It is a very important and critical period for the health of the baby, when the baby's growth is very rapid, from the 6th month to the 2nd year of life, and the baby moves from breastfeeding to family meals.
Nutrition Period
Complementary feeding is a very important and critical period for baby's health, when babies switch from breastfeeding to family meals, in a period from the 6th month to the 2nd year of age, when the growth and development of the baby is very rapid.
Mistakes made during this period can lead to growth retardation, various micronutrient deficiencies and obesity in babies. In addition, careless complementary feeding can cause infections and disrupt the child's growth. Nutritional habits acquired during this period can last a lifetime.
Various doctors and hospitals may have different types of recommendations and approaches during the complementary feeding period. What I will tell you here are the general principles recommended by WHO (World Health Organization) for the complementary feeding period.
Transition to the Complementary Feeding Period
Breastfeeding maintains its importance during the complementary feeding period. Starting complementary foods earlier than the 6th month has no advantage over starting complementary foods after the 6th month, and if hygiene conditions are not good, it may increase infections in the baby and deprive the baby from receiving valuable breast milk. During this six-month period, mothers may sometimes worry that their milk is not enough for the baby. For this reason, it is very important to monitor the healthy child at appropriate intervals and to determine how the baby is gaining weight and to provide the mother with self-confidence in this regard. In some cases, if the baby was fed with formula instead of breast milk due to some unlucky circumstances, supplementary feedings can be started from the 4th month.
Babies can start to sit without or with support as of the 6th month, with the development of muscle controls, and their swallowing functions develop. Additionally, complete digestion of food is also improved. The pushing of solid foods with the tongue, which is seen in younger babies, disappears and the baby becomes ready for different tastes and foods. When the baby first starts feeding, he may push some foods with his tongue. However, mothers This situation can disappear if they are patient while feeding their babies.
An issue that is most emphasized during the complementary feeding period is that babies should not be forced to feed and should be fed according to their feelings of hunger (responsive feeding). Nutrition is very important in mutual communication between mother and baby in order to prevent the development of anorexia. The mother should evaluate the baby's feeling of hunger carefully and should not use nutrition as a means of rewarding positive behavior. Having your baby's own fork, spoon and plate, trying to imitate mom and dad while eating by playing with them, and using a high chair from the early stages will improve his/her self-feeding behavior. The baby does not always like to passively eat the food put into his mouth. Forcing the baby to eat in this way can sometimes cause him to reject even the foods he loves. 8-9 month old babies develop finger grasping and can take their favorite soft foods in this way. Lately; There are increasing studies on the type of feeding (Baby-Led feeding) in which the baby has full control from the 6th month and only eats the food put in front of him with fingers or a spoon. Although there are studies showing that this type of feeding reduces the mother's worries about the baby's nutrition and reduces the risk of babies becoming obese in the future, new research is needed on this subject.
In order to protect against infectious diarrhea during the complementary feeding period, hygiene should be emphasized and bottle feeding should be avoided as much as possible. . A feeding bottle should not be used, if used, it should be cleaned very well, and a bottle sterilizer should be used if necessary. In fact, the bottle is not recommended for the baby who is switching to solid foods. It can disrupt oral and tooth development. If a pacifier is used, it should be used mostly at night while falling asleep; if used during the day, care should be taken to clean it. Hand washing should be done after changing the baby's diaper and before feeding, and the soap should be rotated in the hand for 15-20 seconds. I would also like to talk about food safety here. Unfortunately, nowadays we are confused about which food to trust. Issues such as used pecticides, environmental pollution, and GMO foods are dangerous for our developing babies. It forms ke. In order to minimize the harm, it may be beneficial for mothers to prepare seasonal vegetables and fruits for their babies, to wash them well, and to choose local producers when purchasing these products.
During this period, foods are started one by one, and the amounts are gradually increased, from one tablespoon. In 3 days, it is increased until it reaches one glass of water. Food allergies may occur in the baby with symptoms such as rashes, rashes, abdominal swelling, gas, etc., and the mother should be alert to these symptoms. Although the baby's rejection of a food may indicate that he or she may be allergic to that food, it is recommended to patiently reintroduce the new food 10-15 times at separate intervals in order for the baby to get used to different tastes. New studies recommend that allergenic foods (egg, sesame, fish, etc.) be introduced to the baby from an early age.
In this period of rapid growth and development of babies, in order to meet the energy needs of babies, the consistency of the first foods they start should be at least puree-like rather than watery. It is necessary to have. In addition, babies have low stomach capacity and will be able to meet their energy needs by eating foods with dense consistency. Prepared foods should be of a consistency that will not spill when placed on a spoon. In order to meet the baby's energy needs, mixed feeding can be preferred if the baby likes it. For example, adding molasses and cereal spoon food into a fruit puree will increase the iron content. Breast milk meets half of the baby's energy needs in the first year of life, and one-third of the baby's energy needs at 1-2 years of age. For a 6-8 month old baby, 220 kcal of additional calories per day, for a 9-11 month old baby of 330 kcal, and for 12-23 months of age, 550 kcal of additional calories per day should be given. If the mother has approximate calorie information, she can implement a creative diet with various food groups, or the pediatrician who monitors the baby can help the mother in this regard. A nutrition list given to the mother by the doctor telling her to eat at this time may do more harm than good, because the main thing in nutrition is the baby's wishes. While mothers want to feed the baby what is on the list, if there is pressure; This situation may increase the mother's anxiety and lead to babies with poor appetite.
Foods After reaching the puree consistency, it should be gradually mashed with a fork. In the following months, you can switch to shredded foods. Using a blender is not recommended. Because the baby needs to get used to foods of certain consistency. If the baby cannot get used to lumpy foods by 10 months, it will be very difficult to get used to it after that.
The frequency of complementary feeding is 2 main meals in addition to the mother's breastfeeding at 6-8 months, 2-3 main meals for the 9-11 month old baby. There should be 2 snacks, and in 12-23 months there should be 3 main meals and 2-3 snacks. Snacks can be finger foods, such as boiled eggs or home-cooked french fries made in olive oil. These foods will also improve the baby's coordination of bringing the food to the mouth while eating and will support the baby's development.
The quality of the food contents must be taken into consideration. A diet rich in protein, fat and various micronutrients should be provided. In this period, it is very important to consume plenty of iron in food to prevent iron deficiency. It is appropriate to introduce meat into the diet at an early stage. For example, minced meat can be added to baby's purees from an early age. Chicken and fish are also rich in iron. Egg yolk, lamb liver, and cereal foods also contain plenty of iron. In order to increase the absorption of iron found in plant-based foods, it should be given to the baby along with foods rich in vitamin C.
Vitamin A should also be taken in large amounts with foods. Dark yellow and green leafy vegetables, egg yolk and lamb liver are very rich in vitamin A. Zinc is an important micronutrient to take. Zinc is actually abundant in iron-rich foods. Overcooking meat reduces the amount of zinc.
Some Recommendations during the Complementary Nutrition Period
- Do not prepare spicy meals.
- The amount of salt should not be excessive.
- It is appropriate to give cow's milk after the 9th month, and if possible after one year of age.
- Fruit juice is not used in nutrition. It should be given to older children in the form of whole fruit, and to younger babies in the form of puree.
- Use a glass grater instead of a blender in the early stages.
- When making vegetable puree, use a little water, just enough to cover the vegetables. Steaming is also a suitable method.
- Do not deprive your babies of foods such as eggs and fish because they are allergens. Share complaints such as allergic skin rashes and gas with your pediatrician.
- Fats are important in baby nutrition. When preparing foods, use olive oil and butter once or twice a week.
- Babies can be fed from a healthy family table after the age of 1. Therefore, it makes it easier for them to switch to main meals with the family from 8-9 months of age and to imitate their parents.
- During the complementary feeding period, water should be given to the baby after feeding, if desired.
- It is packaged outside like baby biscuits. Let's not use foods with high sugar content, broth broths or ready-made foods in our diet.
- We should never use microwaves while preparing foods.
In summary, the period of complementary feeding is very important for the health, growth and development of the baby. It is an important period. During this period, mothers being patient and creative and feeding their babies in mutual communication will prevent problems such as obesity, poor appetite, etc. in the future.
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