WHO Complementary Feeding Scheme. Complementary foods: table by month. Children food

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Children's body requires extremely careful observation in the first years of life. A huge role for the baby at this time is played by complementary foods. Every mother should know how to properly enrich the diet of her child so as not to harm him. Further attention will be offered to the complementary feeding scheme according to WHO. It serves as the main assistant to parents in solving issues related to the introduction of new products into the baby's diet. In addition, we have to figure out exactly when to start feeding a newborn. You should immediately pay attention to the fact that this process is individual for each child. Therefore, it is better to find out the exact feeding scheme from the pediatrician observing the baby.

About readiness

The start of WHO complementary foods should occur at about 6 months of age. Today on the shelves of stores you can find baby food marked "3+" or "4+". Nevertheless, a clarification is necessarily written on all of them - it is not recommended to feed the baby up to six months. This is due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract. Until 6 months, the child does not develop all the necessary for assimilationadult food enzymes. Until then, it is best to limit yourself to formula or breast milk only.

Now it's clear how much to introduce complementary foods. Some pediatricians suggest introducing the baby to adult food a little later - at 7-8 months. But no more. Why?

The fact is that at about 9-10 months, the baby can get used to eating only liquid food. Then introducing solid foods will be very problematic. Therefore, it is not worth delaying the enrichment of the diet.

By feeding type

Today, pediatricians distinguish between several complementary feeding patterns. It all depends on how the newborn eats. Exclusively breastfed babies typically taste adult food at about 6 months of age. And formula-fed babies can be introduced to new foods at about 3-4 months old. This is normal.

However, the WHO complementary feeding scheme, as noted, provides for the start of complementary foods at six months. And not before. Until this time, it is possible to introduce the baby to new products (with mixed or artificial feeding), but with extreme caution. In addition, only certain products are allowed to be used.

About complementary feeding system

To date, WHO has developed only three types of complementary foods. We are talking about vegetables, cereals and meat. What about fruits? Today, WHO does not have any specific recommendations. However, the early introduction of fruit purees is best delayed. It is preferable to introduce such products after vegetables andporridge.

First of all, this is due to the fact that up to 8-9 months the child's body will not be able to properly absorb raw fruits and juices. All the bacteria necessary for this will appear in the baby after eating cereals and vegetables.

Besides, according to some parents, when fruit puree is introduced before vegetable puree, then problems can begin. Vegetables are not as tasty as fruits. Accordingly, the child will simply refuse vegetable purees.

WHO does not consider kefir a complementary food as it is not a solid food. But this does not mean that this product is excluded from the children's diet. The WHO complementary feeding scheme includes kefir from about 8 months, but only as a supplement. But milk up to a year is not recommended to be given in any form.

It should also be noted that any complementary feeding schemes involve a systematic increase in portions. By the year, bring portions to 100-200 grams. The first dishes for the baby should be one-component. New components should be introduced only after the child is fully accustomed to a particular product. It takes about a week.

Complementary or feeding

It is also important to understand what complementary foods are. Some confuse this term with full feeding. It is safe to say that today it is customary to transfer babies to the "common table" by the age of 1 year. However, continued breastfeeding for longer is encouraged. Fully adult diet should be available by 3 years of age.

What is complementary foods? This is the process by which the babygetting to know new food. According to the WHO, this process is characterized by feeding an infant liquids or foods in addition to breast milk or formula.

Accordingly, it is important to understand that complementary foods do not replace the main feeding. But this process must be approached very carefully and carefully. Each child's body is individual. Therefore, even the WHO recommendations on the introduction of complementary foods cannot give a 100% guarantee that the child's diet is formed correctly. Parents and pediatricians should monitor the reaction of the baby to a particular food.

Injection order

Which WHO recommendations on complementary foods will help parents not harm their baby? Today, you may be faced with the following order of introduction of products for a breastfed baby:

• vegetable purees - 6 months;
• porridge on the water - 6, 5-7 months;
• yolk and fruit puree - 8 months;
• milk porridge - about 9 months;
• meat puree, offal, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese - 9-10 months;
• baby biscuits, fish - 10 months;
• juices - 10-12 months;
• berry puree - 1 year;
• meat broth - 12 months.

Vegetable or olive oil is introduced into the baby's diet from 6 months along with cereals. It is necessary to add 1 drop to the dish, bringing the amount of oil to a teaspoon over time. Butter is introduced at 7 months - 1 gram. Further, the portion is increased to 10 grams.

Children who are on mixtures or mixedfeeding, it is necessary to feed according to similar principles. The only thing that is recommended to pay attention to is that it is better to start acquaintance with adult food at 4-5 months, since mixtures do not enrich the body with enough vitamins and minerals.

About cereals

Now a little about cereals. You can enter them a little earlier than recommended. A similar technique is allowed when the baby is small. If its weight is less than the established norms, porridge can be introduced into complementary foods. But where to start?

It is important to pay attention to the fact that the first such complementary food should be dairy-free buckwheat porridge. In principle, it is allowed to feed children any baby cereal that does not contain milk.

This dish is prepared semi-liquid, on the water. The consistency of the porridge should be homogeneous. There is no s alt, sugar or any other seasonings and spices in such complementary foods. The very first cereals are made from cereal flour.

How to proceed? It is assumed that dairy-free buckwheat porridge comes first. Next: rice, corn, oatmeal and semolina. The last porridge should be prepared for the baby no more than 1 time per week, as it has few nutrients, but a lot of gluten.

The first porridge is prepared as follows: 5 grams of cereal flour is poured into 100 milliliters of water. Grind the resulting dish. You can add a little vegetable or olive oil or breast milk to the finished porridge.

And by 9 months, you can introduce cereals with several components that are already familiar to the baby. For example, with the additionfruits or vegetables. Nestle baby food is ideal for this idea. This manufacturer has a wide variety of cereals that will surely enrich the baby's body with useful substances.

About vegetables

Now a little about mashed vegetables. Initially, they are prepared from only one vegetable. It is desirable that it be a natural product, from your own garden or grown without nitrates and other chemicals. Frozen vegetables are allowed but cannot be refrozen.

To cook vegetables, you must use the oven or steamer. Cooking vegetables takes place in an enamel bowl, in boiling water. Not much water is added. Vegetables are cooked under a closed lid.

How to properly introduce vegetable complementary foods? The table by months in this case assumes the following order of new components: zucchini, cauliflower, pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, green peas, beets. All these components are administered during the first 6-9 months of a child's life. By the year the baby is given: cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, white cabbage, eggplant.

Vegetable puree should be free of fibers and lumps. It is forbidden to add s alt, sugar and spices to it. At the end of cooking, you can dilute the puree with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or breast milk.

Meat

As already mentioned, the WHO guidelines for complementary foods suggest introducing meat at 9 months. It is best to use lean meats for this. For example:

• quail;
• rabbit;
• turkey;
• chicken.

Cooking mashed potatoes requires special heat treatment. First, the meat, cleaned of skin and bones, is dipped in cold water for 15 minutes. Next, the pieces are taken out, washed, and then boiled for about 1.5 hours in new clean water.

Boiled meat must be removed and chopped. Pass the minced meat through a small sieve, then add vegetable oil or breast milk to the resulting mass.

Meatballs and meatballs can be cooked when the child has teeth in order to chew food. It is best to combine cereals with meat. Meatballs can be added to soups. Up to a year, the baby should be given meat 3-4 times a week.

About feeding time

Now it's clear where to start complementary foods while breastfeeding. In fact, this process, as already mentioned, is purely individual. But all the proposed recommendations help parents and doctors to focus on the introduction of new products in the baby's diet.

When is the best time to feed your baby? It is best to do this in the morning. This technique allows you to track the reaction of the baby to certain products throughout the day. First, as already mentioned, it is necessary to give mashed potatoes and cereals, and then saturate the baby with milk. Over time, complementary foods will replace the main food. By the age of one, the child will develop certain taste preferences. After 12 months, it is recommended to gradually enrich the baby's diet with new adult foods.

Feeding recommendations

From now on, it is clear how much to enterbreastfeed. It should be noted that all the listed norms and recommendations are not mandatory. These are just generally accepted tips that help to enrich the child's diet with new products as correctly as possible.

A few words about vegetable complementary foods. Before cooking potatoes, you need to properly prepare them. This vegetable contains a large amount of starch. Therefore, before preparing potatoes for baby foods, you will need to get rid of excess harmful substances. To do this, the vegetable is washed well and then soaked in cool water for 1.5 hours.

Cabbage will have to be stabbed before cooking, while carrot puree is cooked only after the core has been removed.

Table

And how schematically can you imagine complementary foods? The monthly table might look like this:

Product type	Beginning of introduction (months)	Normal feeding by 12 months
vegetable puree	6	100-200 grams
vegetable oil	6	1 teaspoon
porridge	6, 5-7	100-200 grams
butter	7	10-20 grams
fruit puree	7-8	100-200 grams
meat puree	8	50-100 grams
egg yolk	8	half yolk
baby cookies	9-10	1 piece
fermented milk products	9-10	150-200 grams
meat offal	9-10	50-100 grams
fish	10	150-200 grams
natural juices	12	100 milliliters
berry puree	12	100-150 grams

This schedule is recommended for all parents. Baby food "Nestlé" for complementary foods is ideal. According to the manufacturers, it contains the maximum amount of minerals, vitamins and nutrients.

This WHO complementary feeding scheme is not exclusive. Regarding this topic, it is best to consult a pediatrician.