Introducing solid foods to your baby can be confusing.
For starters, many mothers question when is a good
time, what food should be offered, how much should
be given, and in what sequence.
Many pediatricians are of the view that solid food
should be delayed to after 6 months of life irrespective
if the baby is breast-fed or formula-fed. Till 6 months
let your baby continue exclusively on milk.
Solid
foods can be started as early as 4 or
5 months. You don't have to wait till
your baby is exactly 6 months to get
started. |
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Why not Before 4 months..
In majority of cases introducing your baby
to solids before her 4th month is not advisable.
There are several reasons why you should not feed
your baby any solid food before 4 months:
• For one mother's or formula milk is sufficiently
laden with the required nutrients to feed your baby
in the first 6 months of life.
• Secondly your baby's stomach is not equipped
to digest the protein found in solids, which may cause
an allergic reaction. A baby's stomach needs some
more time to mature so allow that time.
• Thirdly your baby is not neurologically mature
to feed on solids safely. At present she still has
her primitive extrusion reflex which is ideal for
nursing because milk can move easily from the mouth
to the end of the throat; solid foods can't. As a
result your baby will spit out clearly showing she
is not ready.
• The other reason why most caretakers are keen
to start earlier is the belief that cereals help a
child sleep through the night. There is no scientific
evidence in support of this so it is best to wait
till your baby is ready.
Why not Long after 6 months..
In most cases it is not recommended that you delay
giving your baby solids till she is much older than
6 months.
• Firstly breast milk or formula is not fortified
with enough iron to meet your baby's growing needs.
Though milk still remains the staple, your baby needs
to get her minerals from other sources, and this becomes
significantly obvious after the 6th month.
• Secondly if solids are delayed beyond 9 months,
your baby will grow accustomed to liquids and resist
eating textured foods preferring fluids all the time.
• Thirdly your baby at this age is more open
to new experiences than an older baby and will have
more time to adjust to this new experience if she
is started early enough.
• Finally babies absorb iron in cereal better
than the iron in drops.
Babies
take their time in experiencing food
for their new flavors and textures.
Eating solids is an important milestone,
a time to explore through sensory play.
Expect mess - it is an inevitable part
of learning! |
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When is Baby ready for
Solids?
There are some specific physical and developmental
milestones that can help gauge if your baby is ready
for solids. Teeth are not necessary but the information
below will help you assess your baby's readiness:
• Baby is between 4 and 6 months old.
• Baby shows interest in what you are eating
and is willing to try some.
• Baby has doubled her birth weight.
• Baby can hold her head upright unaided and
turn from side to side.
• Baby can sit up with aid or on her own.
• Baby can communicate when she is full.
• Baby wants to feed more often.
• Baby shows interest in wanting more even after
her milk feed.
• Baby doesn't push the spoon out of her mouth
and the food goes from the front of her mouth to the
back of her throat and she swallows it.
Babies
show cues to end the feeding session.
Baby will turn her head away from the
food source, close or clench her mouth,
spit out food or becomes fretful when
she wants no more. |
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Things You should Know
• Infants have an inborn tongue-thrust reflex
which functions to help prevent choking and this reflex
continues to be strong until around the 5th - 6th
month.
• Babies swallow differently from a bottle,
from a cup, from a straw, (what more from food).
• Expect your baby to gag, cough a few times
in the start. Once she develops better tongue control,
swallowing without gagging becomes smoother. Just
watch your baby carefully to be sure she doesn't choke.
• Use the 'rule of fist' as your lifelong guide
when it comes to apportioning food. Your baby's stomach
is the size of her tiny fist, just as our stomachs
are the size of our grown - up fists. It won't take
much for your baby to be satisfied so avoid overestimating.
• Don't worry about her calorie intake if she's
not eating well. Half of her daily calories will continue
to come from milk at this stage.
• Iron is essential for baby's learning and
development. Your baby benefits for about 6 months
from the iron stores acquired when she was inside
the womb. The stores run out after this period and
baby needs to be supplemented with this mineral from
solid foods since milk alone cannot provide it.
