With the birth of a child, a huge responsibility falls on the shoulders of his parents. Morning toilet, evening bathing, diapers, creams, vitamins - now all young mothers, and often daddies, are eager to learn as much as possible. One of the main conditions for the healthy development and growth of a little man is his nutrition.
In the first months of a baby’s life, as a rule, there is no particular problem with his nutrition. Most newly minted mothers breast-feed their baby, less often - special, so-called adapted, mixtures. In one case or another, the rules of complementary foods are still not the most demanded topic for discussion. But after the first four months, the rules of introducing complementary foods are increasingly beginning to interest young mothers. When to start it, what to give first of all, in what quantity and how often - the rules of feeding babies developed by experienced specialists will tell you how to achieve the best result.
The transition of babies from breastfeeding or artificial feeding to complementary foods is a very important and no less responsible period for both himself and his parents. At this stage, it should be understood that the reaction of the child is not always positive, which means the need for careful preparation for a change in the nutrition system.
The rules of the introduction of complementary foods of the World Health Organization mean starting to give the child the first "adult" food at the age of six months. But experienced pediatricians advise to do this earlier, noticing the manifestation of the crumbs interest in food a little earlier. You can understand this by observing the child. Showing readiness for the introduction of complementary foods, he will begin to reach for his mother’s plate, try to drink from her cup and grab a spoon or fork.
The basic rules for the introduction of complementary foods primarily indicate that the child must be healthy. In no case should the probability of a coincidence of the reaction to food and the reaction to the disease be allowed. If the baby has rashes on the skin, itching, abdominal pain, disorders, then you should immediately stop giving the product, which entailed this reaction. Continued feeding can only be after the disappearance of symptoms, which usually do not last more than two to three days.
Nutrition guidelines recommended by pediatricians are quite important information for young parents. According to them, a child should get acquainted with a new product in a small amount, which, in the absence of manifestation of negative symptoms, gradually increases with age. In any case, before starting feeding, you should seek the advice of a pediatrician who will advise you on a specific schedule, based on the data of a particular child. Most often, it is recommended to start with vegetable purees, but if the child is gaining weakly or does not gain weight at all, it is suggested to start with cereals. Vegetable puree is an excellent source of not only organic acids, potassium and iron, but also dietary fiber, including pectins. Many types of vegetables, such as spinach, pumpkin, carrots, etc. are rich in vitamin A. At first, vegetable puree should be prepared on the basis of one type of vegetables, such as zucchini, since they contain delicate fiber. Over time, several types of vegetables can be combined.
Within a month, you can begin to slowly offer cereals to the baby. This is a unique source of many vitamins, primarily group B, as well as plant proteins, carbohydrates, iron, and dietary fiber. Gluten-free cereals, such as buckwheat, rice, are ideal for starters. Later, you can cook corn, wheat, oatmeal, diluting them with milk or a mixture.
Further, in the complementary foods, you can include fruit purees from apples, pears or bananas, and after about nine months, add sour-milk products to the diet. From seven months old, the baby is already able to digest chicken yolk in small quantities. It contains animal protein, rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, C, D, E, as well as folic and panthenolic acids, phosphorus, iodine, iron and other minerals needed by the growing body of the baby. By year, gradually alternating among themselves, meat and fish are introduced. During this period, you need to carefully monitor the reaction of the child. The baby can take all products both separately and with mom's milk.