Complementary feeding of formula-fed children: basic rules

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

Despite the fact that breast milk is the optimal food for babies, containing all the vitamins and minerals necessary for development, there are situations when babies are transferred to formula feeding.

Artificial children require a special approach, especially when introducing complementary foods. So, pediatricians recommend that such babies introduce additional nutrition a little earlier than breastfed babies. 5-6 months is the optimal age to start formula-fed babies. Earlier dates of introduction are due to the fact that in such children the stomach is more adapted to food, and, accordingly, at the time of the introduction of complementary foods, all the necessary enzymes for its breakdown have already been developed. In addition, mixtures, despite the high degree of adaptability, do not contain all the vitamins that are found in breast milk. Therefore, the missing nutrients can be obtained from complementary foods.

Where to start?

Complementary feeding of formula-fed babies should start with vegetable purees. Pediatricians recommend porridge for underweight children, while this is rare for artificial children. One-component purees from vegetables with a soft color and taste are ideal - zucchini, cabbage, potatoes. Following them, you can try carrots, pumpkin. The baby food table is a very convenient thing. It allows you to note on which day which product was given to the baby, which is especially important in case of allergic reactions.

Basic rules

Complementary feeding of formula-fed babies requires compliance with a number of rules:

• start with a few grams of one-component vegetable puree, gradually increasing the volume to a full serving;
• complementary foods must be offered before formula;
• introduce no more than one new product at a time;
• complementary foods should be given only from a spoon;
• when the amount eaten reaches 100-150 grams, there is no need to supplement with the mixture;
• For the first feeding, you must first replace the lunchtime feeding;
• The first feeding of formula-fed babies should be homogeneous, puree. This will make it easier for your baby to swallow. With the appearance of the first teeth, you can begin to give foods of a less homogeneous consistency, with lumps, so that the child learns to chew.

After the introduction of vegetables, you can offer porridge. Gluten-free cereals are excellent for the first feeding - rice, corn, buckwheat. After seven months, cottage cheese can be introduced, gradually bringing its consumption to 50 grams. In the same period, you can replenish the diet with yolk. Quail eggs are best for children. It is worth trying to give the yolk literally a grain at a time, gradually bringing it to the norm - no more than two yolks per week. Closer to the year, you can also try protein. Closer to eight months, you can try to give meat. It is better to start with lean rabbit or turkey. What to feed a child after a year? Cow's milk, legumes, flour products, bright berries - gradually all this must be introduced into the diet of crumbs. The main thing is to do it gradually and monitor the quality of the products.