Nutrition In Infancy

During the past few months, you have been meeting your baby´s nutrition needs with breast milk, infant formula or a combination of both. You have experienced that feeding is a natural time for you and your baby to get to know and enjoy each other. Most young infants grow rapidly, have an excellent appetite and parents or grandparents find it a delight to feed them. Between four and six months of age, the mature suck is refined and munching movements (up and down chopping motion) begin. Your baby´s tongue is now able to move the food safely from the front to the back of the mouth to allow swallowing with less risk of choking. This is a good time to begin to offer infant cereals and baby foods. Most doctors recommend introducing solid foods to babies between the ages of 4 and 6 months as most babies are ready to sit and accept spoon feeding. Avoid feeding solid foods through formula bottled unless specifically recommended by your doctor.

Infant cereal is introduced first because it offers a good source of iron. Begin with iron fortified single grain infant cereal. Rice cereal can be started first, followed by barley and then oat cereal. You can mix the cereal with breast milk, infant formula or water . At first, make the cereal thin so that it will be easy for your baby to swallow. As the baby gets used to the new texture you can add less liquid to the cereal. When your baby is about 6 months old, you may mix cereal with fruit juice.

Thereafter, a variety of commercially or home prepared foods may be offered. After your baby begins to enjoy cereal try strained fruits and vegetables. They are important sources of vitamins and minerals and also add variety to your baby´s diet by providing new colors, textures, smells and tastes. The sequence in which these foods are introduced is not important. What is important is that only one food is introduced at a time over a period of 4 to 5 days before introducing another food. This allows you to be sure that your baby tolerates the new food. Also, it is best to start a new food in the morning. If it doesn´t agree with your baby you will most probably find out before night. The whole process of introducing cereal, fruits, vegetables and meats may take several months. You may also repeat a food already given.

As maturation proceeds, infant´s rotary chewing develops, indicating a readiness for more textured foods. Many foods from the family menu such as well cooked mashed vegetables, casseroles and pasta can be consumed. At the same time babies learn to grasp indicating a readiness for finger foods such as oven dried toast, biscuits, etc.

During the last quarter of the first year, babies can put their lips to the rim of the cup. This makes it possible for them to drink from a cup if it is held by their parents. During the second year they gain the ability to feed. Even though messily initially, by two years most infants are skillful independent feeders.

Each baby is different, even if they may be siblings. So check with your pediatrician before making any choices.

Source: Indolink