Do you want to start feeding your baby? Here are the proper gradient steps to do just that

Child Nutrition

In the first year of life, the baby's weight increases three times the birth weight, which makes the process of proper nutrition and the focus on it by the mother during this period the cornerstone of the child's health as it follows from the stages. The experts add that breastfeeding (breast milk) is the optimal food for the first six months, and the most beneficial nutritional formula, and infant formula shares with breast milk a set of nutrients that have been added to support it to resemble as much as possible with breast milk, especially with the nutrients that have the largest share, such as proteins and carbohydrates, which are In the form of milk sugar ( lactose ), minerals such as zinc and calcium , important vitamins such as the B complex vitamins, and vitamins A, C, E, and D, so in cases is not possible during breastfeeding. Natural , formula milk is a good option.

Want to start feeding your baby? Here are the proper scaling steps for doing this

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises to start feeding the child and introducing another food besides breast milk and infant formula after six months, and this varies from child to another, and the academy adds that the child is 7 years old 8 months he will be able to eat most of the food groups and this includes meat, grains, cheeses, vegetables, and fruits.

How do you judge it is time to start introducing food into the child's system?

The first sign of the child's readiness to eat can be taken when he can sit on a chair , and he can control the position of his head and control his neck upright and then when he opens his mouth to receive the food coming towards him, or move and show interest when seeing Food is in the hands of others, and it is also possible to start when making sure that it is able to move the food towards the pharynx, as children usually at the beginning of receiving food refer it to poor control over the tongue and directions, and this is normal, and it is worth noting that the food should gradually increase its density from breast milk and beyond, as well as when it doubles The weight of the baby for the first time, and it is after about four months, this is also a good milestone to judge the readiness of the child.

What and when to start

It is preferable to continue breastfeeding even after the fourth month, and it is up to four cups per day, taking into account starting with simple food. The solidification and gradually reduce the water or milk. The child is given a variety of grains and is not limited to rice, for example, so that the child's body does not accumulate a single mineral, after which vegetables and fruits are added to the system pureed, without salt or sugar, and it is preferable to enter one food at a time and wait 3-5 days to test the child's allergy And notice the presence of rash or diarrhea , and then more than one type can be introduced at the same time, and it is important to provide the child with iron and zinc, which are very important elements in the first year of life, which can be obtained from puree meat, Cereals, or iron-fortified breakfast cereals

Some notes when starting to introduce food to the child

It is preferable to mix cooked grains such as rice or others with milk or water to facilitate swallowing, and mashing vegetables and fruits is very important for the child until they become smooth, and when choosing hard vegetables and fruits such as carrots and apples, they may require cooking first to facilitate mashing, and it is preferable to cut food into small pieces, especially vegetables and fruits. Round in shape, like grapes and tomatoes, as for the fingers, like sausages, it is advisable to cut them into long slices, rather than circular, so as not to stick to the throat and cause suffocation.

References [+]

1. ↑ "Infant Nutrition: The First 6 Months", www.webmd.com, Retrieved 2020-06-15. Edited.
2. ↑ "When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods", www.cdc.gov, Retrieved 08/08/2020. Edited.
3. ↑ "Starting Solid Foods", www.healthychildren.org, Retrieved 2020-06-07. Edited.
4. ↑ "Solid foods: How to get your baby started", www.mayoclinic.org, Retrieved 2020-06-07. Edited.
5. ↑ "When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods", www.cdc.gov, Retrieved 2020-06-07. Edited.