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The guidelines to introducing complementary feeding have been amended to include new support and recommendations following recent scientific advancements. What should you know?
Feeding an infant is an act of love. It may also be necessary to include essential nutrients to help the little one’s growth. Although there are universal questions regarding scientific evidence and the baby’s safety, each family should enjoy the moment. But it’s also important to pay attention to the recommendations. That aside, how can you introduce complementary feeding?
This is a well-trodden path; complementary feeding has been subject to multiple changes regarding the most appropriate times and opportune moments for it.
Specialists have revised the advice regarding prematurely moving the infant onto foods that complement breast milk as it can potentially cause allergies to develop, and it’s vital to ensure the baby is ready for it.
Keep reading: Weaning Your Baby: How to Start to Introduce Food
The Breastfeeding Committee for the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (Comité de Lactancia Materna de la Asociación Española de Pediatría) highlights that:
“Complementary feeding (CF) is considered a process wherein the baby is offered, in addition to breast milk, solid foods or liquids different from breast milk or baby formula. This will be as an addition, not a substitution. In recent years, the guidelines for introducing complementary food have changed many times. There are many noticeable differences to the advice from the previous generation.”
Similarly, and according to the same source, parents should continue feeding the child breast milk exclusively for the first 6 months of age. After this, they can add other foods, providing, of course, that they follow the guidelines and continue feeding the child breast milk as and when the mother and child want.
It’s important to remember that not all babies will be prepared to begin complementary feeding at the same time. It’s also essential that the parents and health professionals are aware of the baby’s developing abilities.
The Valencian Pediatrics Society (Sociedad Valenciana de Pediatría (SVP)) recommends that parents shouldn’t delay in introducing their child to solid foods beyond 8 or 10 months, in order to avoid food-related problems in the future. This is reflected in a feeding recommendations document regarding children at breast-feeding or preschool stages, presented at the open day for the 2018-2019 Valencia’s Medical College Academic Course.
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There’s new information regarding complementary feeding in babies’ diets:
“The food parents give their child should be high in nutrients, vitamins, and micronutrients. It should also be rich in energy, iron, calcium, protein, calories, and minerals that support the baby’s growth.”
Regarding the amount, the same source notes that “although during the breastfeeding period the baby will eat every three to four hours, when including complimentary feeding, these times will be extended.”
However, although there’s no defined amount of frequency for the portions of food that the baby should eat, there are foods that specialists recommend against. Additionally, they suggest that any new foods are added naturally and progressively. This is so the baby can discover new textures, temperatures, and flavors.