From first to family foods

There is much discrepancy at my time of writing this regarding when we should introduce solids into our babies diets. However what we do know is that the first year of a babies life is amazing; so much growing, developing, learning and experiencing new things. The initial nutritional requirements of babies can usually be met from exclusive breastfeeding, and this is something as a nation we should promote. Information from www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk states:

Breastfeeding helps protect your baby against:

Breastfeeding helps protect mothers against:

Women who breastfeed return to their pre-pregnancy figure faster

However being a paediatric Dietitian I am aware and supportive of those mothers who want to breastfeed but unfortunately for one or another reason cannot provide sufficient quantities for adequate growth; such certain situations can include extreme prematurity, disease state, allergy or maternal illness. If you want to continue to breastfeed ask your doctor or dietitian if you can breastfeed and then give top ups of formula via the bottle, however remember overall growth and development is your main aim, and sometimes mixed feeding does not work for your baby. Do not try mixed feeding on your own always consult your health visitor, GP or paediatric dietitian if you are seeing one.

What is weaning?

Weaning is the introduction of solid foods into a babies diet. At around 6 months of age a babies stores of vitamins and minerals accumulated during the third trimester of pregnancy are starting to become depleted and should therefore be replaced by dietary intake. However the weaning process is usually a slow and gradual phase of introducing new tastes and textures, however by 1 year of age your child should typically be eating mashed, chopped or forked home cooked family foods.

When should weaning start?

The department of health suggests babies should receive exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age and only then should solids start to be offered, however if parents choose to introduce solids earlier than this then it should be no earlier than 17weeks.

“If you decide to wean at any time before six months, there are some foods that should be avoided as they may cause allergies or make your baby ill. These include wheat-based foods and other foods containing gluten (e.g. bread, rusks, some breakfast cereals), eggs, fi sh, shellfi sh, nuts, seeds and soft and unpasteurised cheeses. Ask your health visitor for advice, especially if your baby was premature. Solid foods should never be introduced before four months” -extract taken from the department of health weaning leaflet.

How do you know when your baby is ready?

The main milestones to look out for when deciding when to introduce solids are:

It is normal for babies between the ages of 3 to 5 months to start waking during the night and it is often not necessarily related to hunger – therefore introducing solids early may not mean they sleep through the night.

What foods should be introduced when?

Which foods should be avoided?

SALT (which contains sodium)
It is advised that you do not add any salt to foods for your baby under one year of age. Becareful using bought products as salt can be labelled as either salt or sodium, both should be avoided. Remember stocks and stock cubes and bought sauces / flavourings are usually very high in salt and should be avoided. If you cook for your family and simply puree the same food choice for your baby remember not to add salt.

SUGAR
Sugar is not needed in the diet as it only provides calories. Introducing it into your babies diet early will increase the risk of tooth decay of first teeth and will also promote the development of a sweet tooth. This is a bad idea as can also increase the risk your child will become a fussy eater only favouring sweet foods. Do not add sugar to foods and avoid offering squashes or undiluted juice.

HONEY
Don’t give honey until your baby is one year old. Very occasionally, it can contain a type of bacteria, which can produce toxins in the baby’s intestines and can cause a very serious illness (infant botulism). Remember that honey is also a sugar and can lead to tooth decay.

NUTS
Whole nuts, including peanuts, should not be given to children under 5 years in case of choking.

LOW-FAT FOODS
Children under 2 years of age should be offered full fat milk, cheese and yoghurts, between 2-5years semi skimmed milk can be introduced and after 5 lower fat products are suitable. Remember that healthy fats from poly and monounsaturated sources are important for brain and cell development as well as provision of fat soluble vitamins.

The most important part of weaning

Having fun and getting messy. Introducing foods is an exciting and interesting time for infants and parents too. Allow your child to get their fingers into their food and put their fingers into their mouth around their face and get messy. It is all experimenting and learning.

For more information contact your health visitor or drop me a line