In addition to breastfeeding, what else should new mothers feed their babies?

Author: Cui Yihui, registered dietitian, master of medicine

Reviewer: Zhu Wenli, Professor and Master Supervisor, Peking University Health Science Center

The topic of this article is about how to add complementary foods to babies under 1 year old.

There are two peak periods of human growth and development.

➣Infancy : birth to 2 years old (the period before 1 year old is more critical).

➣ Puberty : 13 to 18 years old (the age of entering puberty is earlier at 10 to 12 years old).

In the first year of their lives, babies will reach their first growth peak. Their weight will increase to three times their birth weight (about 9 kg), their height will increase to 1.5 times their birth weight (about 75 cm), and their brain weight will reach 900-1000 g, which is close to 2/3 of the weight of an adult brain. Mothers should firmly grasp this important growth and development period. No matter how the baby's "congenital development" is before birth, this "acquired feeding" must have a good start. Breastfeeding and timely addition of complementary foods are the two most important things at this stage.

(Copyrighted image from the gallery, no permission to reprint)

Since the 1980s, the World Health Organization has advocated exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months. I believe that mothers have been surrounded by various information since they started preparing for pregnancy. In a word, breast milk is the most nutritious food that best meets the needs of infants. Babies under 1 year old grow and develop rapidly. When they reach 6 months old, breastfeeding alone can no longer meet the baby's nutritional needs. At this time, it is necessary to gradually add various complementary foods to the baby.

(Copyrighted image from the gallery, no permission to reprint)

●Principles of adding complementary food

➣Add complementary foods one by one : The baby's digestive tract is still not fully developed, and the immune system is not mature. Do not let the baby eat several new foods at the same time. On the one hand, it will damage the baby's digestive function. On the other hand, when the baby has food allergies, it is not conducive to finding out which food is causing the allergy. More haste, less speed, and the result is that all feeding can only be stopped. Each time a new food is added, the baby must be allowed to adapt for 3 to 4 days to confirm that there will be no symptoms such as allergies, rashes, vomiting or diarrhea. At this time, it means that the food has been accepted by the body.

(Copyrighted image from the gallery, no permission to reprint)

➣ The order of adding complementary food should be liquid first, then solid, thin first, then thick : At the beginning of adding complementary food, the first complementary food for babies is iron-fortified rice paste (it is not recommended to feed egg yolk at the beginning), firstly because rice paste is easy to digest and relatively safe; secondly, because at this stage, the iron from the mother in the baby's body has been basically consumed, and iron supplementation is needed, otherwise it is easy to get anemia and affect growth and development. Then you can gradually add porridge, vegetable puree, fruit puree, egg yolk, liver puree, etc. Egg yolk and liver puree are rich in iron, which can prevent iron deficiency anemia in infants.

For babies aged 6 to 9 months, you can gradually add boiled noodles, minced meat, whole eggs, yogurt, mashed vegetables and fruits, and baby biscuits as complementary foods. For babies aged 10 to 12 months, you can gradually add thick porridge, well-cooked rice, steamed buns, wontons, yogurt, bite-sized soft vegetables, fruits cut into small pieces or strips, and various "finger-shaped" foods.

➣Add complementary food in small amounts and multiple times : For babies aged 12 to 18 months, the staple food should still be breast milk and/or formula milk. When starting to add semi-liquid rice paste or pureed food, start with 1 teaspoon (about 5 ml) and 1 meal, and then gradually increase the amount of complementary food, from 1 teaspoon to 3 teaspoons (about 15 ml), and then to 6 teaspoons (about 30 ml), 9 teaspoons (about 45 ml), 1/4 cup (about 50 ml), 1/2 cup (about 100 ml), and feed it in 2 to 3 times. For more correct knowledge about the addition of complementary food to infants, please refer to the following feeding guidance provided by the National Health Commission.

(Copyrighted image from the gallery, no permission to reprint)