This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 12:45 am and is filed under General health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The Health Blog
Welcome to our look into the world health.
YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH CARE: INTRODUCTION OF SOLIDS
Most babies will live happily on breastmilk or formula until they are around 4-6 months old. At this time you may choose to gradually introduce them to solids, although not all babies will be willing to accept them at first. If your baby is clearly not ready to start solids, do not try to force the move; rather, try again a week later.
Start with foods that have a smooth consistency such as rice, cereal or pureed cooked apples, and offer a teaspoonful once a day for the first week. By the second week, if your baby is enjoying solids, increase the amount gradually, and offer two meals a day. If using cereal, you can prepare it using breastmilk or formula. Vegetables can be introduced by the fourth week after you begin to offer your baby solids. Both mashed potato and pumpkin are usually well tolerated. By the time your baby is 8 months old you can introduce white meat such as chicken or fish (remove all bones), followed by small amounts of red meat at around 10 months of age.
Some children have an allergy to eggs, so be careful when introducing these to your baby. Start at around 6 months with a small amount of hard-boiled yolk, and if this is well tolerated, try the yolk of a soft-boiled egg. Egg white can be introduced at around 8 months of age. Finger foods can also be introduced, with supervision, at this stage.
Always introduce one food at a time, and stick to this food for several days, making sure that your baby is not allergic to it, before introducing another type of solid. Allergic reactions include rashes and wheezing. Cow’s milk and dairy products should be avoided during the first year of the baby’s life, as they are difficult for the immature gut to digest.
Avoid adding salt or sugar when preparing food for your baby. Most babies prefer bland-tasting food, so avoid overseasoning. Avoid fatty foods or highly processed foods, as these are not high in nutritional value, and create bad eating habits which can persist throughout adult life. Obesity usually begins during childhood.
years old, because they can be breathed in accidentally and may lead to choking.
Whenever possible feed your baby at the same time as the rest of the family. In this way he will learn that eating together can also be a social occasion, and is not a chore.
*99\90\8*
RelatedPosts:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.