Infant feeding: When should a solid diet be started?

unsplash

The introduction of a solid diet should not be rushed or introduced at any cost if the baby is making good progress in his physical development. Premature introduction of this type of diet brings additional consequences and damage to the small and still immature organism, says Dr. Slagjana Ristovska, a specialist pediatrician.

When is the right time to start introducing solid foods to babies?

- At what age the child or infant should start supplementation is a topic that has always provoked a series of discussions and controversial views and opinions, because there are no single and solid reasons that would determine the time and type of supplementation. Apart from the nutrient needs and physiological development of the child which are individually different, in some families, unfortunately, despite the advice of pediatricians, tradition, social conditions, habits, family opportunities and other factors that influence the introduction and additional infant nutrition. However, in most countries supplementation is introduced between 4-6 months of age. During this period (4-6 months), the energy value of the nutrients in breast milk is not sufficient to satisfy the rapid growth and development of the infant. The introduction of a solid diet should not be rushed, nor should it be introduced at any cost if the baby is making good progress in his physical development. Premature introduction of this type of diet brings additional consequences and damage to the small and still immature organism
which still has insufficient secretion of certain enzymes that are necessary in the digestion and processing of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the excretion of unnecessary nutrients by the kidneys that in the young infant during the first year of life have not yet reached maturity.

Profimedia
Profimedia

On the other hand, additional signals when to start supplemental feeding include those such as whether the infant is already sitting on its own, shaking its head (ie turning it away if it does not like something that you as a parent offer in the diet), has a good reflex for chewing and swallowing, etc.

What meal is recommended to start supplementation? And is it better to be a fruit or mashed vegetable porridge?

- There is no specific rule when it comes to choosing the food that should be introduced first, whether it be fruit, vegetables or a cereal. The most adequate ingredient to start the diet, however, are cereals. Rice flakes are the easiest to cook and for the beginning you can add milk to the milk, then oat flakes can be included, but in smaller quantities at the very beginning. Here I would like to mention that attention should be paid to gluten-containing cereals (wheat, rye and barley), which are introduced after the sixth month, due to the possibility of celiac disease in young infants. Wheat porridge is a good substitute for a milk meal. From fruit porridges and juices, at the beginning, apple, pear, banana are introduced, and later the menu can be enriched with peaches, apricots, plums, melons, etc. Avoid nuts and citrus fruits in the beginning.

It is advisable to give fruit porridge at the beginning in the afternoon due to the possibility of cramps and loose stools. Once your baby has learned to consume them, you can feed the fruit porridge twice a day.

unsplash

Of the vegetable porridges, carrot and potato porridges are the most adequate to introduce in the diet at the beginning, and then zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage and other vegetables can be included in the diet.

Meat is introduced into the diet after we have introduced fruit and vegetable porridges. Select quality lean meat from young animals. First the chicken, then the red meat. The fish is introduced after the ninth month, initially white fish.

Food for your baby must be fresh, well washed, cleaned, hygienically well prepared, cooked, mixed at first, then mashed and chopped, at a moderate temperature. Vegetables can be cooked or raw just as they are cooked in the adult diet. Baby food is not seasoned, no salt is added to the vegetables, no sugar is added to the
fruit purees. The taste of the little baby is different from that of the adults, so do not adjust the porridges that you prepare for your child according to your taste.

pexels

How many times a day should solid food be given to the baby?

- Feeding, ie introducing solid foods to your baby is a complex, and for many babies and parents, a difficult period. Do not expect at the beginning that your baby will gladly and enthusiastically accept any kind of food offered. Therefore, do not be disappointed, and if the baby spits food or does not want to swallow, do not insist with the intention that he must eat what is offered. You will try the same food again later in the day. This is why this adaptive period can take, this means that the introduction of new foods is only a supplement to the existing diet with breast or formula and is not a substitute for breast milk.

It is of paramount importance that the introduction of the new diet should be gradual. Each new food is introduced every 4-5 days or no more than two new things during a week, 1-2 teaspoons per day, with a gradual increase over the following days. This way you can monitor how your baby copes with the new food and whether there are any
an allergic reaction. Particular care should be taken, especially in infants with a familial allergic predisposition to a given food or to bronchial asthma, celiac disease. Once the given foods are tried individually, they can be combined together. During the first year of life, after you have passed the period of adaptation of your little one to the new diet at the end of the first year, the small child has 5-6 meals a day, of which three main meals and two snacks, breastfeeding is recommended at least twice a day. , morning and evening.

pexels

Is it permissible for the baby to be fed in a relaxer in a reclining position?

- As I mentioned earlier in the text, one of the conditions to start supplementation in some way is for the baby to be able to hold his head firmly, to sit and to have a good swallowing reflex. Lying down and feeding increases the chance of choking your baby and aspirating food into the airways. The little baby at the beginning has
difficulties with mastering the new feeding technique, eating with a spoon, using the chewing muscles, unlike the previously simpler way of sucking. That is why she is advised to eat in a sitting position.

Recommended diet in the summer?

The summer period is known for the appearance of alimentary intoxications (food poisoning), bacterial and viral intestinal infections, precisely because of the high atmospheric temperatures and the possibility of rapid spoilage of prepared food and groceries if stored improperly and in an inappropriate place. That is why it is advisable to use light food, rich in fruits and vegetables, food that is less perishable, proper and proper preparation (mechanical and thermal processing of certain foods, meat, milk that are necessary for proper growth and development of a small child ), their proper storage to reduce the possibility of gastroenterocolitis followed by diarrhea (liquid stools), vaginitis (vomiting), possible fever (fever), which easily lead to dehydration in the young infant. I note that the summer period is a period when the infant has a greater need for water and other fluids, and their giving and receiving is directly dependent on the parent
or the one who keeps it.

What foods should be avoided in the first year of a child's life?

- Due to the still immature immune system in the young child during the first year of life, it is possible for the child to have allergic reactions after ingesting a certain type of food. Also, the later excretion of appropriate enzymes from the gastrointestinal tract as well as the still immature renal function, improper diet and premature introduction of given
groceries leads to serious damage to them. That is why cow's milk, egg whites, pork, nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, chocolate, mushrooms, strawberries, cheese, citrus fruits must not be introduced until the first year of life.

Dr. Slagjana Ristovska
Specialist pediatrician
PHI DR RISTOVSKA

Dear reader,

Our access to web content is free, because we believe in equality in information, regardless of whether someone can pay or not. Therefore, in order to continue our work, we ask for the support of our community of readers by financially supporting the Free Press. Become a member of Sloboden Pechat to help the facilities that will enable us to deliver long-term and quality information and TOGETHER let's ensure a free and independent voice that will ALWAYS BE ON THE PEOPLE'S SIDE.

SUPPORT A FREE PRESS.
WITH AN INITIAL AMOUNT OF 60 DENARS

Video of the day