SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING

FOR INFANTS

Child Nutrition

Child Nutrition • When you pick solid foods for your

baby to include foods from all groups of the food pyramid, including veggies, fruits, meats, dairy, and healthy grains.

• Babies also need the right amount of nutrition to grow and develop into bright and healthy toddlers.

Child’s Food Pyramid

When do you start a baby on

solid foods?

Preferably, 6 months old.

When baby is young, her body is designed to have breast milk, or a similar substitute, because breast milk is the best source of nutrients for the baby.

If you start a baby on solid foods too early, she will be missing out on the vital nutrients she needs in the early stages.

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD START A BABY

ON SOLID FOODS WHEN THEY ARE 6 MONTHS OLD

… … … … …

A baby’s digestive system isn’t able to cope with solid foods until she reaches 6 months.

She lacks some important enzymes that help digest carbohydrates and fats.

A baby’s throat muscles aren’t developed to swallow properly.

Until the age of 6 months, a baby’s natural reaction is to push her tongue forward, instead of moving food towards the throat to swallow.

A baby needs to have a way of telling you that she is full – when a baby is breastfeeding she usually falls asleep, when feeding on solids she will turn her head, and this only develops around the 6th month mark.

SIGNS OF

READINESS FOR

SOLID FOODS

☺She is about 6 months old and weighs twice her birth weight.

☺She can sit with support and can lean forward

☺She has control over her head and neck muscles and can turn her head to refuse food.

☺She has stopped the extrusion reflex, (sticking her tongue out), when you put a spoon in her mouth.

☺She is drinking at least 32 to 40 ounces of formula, and still wants more, or the mother is breastfeeding her 8-10 times a day.

☺Shows interest in others eating around her.

☺She wakes up in the middle of the night when she used to sleep through.

HOW MUCH FOOD

DOES A BABY NEED?

☼Start with a once-daily feeding when introducing

solids to a baby.

☼Have feedings when it’s convenient for both you and

the baby – make sure you are not pressed for time or that

the baby is not cranky or tired.

SIGNS THAT THE BABY IS

FULL

She leans back.

She turns her head away – if the baby turns away from food, don’t push.

Baby doesn’t open her mouth.

Lack of interest in food.

TAKE NOTE:

By the time the baby is 8 months old, she should be eating three solid meals a day.

MOMMY WHAT

SHOULD I EAT?

• At 4 to 6 months, the best solid food to introduce to an infant’s feeding schedule is plain infant cereal fortified with iron.

• Rice cereal is a food starter food for an infant, as it is free of gluten and also has a low allergy risk.

• Mix cereal with milk in order to make a semi-liquid that is easy to digest.

• If the baby doesn’t seem interested in the cereal, let her smell and taste it first using her hands.

• Never add solids to a bottle of milk because it can pose a choking hazard and also confuses the two processes of eating liquids and solids.

• From 5 to 7 months, introduce vegetables, which are an excellent source of fiber, such as peas, squash, green and yellow beans, as well as carrots and potatoes

• Once the baby reaches 7 to 12 months, it’s a good time to start introducing sources of protein like mashed up chicken or other meat, as well as milk products like yogurt and cheese.

• Finger foods like unsalted crackers and bread crusts are other foods your baby is now able to digest.

• Remember that even after introducing solids to your infant, you should continue with breast milk up until your baby is about one year old, in order to provide a supplementary source of vitamins, iron and protein.

• Make sure to limit fatty foods during the first year of the baby’s life, in order to make sure their diet is healthy and full of nutrition they need to grow.

• Foods that can pose choking hazards should also be avoided.

• Foods that can cause an allergic reaction should be avoided for at least the first year of life.

SIGNS OFA

FOOD ALLERGY

╬Rashes

╬Vomiting

╬Diarrhea

╬Stomach Pain

╬Breathing Problems

HOW TO YOU INTRODUCE

OTHER SOLID FOOD

Introduce other solids gradually, one at a time, waiting at least three days after each new food.

Even though it’s a good idea to get a baby accustomed to eating a wide variety of foods, it’ll take time for her to get used to each new texture and taste.

Each baby will have a unique food preferences, but the transition should go something like this:

Semi-liquid CerealsStrained or Mashed Fruits and

Vegetables Finely Chopped Table Foods, including Meat and Other Protein Sources

When the baby has mastered cereal, offer a few tablespoons of vegetables or fruit in the same meal as a cereal feeding.

All food should be strained or mushy – at this stage the baby will press the food against the top of his mouth and then swallow.

If you’re feeding the baby from ready-to-eat jars of baby food, scoops some into a little dish and feed her from that.

Some experts recommend introducing yellow fruits and vegetables first because they’re the easiest to digest, but others advise going green from the start so that the baby doesn’t develop a preference for the sweeter taste of the yellow foods.

Don’t be surprised if the baby’s stool change color and odor when you add solids to her diet.

If the stools seem to firm, switch to other fruits and vegetables and oatmeal or barley cereal.

HOW CAN YOU HELP A BABY DEVELOP HEALTHY EATING

HABITS?

• Don’t overfeed the baby – watch for cues that he’s full.

• Don’t try to make the baby eat food he doesn’t like – respect his preferences and avoid power struggles over food.

• Try to provide a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables – use sweets, salts, and fats in moderation.

• Avoid fast food for as long as possible.

• Don’t bribe or reward your child with food – instead, offer plenty of hugs, kisses, and attention.

• Feed your baby in his highchair whenever possible rather than in front of the television or on the go.

ORGANIC VS. CONVENTIONAL

FOOD

HOW TO MAKE your own

Do I still need to give my baby breast milk or formula?

Y E S the baby will need breast milk or formula until he’s a year old.

Both provides important vitamins, iron, and protein in an easy-to-digest form.

Solid food can’t replace all the nutrients that breast milk or formula provides during the first year.

EQUIPMENTS NEEDED TO FEED THE BABY

HIGH CHAIR

RUBBER TIPPED SPOON

AND BOWL

BIB

WHERE SHOULD YOU

FEED THE BABY?

☺To establish good eating habits – like eating at the table instead in front of the television – it’s a good idea to feed your baby in his highchair whenever you can.

☺Handing him finger foods on the run can also cause him to choke (not to mention trail mashed banana across the carpet).

☺If your baby isn’t ready for a highchair, seat him in your lap – just make sure he’s upright enough to swallow well.

THE END