Parents need to be vigilant about proper sanitation and food temperature. Sanitary practices include proper cleaning of hands, utensils and foods. Overlooking these basics can cause food poisoning. Foods which are safely prepared for the baby can be frozen in small meal size batches and reheated as needed. If reheated in the microwave, they must be stirred carefully to distribute the heat.
Microwaves can create hot spots in food that can cause burns in the baby's mouth.
In their enthusiasm for giving babies good food, most parents don't realize that the use of orange or dark green vegetables such as cooked carrots, winter squash and other foods high in beta carotene should be limited to one item per day. This is because of the risk of hypercarotenemia, a high blood level of carotene which is harmless but may cause the baby to acquire an orange skin color. Parents should also be cautioned about the use of home prepared spinach, turnips, carrot soup or carrot juice. These foods contain nitrite, and extensive consumption can cause methemoglobinemia. The nitrite content in these vegetables can be minimized by discarding water used in parboiling the vegetables, and using fresh water for further cooking.