First complementary foods: where to start, at what age?

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

The first exciting days and weeks after childbirth have passed. The kid is actively growing, every day discovering something new in the world around him. The little man receives only breast milk or artificial milk formula. Soon the time will come when he will taste real food for the first time. Where to start the first complementary foods and when to offer the baby to taste a new dish?

When to give first complementary foods?

The timing of the first complementary foods depends on the age of the baby, as well as on the state of his he alth. Many parents look forward to when the child is older, and it will be possible to treat him with juice or fruit puree. No matter how much mom would like to speed up this process, it’s still not worth rushing to start complementary foods. So what time to start the first complementary foods?

World He alth Organization advises: if the baby receives quality breastfeeding, then new products can be given from six months. Renowned pediatrician, candidate of medical sciencesEvgeny Olegovich Komarovsky in his book claims that complementary foods should be started regardless of the feeding system - at six months.

If a young mother has a properly composed varied diet, the start of the first feeding of the child earlier than this period is simply meaningless. Because the body of a newborn is fully provided with the necessary nutrients in order to fully develop. But after the baby celebrated his first half of the year, he needs additional food. Mom's milk is starting to run out.

Baby ready to feed

Children of the same age develop differently. One baby begins to hold his head from three months, and the other - already at two. The development of babies is influenced by heredity, and the course of pregnancy, how the birth took place, and the quality of care. In addition, children grow at different rates, have their own individual characteristics. Therefore, it is impossible to name the exact age when a particular baby is ready to try new food.

Pediatricians identify two factors that indicate a baby is ready for complementary foods:

• sufficient development of the central nervous system of the newborn;
• preparedness of the stomach and intestines of the baby.

When these two factors coincide at the same time, it means that you can start complementary foods.

First signs

For parents to make sure when they can start the first complementary foods for babies, the following signs will help:

• Age of child.
• Weight. Should double in size from birth. Forpremature babies - two and a half.
• Testing the tongue thrust reflex. This innate movement is designed to protect the newborn from swallowing objects that accidentally fall into his mouth. You need to give the baby water from a spoon. If he does not spit it out, this indicates that the child is ready for complementary foods.
• A six-month-old child sits well. He must be able to coordinate head movements and turn away in refusal.
• Breast milk is starting to run out. If the baby sucks out all the mother's milk in one feeding, while remaining hungry, or when the “artificial” requires more than one liter of formula per day, complementary foods become necessary.
• The child can move the tongue up and down and back and forth. He immediately opens his mouth when a spoonful of water or food is brought to him.
• The first teeth are being cut.
• Shows interest when adults eat, tries to taste unfamiliar food.

You don't have to wait for all these signs. It is enough to notice most of them. However, only a pediatrician will tell you when you can start the first complementary foods.

Introduction to new food delayed

The start of complementary foods is delayed for a week or two if:

• baby got sick;
• teething starts, baby cries, fever rises;
• change of residence or family lifestyle (for example, mother went to work, a nanny is found with the baby);
• the child reacted badly to complementary foods (diarrhea, skin rash began);
• vaccinated;
• Start of complementary foods coincides with hot weather.

Which foods to start complementary foods with?

Most recently, pediatricians recommended that babies start feeding from three months, introducing them to fruit juices. They prepared the baby's digestive system for other foods. At present, the point of view has changed both on the age for the start of complementary foods and on the first products. But if the signs of the child's readiness appeared much earlier, they offer the first complementary foods at 4 months. Where to start?

Studies in recent years have shown that there are more minerals in vegetables than in fruits. Starting to feed the baby with sweet juices and mashed potatoes, it is more difficult to switch to vegetables and cereals.

Should be based on World He alth Organization recommendations. Where to start the first feeding? Vegetables will be the first products. It is especially good to start with them when the child is prone to constipation. When choosing the first vegetable, you must remember that the potato strengthens, and also contains a large amount of starch, which can cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is better to start with zucchini.

With frequent stools in babies, the best start to the first complementary foods is porridge. To make the taste of an unfamiliar product seem more familiar, it is recommended to dilute vegetable purees or cereals with mother's milk. And after unfamiliar food, you can breastfeed. You can not ignore the consultation with a pediatrician. A specialist will help with advice on which product to choose for the first complementary foods, how to properly compose a menu for a child.

Starting Complementary Feeding Tips

A few tips from Dr. Komarovsky will tell young parents how and where to start the first feeding of the baby:

1. You can feed only if the baby is absolutely he althy.
2. Unfamiliar food is recommended to be introduced at the second feeding.
3. Give the baby everything warm. Offer unfamiliar food before the main feeding.
4. Eating a baby must certainly be from a spoon.
5. Every new dish starts with a quarter of a teaspoon. Over the course of two weeks, the amount of complementary foods is brought to the required portion.
6. The first puree is made from vegetables and fruits familiar to a particular area.
7. The next dish is only offered in two weeks. The child must get used to the first one first.
8. Start single food. This way it will be clear what caused the allergy.
9. The first puree at first should only resemble thick milk. Gradually make it thicker.
10. If it is decided to use canned baby food, it must be fresh. The composition should not contain s alt, sucrose, as well as sugar, dextrose.

Product introduction order by month

The local pediatrician at the reception will tell you where to start the first complementary foods. Modern pediatric doctors adhere to approximately the following scheme for introducing new products into the child's menu, as shown below.

Age of child	Changes in diet
6 months	1. zucchini, cauliflower,carrots. 2. Apple, pear. 3. Potato, pumpkin. 4. Kashi. 5. Southern fruits
7 months	1. Green peas. 2. Poultry, rabbit meat. 3. Red meat: veal, beef, lean pork. 4. Fruit juices. 5. Cottage cheese
8 months	1. Dairy products. 2. Egg yolk 3. Butter in porridge.
9 months	2. White bread

Complementary feeding according to Komarovsky

Now a slightly different look at introducing the baby to adult food. Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky, a pediatrician of the highest category, has developed his own methodology explaining how to start the first complementary foods while breastfeeding.

Baby's acquaintance with new food begins with yogurt. Next, fruits are offered, and only after them do juices and vegetable purees appear on the menu. Milk porridge, egg yolk are introduced only at 8 months. At 9 months, the baby begins to receive a variety of meat, and at 10 - fish.

Parents will have to decide whose recommendations to follow - they know the individual characteristics of the child best of all. The final decision on where to begin with the first complementary foods should be made taking into account the readiness of the baby for such important innovations.

Porridge for the first feeding

There is a huge variety of cereals for babies in stores. Yes, and cereals on the shelves - a complete set. With what porridge to start the first complementary foods?How to navigate in such diversity? Porridges are rich in vitamins, mineral complex. They contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats necessary for the body. The dietary fiber contained in porridge helps digestion. For the first feeding, doctors recommend not all cereals. Start with those that do not contain gluten. This protein often causes allergic reactions in infants.

Most modern parents choose ready-made products in jars or packages for complementary foods.

1. Because it's fast, as simple as possible and very convenient.
2. In general, baby food businesses produce quality, balanced products that are fully adapted to baby feeding.
3. There is always a choice of hypoallergenic milk-free cereals, which significantly reduces the risk of allergies in children.

Buckwheat porridge

The ideal option for the first feeding is buckwheat porridge. It contains iron, which is so necessary for hemoglobin in the blood. This porridge contains a lot of magnesium, potassium. They are useful for the work of the heart and blood vessels of the child. Buckwheat porridge provides calcium for the growth of teeth and a strong skeletal system. The presence of such a porridge in the baby's menu will increase his immunity, since an allergy to buckwheat porridge is extremely rare. Therefore, the question of which porridge to start the first complementary foods with is decided by itself. It is permissible to introduce it into the diet of children of four to six months.

Rice porridge

The first baby food can be andrice porrige. It does not contain gluten and is hypoallergenic. Rice contains many complex carbohydrates. They give the baby's body strength and energy. The ability of cereal to eliminate toxins helps to improve bowel function. But for babies prone to constipation, rice porridge has to be given carefully. As you know, rice has a binding property. It is not recommended to feed a child with such porridge every day. The cereal contains a lot of fluoride, which displaces calcium from the bones.

Cooking by ourselves

Porridge can be cooked by yourself. It's not difficult at all. But there is confidence in the quality of the product. You just need to choose a recipe that matches the age of the crumbs. Until he is eight months old, porridge is boiled in water. Sugar and s alt should not be added.

The desired cereal is first sorted out, washed, dried. After that, it is ground to a state of flour. To do this, you can adapt a coffee grinder or a kitchen blender. If buckwheat porridge, you need to take the highest grade cereals. It should be light brown and large.

To prepare the dish, take a teaspoon of such flour and pour half a glass of cold water. The mixture is heated until steamed, stirring gently, for 15 minutes.

When a child is ten months old, cereals are no longer ground. Porridge is boiled in water. A little later they try to cook a dish with milk. It will take half a glass of cereal and a glass of water. Porridge begins to boil on the water. Bring to a boil and then drain. Pour a glass of milk and cook until completely absorbed. The porridge is ready.

Enterporridge in the diet

Porridge is also gradually introduced into the baby's diet. Correctly you need to change the power according to the scheme:

• In the first week they give porridge, starting with one teaspoon. Thus, at the end of the week, the child receives approximately seven teaspoons of the new food.
• Next week it is permissible to feed the same porridge. And you can gradually introduce the baby to new foods. For example, one spoon of new and six spoons of already familiar porridge. On the second day - two spoons of a new food and five - a friend. So in a week, a familiar dish is replaced by a new one. And the menu can be diversified by alternating both.

Close observation of the gourmet baby is a must. If the baby is sick, acquaintance with new products is canceled. There is no need to rush: gradually by the year the child's diet will expand significantly.