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Starting Your Baby On Solid Food

By: Steven Chang Home | Home-and-Family


Most mothers and fathers are eager to begin feeding their infants with solid foods. Physiologically speaking, an infant is prepared for solid foods once he or she is drinking over 32 oz (960ml) of milk each day and does not appear to be satisfied. Typically, a normal full-term baby can thrive on an iron-fortified milk formulation or breast milk without the inclusion of any solid food until age 6 months. By then, the baby's gastrointestinal system is ready to take in soft foods.


At 4-6 months of age, infants can be fed with iron-fortified cereals. That is preferred simply because it is the the very least allergenic type of food and quickly digestible. It helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia. Cereals ought to be combined in a child's bowl with ample fluid (breast milk or infant formula may be added) to make the food fairly liquid. Cereals should certainly not be mixed with milk and given to the child from the bottle because by doing so, it would be required to cut a bigger hole in the nipple for the mixture to pass through and there is a danger of aspiration if a too big hole is cut.


At 6-7 months, vegetables may be started to the infant. Vegetables are simply cooked and blended or strained so it does not need to be chewed. These are excellent sources of Vitamin A with greater iron content. Parents must not add butter since infants have difficulty digesting fats. Adding salt and sugar is also unnecessary. If store-bought food is used, transfer the food into another plate . Do not feed directly from the jar because this will facilitate transfer of salivary enzymes and microorganisms from the infant's mouth to the jar. And if the mother or father keeps the jar for a different serving, bacteria will quickly multiply in it. It is recommended that infant food jars ought to be refrigerated after opening, and must be consumed no later than 48 hours after they have been opened.


At 8 months, the baby can now be fed with fruits. Fruits are packed with Vitamin A, and are additionally the finest source for Vitamin C. Raw mashed banana is easy to prepare with only a fork; peaches are quickly prepared in a blender.


At 9 months, soft ground meats and mashed egg yolks can be given to infants. These are great sources of protein. Parents should know that egg white contains the majority of protein, while egg yolk comprises iron. But egg yolk by itself ought to be given initially , because protein of the egg white could lead to allergy and are hard to digest.


At 10-12 months, infants can eat regular table food. Mashed potatoes and peas and cut-off meatloaf are examples of table meals that infants like to eat and busy parents can swiftly prep.


It is vital for mothers and fathers to know that when giving new foods to the baby, they should introduce one food at a time, permitting 5 to 7 days before introducing a new food. In doing so, parents can pinpoint possible food allergies. Otherwise, if two new food items are introduced at the same time and the infant developed hypersensitive reactions to the food, it will be definetely challenging to know which one is the suspect. Introducing foods one at a time also helps to establish a trust in infants, because it minimizes the number of new encounters in any one day. Additionally, parents ought to be reminded that their food choice for the infant must not be based on their personal likes and dislikes. Their own dislike of a specific vegetable, for example, does not imply their child will feel the same way about it.




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