Your baby has grown up. Well, as he grew up, so far he is still a baby, but far from the same as you brought him in an envelope from the maternity hospital. He is already six months old, which means that it’s time to introduce complementary foods. At least this age for trying a new food is the most optimal. How to give it?
When to start complementary foods
Complementary foods are food that complements the baby’s diet. Up to six months, pediatricians recommend feeding the baby exclusively with breast milk, not feeding or feeding it.
It is believed that mother’s milk is quite enough to satisfy all the needs of the child.
Only when the baby is 6 months old can you start giving other food. Yes, you can say that some people do it before. However, doctors of the World Health Organization believe that the child’s body will not yet be ready for food consumption. In particular, a large load of early feeding will cause for the digestive tract, kidneys and liver. Therefore, you should not rush. The good thing is that it ends well. However, why risk children’s health?
What is complementary foods
There is a lot of controversy about how to properly start complementary foods. In fact, everything, as always, – there are several basic recommendations. And the mother makes the rest of the decisions on her own, looking individually at her child.
So, there are two types of complementary foods: pedagogical and pediatric.
Pedagogical complementary foods have recently been quite popular among young mothers. Its goal is to acquaint the baby with adult food, and not to feed it immediately. Therefore, the child tries almost all the simple food from the adult table.
Instead, pediatric complementary foods are distinguished by the fact that it involves the gradual introduction of foods into the children’s diet.
How to enter products
If there are few questions about the pedagogical feed (although, of course, you should not give the child to try heavy food), then pediatric is more complicated. No, this is a completely simple scheme, but mom should familiarize herself with the sequence in which and how to start such complementary foods correctly.
We recommend using who tips. Doctors suggest starting to feed the baby after six months, continuing breastfeeding (or artificial, eventually) feeding. Portions should be increased gradually. Similarly, the number of foods your child tries should increase every month.
Initially, the consistency of the product should be similar to a thick porridge. The first complementary foods should be given in the morning, approximately at 9-11 o’clock. Then you can still see the child’s reaction to food during the day.
Important: the first portion should be the size of 0.5-1 teaspoons. If the baby has no reaction, then the next day the portion can be doubled.
Products must be one-component. At least so that the mother in the event of an allergic reaction, could understand what she caused. That is, we give one product at a time: zucchini, broccoli, etc.
Mixing products is already when the child tried them earlier, and there was no reaction to them.
No need to add sugar or salt to baby food. Also, at least until 12 months, avoid in cow’s milk products. It has been proven that children, as they consumed whole cow’s milk from an early age, had a higher risk of developing iron deficiency anemia.
The reaction to food in babies is individual, so you can’t be guided by the fact that your girlfriend’s child eats everything and feels good. During feeding, mom should be especially attentive.
And remember, having tried a new food, you and your child are moving to a new stage of growing up.
Complementary foods according to the protocol of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
The first product of complementary foods offered to a child at the age of 6 months may be cereals (preference should be given to cereals that do not contain gluten (buckwheat, rice, corn), vegetable or fruit puree. The frequency of administration of these products should be 1-2 times a day, with a gradual increase in the volume of the portion.
It is important that a child at the age of 6 months begins to receive complementary foods with a high iron content.
Complementary foods with a high iron content:
- • cereals, industrial production, enriched with iron;
- • meat;
- • fish;
- • egg yolk;
- • well-boiled legumes (beans, peas).
Kashi
1. You need to start with porridge, which contains one cereal, it is advisable with a high iron content (for example, rice or buckwheat porridge). Then introduce cereals from other cereals (corn, oatmeal).
2. Mixed cereals with several cereals should be introduced only after the child has already received porridge with each cereal separately.
3. Porridge can be diluted with breast milk.
4. For the preparation of porridge, you can use the milk mixture or diluted cow’s milk.
5. Do not give the child porridge for adults.
6. Porridge can be mixed with vegetables or fruits, but only after the child has tried each of these products separately.
7. Feed the baby only with a spoon.
Meat and alternative products
1. It is important that at the age of 6 months the child receives complementary foods with a high iron content, which is contained in the meat.
2. Meat recommended for a child aged 6-9 months: veal, chicken, turkey, rabbit, lean pork.
3. It is necessary to start with finely twisted or mashed meat, gradually moving to the pieces.
4. The meat should not be dry, but retain natural moisture so that the child can easily swallow it.
5. Do not give the child smoked meat products, sausages, sausages, as they contain a large amount of fat and salt.
6. It is necessary to give the baby fish (from 8-10 months) and egg yolk (from 7 months), which are also a source of iron.
Egg white is an allergenic product and should not be given until the child is 1 year old.
Vegetables and fruits
1. It is advisable to introduce vegetables before fruit, since some children may not like the taste of vegetables if they are accustomed to the sweet taste of fruits. However, this does not necessarily apply to all children.
2. You need to start with one type of vegetables or fruits, and only after the child has received each of them separately, you can mix them.
3. You need to start with non-sharp-tasting vegetables (zucchini, pumpkin, potatoes, cabbage, squash) and fruits (apples, peaches, apricots, plums).
4. Vegetable / fruit puree, as a low-protein dish of complementary foods, is given no more than 2 weeks, then it is necessary to enrich these dishes by adding high-protein products (soft cheese, meat) to them.
5. You can give the child grated fresh vegetables and fruits, which before that must be well washed and peeled. Over time, it will be possible to give the child vegetables and fruits in slices.
Juices and other drinks
1. The baby has enough fluids that she receives with breast milk. From 6 months of age, some babies may sometimes need water. Do not give your child distilled, carbonated and mineral water.
2. It is advisable to give juice to the child when he is already receiving other products of complementary foods. Juice can be given in a small amount (80-100 ml under the age of 1 year), making sure that the baby drinks enough breast milk (milk formula in the case of artificial feeding). Juices do not need to be diluted with water and sugar is added.
3. Starting from 6 months it is necessary to help the child learn to drink from a cup.
4. It is not recommended to use any type of tea (black, green, herbal) and coffee up to two years. These drinks interfere with the absorption of iron. After two years of age, you should avoid drinking tea while eating.
Dairy products
1. It is recommended to give the child soft cottage cheese (from 6 months).
2. Do not give the child whole undiluted cow or goat milk up to 9 months of age, and preferably up to 1 year. Diluted cow’s milk can be used to prepare complementary foods.
3. It is not recommended to feed the child exclusively with goat’s milk, in particular due to the risk of folic deficiency anemia.
The frequency of administration of complementary foods
A child under the age of 8 months should receive complementary foods 3 times a day, at the age of 9-11 months, 4 times a day. At the age of 1 year, the child should receive a variety of complementary foods from each group of products, be able to drink from a cup.
