Most mothers and fathers are excited to start giving their infants with solid foods. Physiologically speaking, an infant is ready for solid foods once he or she is taking more than 32 oz (960ml) of milk each day and does not appear to be satisfied. Usually, a normal full-term baby can thrive on an iron-fortified milk formula or breast milk without the addition of any solid food till age 6 months. By then, the baby’s gastrointestinal system is ready to digest soft foods.
At 4-6 months of age, infants can be started with iron-fortified cereals. That is favored simply because it is the least allergenic sort of food and quickly digestible. It helps decrease the chance of iron-deficiency anemia. Cereals ought to be mixed in a child’s bowl with adequate fluid (breast milk or infant formula may be added) to make the mixture almost liquid. Cereals should by no means be blended with milk and given to the child from the bottle because by doing so, it would be necessary to cut a bigger hole in the nipple for the mixture to flow and there is a danger of aspiration if a too big hole is cut.
At 6-7 months, vegetables may be started to the infant. Vegetables are basically cooked and blended or strained so it does not have to be chewed. These are great sources of Vitamin A with greater iron content. Mothers and fathers must not add butter due to the fact that infants have difficulty digesting fats. Adding salt and sugar is also unnecessary. If store-bought food is used, transfer the food into another plate . Do not feed straight from the jar because it will facilitate movement of salivary enzymes and microorganisms from the infant’s mouth to the jar. And if the mother or father keeps the jar for a different feeding, bacteria will quickly proliferate in it. It is advisable that infant food jars ought to be refrigerated right after opening, and must be used no later than 48 hours soon after they have been opened.
At 8 months, the baby can now be fed with fruits. They are packed with Vitamin A, and are additionally the best source for Vitamin C. Raw mashed banana is easy to prepare with only a fork; peaches are easily prepared in a blender.
At 9 months, soft ground meats and mashed egg yolks can be fed to infants. These are good sources of protein. Parents should realize that egg white consists of the bulk of proteins, while egg yolk consists of iron. But egg yolk by itself should be given at first , since protein of the egg white may lead to allergy and are tough to digest.
At 10-12 months, infants can eat normal table food. Mashed potatoes and peas and cut-off meatloaf are samples of table foods that infants prefer to eat and busy parents can quickly prep.
It is vital for mothers and fathers to understand that when giving new foods to the baby, they should introduce one food at a time, allowing 5 to 7 days before introducing a new food. In doing so, parents can identify possible food allergies. Otherwise, if two new foods are introduced at the same time and the infant developed allergic reactions to the food, it would be challenging to know which one is the suspect. Introducing foods one at a time also helps to establish a trust in infants, because it minimizes the number of new experiences in any one day. In addition, mothers and fathers should be reminded that their food selection for the infant should not be based on their personal likes and dislikes. Their own dislike of a specific vegetable, for example, does not imply their child would feel the same way about it.
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