According to Russian pediatricians, it is necessary to start introducing complementary foods when the child is six months old. In addition, he must psychologically and physiologically mature for a new meal. So take a close look at the child, and our 8 signs of a child's readiness for complementary foods will help you with this.
Age from 4 months
Although the average age for a baby to start complementary foods is six months, some babies need extra food earlier. In this regard, pediatricians have set a lower limit: if necessary, they are allowed to introduce complementary foods to babies from 4 months, but not earlier. If the baby is premature, the gestational age is taken into account (it is counted from the date when the baby was supposed to be born under normal conditions).
Sufficient weight
To get acquainted with new food, the little one needs to double the weight that he had at birth. So, if he was born weighing 3 kg, then at the time of the beginning of complementary feeding he should weigh 6 kg.
The exception is 2 groups of babies: premature babies should increase birth weight by 2.5 times, and for patients with rickets, malnutrition, persistent spitting up, the pediatrician may recommend the introduction of complementary foods earlier, regardless of weight.
Interest in food
In order for the little one to eat well, he must want it. In the first months of life, babies are not interested in any food other than milk from their mother's breast or formula from a bottle. Therefore, food interest is one of the main signs that complementary foods can already be introduced. At this time, the baby begins to beg, reach for food on your plate, grab your cup or spoon with a handle. Also, the baby looks at his mother with hungry eyes, opens his mouth wide when she opens hers while eating, and imitates swallowing.
All this means that psychologically, the child is already ready to start eating new food, and then it is only up to physiology.
Ability to sit
Obviously, the toddler should eat while sitting, so as not to accidentally choke. The exception is patients with rickets and premature babies, to whom pediatricians sometimes prescribe complementary foods before they occupy an upright position. The rest of the kids can not only sit on the chairs, but also bend over to the spoon, and also turn away when they no longer want to eat.
Improved digestion
Another prerequisite for starting complementary feeding is the well-established work of digestion. This is determined by the child's chair. It is important that it is regular, yellowish in color and mushy in consistency. The crumbs should not have intestinal colic and constipation.
An immature intestine cannot handle a variety of foods. Typically, many enzymes (digestive enzymes) appear in the intestines by 5 months of age, and in some, only by 7 months. With the introduction of new food, stool problems may appear earlier.
If it is already possible to introduce new food in terms of time, but the crumbs have constipation, it is better to stop complementary feeding for 3-7 days so that the baby regains balance in the gastrointestinal tract and normalizes the stool. By the way, the frequency of bowel movements is different for each child, and it varies from 2-3 times a day to 1 time in 1-2 days.
Swallowing skill
Conduct a simple test: let the baby drink water from the spoon (it also gives complementary food so that the food is processed with saliva) and see if he swallows it or sprinkles it on his chin. If the child is already swallowing well and does not push the spoon out with his tongue, this is one of the signs of his readiness to try new food.
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Hunger
Some children show that they need additional food. This is evidenced by the fact that the baby sucks out all the milk from both mother's breasts in one feeding, but does not gorge itself. If a child is bottle-fed, he can drink up to 1 liter of formula a day, while remaining hungry. Complementary feeding is also necessary if the interval between meals is reduced.
Absolute health and a comfortable environment
It is highly undesirable to start complementary foods when the child is sick - for example, has a cold or colic. Pediatricians forbid feeding the baby with a new meal before or immediately after vaccinations. Complementary feeding can be started only 4-5 days after vaccination. It is not recommended to do this in the heat, when your adults do not have a very good appetite. Better to take your time and wait - a better moment will surely come.
Read also:
- How to tell if your baby is ready for complementary foods - 10 signs
- Dangerous complementary foods: TOP-5 mistakes of parents
- How to teach your child to eat with a spoon - 10 simple tips
- Complementary feeding of a baby on artificial feeding
- Complementary feeding according to the rules - a few simple points
- When and where to start the first complementary foods, how to properly introduce new products: basics, tips and rules
- What to do if the child refuses to feed (does not eat porridge), and does not want to eat from a spoon
Professor Sergey Niankovsky tells at what age to start feeding a child and examines the signs of a child's readiness for complementary feeding:
5 mistakes in introducing complementary foods
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