Adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to promote optimal growth, health, and behavioral development, which is a new skill, as some children learn to accept new foods and textures more quickly than others, so keep trying and give the infant plenty of encouragement and praise. Solid foods "complementary feeding" must be introduced to the infant when he is about 6 months old, giving the baby a variety of foods along with breast-feeding or formula milk from about 6 months of age. This will prepare the child for a healthier life.
After a child reaches two years of age, it is very difficult to reverse the negative impact that occurred earlier. The direct consequences of malnutrition during these formative years include significant morbidity and mortality rates and delays in mental and motor development. In the long term, early undernutrition is associated with poor intellectual performance and the ability to Employment and reproductive outcomes and general health during adolescence and adulthood.
Duration of breastfeeding and age:
- The child needs to be breastfed only from birth to 6 months, and to introduce complementary foods after 6 months, while continuing to breastfeed, as complementary feeding targets children from 6 months to 24 months.
Wait until 6 months of age:
- Breast milk or infant formula provides the energy and nutrients a baby needs until they are about 6 months old (with the exception of vitamin D in some cases).
- Exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age will help protect the baby from diseases and infections.
- Waiting until about 6 months gives the baby enough time to develop until he can fully handle solid foods.
- The child will be better able to feed himself.
- The child will be able to move the food around in his mouth, chew and swallow it better.
Signs that the baby is ready to start complementary feeding:
There are three clear signs that, when they appear together from about 6 months of age, show that the baby is ready for their first solid foods along with breast milk or infant formula.
- Remain seated and hold his head steady.
- Coordinating their eyes, hands, and mouth so that they can look at the food and pick it up and put it in their mouths themselves.
- Swallow the food (instead of spitting it out).
Amount of complementary food required:
- Starting at the age of 6 months with small amounts of food and increasing the quantity at the beginning.
- The baby will only need a small amount of food before being fed regular milk.
- You don't have to worry about how much a child eats, as the most important thing is to get them used to new tastes and textures, learn how to move solid foods around in the mouth and how to swallow them.
- The baby will still get most of its energy and nutrients from breast milk or infant formula.
- The total energy requirements for healthy breastfed infants are approximately 615 kcal/day at 6-8 months of age, 686 kcal/day at 9-11 months of age, and 894 kcal/day at 12-23 months of age.
Baby needs when starting complementary feeding:
- The child needs to sit securely upright (so that they can swallow properly).
- Always use a securely fastened seat belt in the highchair and never leave the child unattended on elevated surfaces.
2- Plastic Aprons:
- Soft weaning spoon to be gentle on baby's gums.
- Small plastic bowl.
- A dedicated cup should be offered a cup from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals; To help the child learn to drink.
- Place a rug under the child's feeding chair.
3- Food consistency:
- Gradually increasing the consistency and variety of food as the infant grows older, and adapts to the child's needs and abilities, as children can eat mashed foods starting from six months.
- By 8 months, most babies can also eat "finger foods" (snacks they can eat on their own).
- At 12 months, most children can eat the same types of foods as the rest of the family (subject to the need for nutrient-dense foods).
- Avoid foods that may cause choking (eg: grapes, nuts, fresh carrots, etc.).
4- Number of meals:
- For a normal breastfed baby, meals should be offered 2-3 times daily at 6-8 months and 3-4 times daily at 9-11 and 12-24 months, with additional nutritious snacks may be offered once or twice daily as desired, If the baby is no longer breastfed, more frequent feedings may be required.
5- Nutritional content:
- A variety of other foods should be added to the staple food each day to provide other nutrients.
- Foods from animals or fish are good sources of protein, iron and zinc. Liver also provides vitamin A and folic acid. Egg yolks are a good source of protein and vitamin A.
- Dairy products (such as milk, cheese, and yogurt) are good sources of calcium, protein, energy, and B vitamins.
- Legumes, peas, beans, lentils, peanuts and soybeans are good sources of protein and some iron.
- Eating sources of vitamin C (such as: tomatoes, citrus fruits, other fruits, and green leafy vegetables) at the same time helps iron absorption.
- Orange-colored fruits and vegetables (such as carrots, pumpkin, mangoes, papaya) and dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach) are rich in carotene, from which vitamin A and vitamin C are also made.
- Fats and oils are concentrated sources of energy and some of the essential fats that children need for growth.
- Plant-based complementary foods by themselves do not provide enough iron and zinc to meet all the needs of an infant or young child between the ages of 6 and 23 months. Animal-sourced foods that contain sufficient iron and zinc are needed instead. Fortified foods or micronutrient supplements can fill some critical nutrient gaps.
- Fat is important in the diets of infants and young children because it provides them with essential fatty acids, facilitates the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and enhances the diet.
- Sugar is a concentrated source of energy but does not contain other nutrients. It can also damage children's teeth and lead to weight gain and obesity.
- You should avoid sugar and sugary drinks (ex: soda); Because it reduces the child's appetite for more nutritious and healthy foods.
- Tea and coffee contain compounds that can interfere with iron absorption and are not recommended for young children.
Infant feeding from birth to 6 months of age:
Breast milk is the best food that an infant can eat during the first six months of his life. Formula milk is the only appropriate alternative when a mother is not breastfeeding her infant. Other types of milk or milk alternatives, including fresh cow's milk, should not be offered to the baby until the age of 12 months.
Children's vitamins:
- It is recommended that breast-fed babies be given a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D from birth, whether the mother takes a vitamin D supplement.
- Babies who drink 500ml (about a pint) or more of formula a day should not be given a vitamin supplement because the formula is fortified with Vitamin D and other nutrients.
- All children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years should be given a vitamin supplement containing vitamins A, C, and D every day.
Complementary foods and feeding frequency for infants 6-12 months:
6 months old: 2-3 times a day
- Start with small amounts of food (only a few pieces, or teaspoons of food).
- Provide food for the child before feeding him with the usual milk, because he may not be interested if he feels full, but you should not wait until the child feels very hungry.
- You can start with individual fruits and vegetables.
- Cow's milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months of age but should not be consumed as a drink until the child is one year old.
- Full-fat dairy products (such as pasteurized cheese and plain yogurt) can be given from approximately 6 months of age.
- They don't need salt or sugar added to their food.
- Ground and cooked grains or drinks (such as: rice, corn, oats, and barley).
- Banana mash, mashed potato, mashed cereal, mashed eggs, mashed avocado and mashed mango.
9 months old: 3-4 times a day
- Cooked beans.
- Banana slices.
- Small pieces of watermelon.
- Sliced cooked eggs.
- Grated coconut.
- Minced meat.
12 months old: 3-4 meals and 2 snacks
- Whole eggs.
- Soft, cooked meat.
- Soup.
- Small pieces of fruit, including citrus fruits
- Small pieces of cooked vegetables, including tomatoes
- Fresh milk or powdered milk.
Basic food safety and hygiene tips:
- Always wash hands before preparing food and keep surfaces clean.
- Refrigerate hot food and test it before giving it to a child.
- Wash and peel raw fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid hard foods (eg: whole nuts, raw carrots, or apples).
- Remove hard cores from fruit and bones from meat or fish.
- Cut small, round foods (such as grapes and cherry tomatoes) into small pieces.
- Always stay with the child when eating in case he starts to choke.
- Learn how to help a choking child (first aid for choking).
- Choking is different from vomiting. A child may vomit when solid foods are introduced. This is because they are learning how to handle solid foods and regulate the amount of food they can manage to chew and swallow at one time.
Nutrition during and after illness:
- Increase fluid intake during illness including frequent breastfeeding, and
- Encouraging the child to eat soft, varied, tasty and favorite foods. After illness, give him more food than usual and encourage him to eat more food.
- Ensure that the nutritional needs of infants are met by complementary foods:
- Timely: that is, it is introduced when the need for energy and nutrients exceeds what can be provided through exclusive breastfeeding.
- Adequate: They provide enough energy, protein, and micronutrients to meet the nutritional needs of a growing child.
- Safe: hygienically stored and prepared, fed with clean hands using clean utensils.
- Proper nutrition: It is given in accordance with the signals of appetite and satiety in the child, and that the frequency of meals and feeding is appropriate for age.
Respond to the child when indicating fullness. This may be by closing his mouth tightly or turning his head away and not forcing him to eat.