Answered by Loraine Stern M.D.

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"I adore children and being a pediatrician because of all the hugging and laughing that we do," say Loraine Stern, M.D.

Loraine Stern, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at U.C.L.A., has been in private pediatric practice for 35 years. Dr. Stern wrote for Woman's Day magazine from 1986 to 2005. She is a former editor of and contributor to Healthy Kids magazine. She has published two books on child care and has edited a book about pediatric nutrition for the American Academy of Pediatrics. A spokesperson for children and families, Dr. Stern has appeared on national networks and programs such as CNN, The Today Show, and Good Morning America.

Dr. Stern has two stepchildren but no animals or even green plants.

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Question

Are my 9-month-old twins getting enough nutrition without eating cereal?

Answer

I presume they are still getting either breast milk or formula along with the solid foods. We push infant cereals for first food because they are easily digested and because they're fortified with iron, which children need after the first six months. If your twins are eating a variety of foods, and especially if red meat is part of their diet, the absence of cereal is not important.

Because infants eat so little at a time compared with older children and adults, it may seem as though they are not eating much food. The best indication that your children are getting enough nutrition is how they are growing and developing and whether or not they are anemic. Checking hemoglobinthe red pigment in blood that is low if there is not enough iron in the dietis a routine part of the 9-month check-up. If their hemoglobin levels are all right, stop worrying.