When should I introduce solid food/weaning food for my baby?
Current recommendation on introduction of weaning food for babies affirms that nothing
other than breast milk should be given to a baby until they are 6 months old. Now…This
has been put into question…
Most mothers, very often urge the Paediatricians to “yes” for starting the solid foods
early for their babies. They show their keenness in starting the solids. Paediatricians
have resisted that urge of the mothers, for decades.They have spent an awful lot of
time, advising the parents not to start the weaning food early.
Now study done in the UK proves that parents are right. Babies introduced to solid
weaning foods early, slept much better and longer, woke less frequently at night and
encountered fewer serious sleep problems, than those exclusively breastfed until 6
months of age….
This study is titled as “The Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) study ”
This is not the first time the current advice of “delayed weaning” has been put into
question.
The main reason why delayed weaning is advised is to avoid food items that potentially
could cause allergy later in life, if they were introduced early in life. But that idea
has been proven to be wrong from multiple studies
Weaning recommendations
Introduction of solid weaning food into the diet of healthy babies between the age of
four and six months is safe and does not pose a risk and does not result in ill
health.
Continue to breast feed while solids are introduced
Offer babies a range of textures as soon as possible. Pureed food to start with and go
onto soft finger foods from around six to seven months of age
Start Iron rich foods such as spinach early ( at 6 months )
Food charts are not mandatory to a successful weaning process.
“It is the process of trial and negotiated settlement between the smart mother and the
cute baby”
