There is no doubt that mothers attach great importance to their baby's diet.
Because of the importance, there are often many questions in the mind.
Why do infants and young children need to add complementary foods?
What are the principles for adding complementary foods?
We're here to answer both of these questions for moms.
There are 4 major reasons why infants and young children add complementary foods
1. Milk can no longer meet the baby's growth needs
After 6 months, the nutrients obtained from breast milk or formula milk powder alone can no longer meet the needs of the baby's growth and development, and complementary foods must be added to help the baby take in balanced and sufficient nutrition in time to meet the needs of growth and development.
2. Be prepared for "weaning"
Baby food supplements, also known as weaning foods, do not mean only the foods used by the baby when weaning, but the "transitional" foods added in the period from single milk feeding to full "weaning".
3. Train the ability to swallow
From getting used to sucking milk to eating solid foods close to adults, babies need to have a gradual process of adaptation. From sucking to chewing and swallowing, your baby will need to learn another way to eat, which usually takes half a year or more.
4. Cultivate chewing ability
As the baby grows older, the mucous membrane of his teeth gradually becomes harder, especially after growing out of the teeth, if he is given softened semi-solid food in time, he will learn to chew food with his gums or teeth. The development of the chewing function is conducive to the development of the jaw and the eruption of deciduous teeth.
Six principles for food supplementation
1. The practice of complementary foods should be from thin to thick
For example, add rice noodles, add more water at the beginning of the blend, so that the rice flour paste is relatively thin, as the baby gradually grows up, and then gradually increases the consistency. Don't make the rice noodles thick at the beginning, otherwise your baby won't like it. For other complementary foods, it can gradually transition from mud paste to granular, small pieces, etc.
2. The amount of complementary food fed to the baby each time should be from less to more
Since a new flavor has just been added, the baby may not be very accustomed to it, and the mother can gradually transition from the amount. Don't feed too much at first, such as one or two spoonfuls, then to three or four spoons, etc., slowly, and then increase to a small half bowl, or even more.
3. The types of complementary foods added should be from one to more
Mothers must not add several complementary foods at once, which will more likely cause adverse reactions. After adding a new food each time, the mother should pay attention to the baby's feces and skin allergies, and everything is normal within 3-5 days before changing to another new food.
If you have symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, red skin or rash, you should stop feeding this food immediately and take your baby to the doctor in time.
4. Do not replace dairy products with complementary foods soon
Some mothers feel that the baby can eat complementary foods, so they take complementary foods as the baby's staple food, and usually rarely feed the baby's milk. However, some of the nutrients in milk are not available in complementary foods.
Within 6 months, the baby's staple food should still be mainly breast milk or formula, and complementary foods can only be used as a supplementary food.
5. It is not advisable to feed your baby liquid or puree food for a long time
Some mothers will feel that the baby's appetite and swallowing ability are limited, and some foods that need to be chewed, such as noodles, should be fed when the baby is one or two years old, and now only need to feed puree foods such as rice flour.
It is not known that this will make the baby miss the critical period of developing the ability to chew, which may lead to the baby's difficulty in chewing food.
6. Create a pleasant eating environment
When feeding complementary food to the baby, it is best to choose when the baby is in a better mood or awake, the mother should also smile, let the baby feel amiable, and tell the baby that this is a good thing, very nutritious, and encourage the baby to eat. When your baby expresses his reluctance to eat, he must not be forced to eat, otherwise it will be easier to aggravate his dislike of complementary foods.
The addition of complementary foods is exquisite, and mothers should follow the principles.
Step by step, you can successfully complete the food conversion.
Scientifically add complementary foods to lay the foundation for the health of your baby's life!