Introduction of complementary feeding problems. Course work "problems of introducing complementary foods"

Complementary feeding is not supplementary feeding or a replacement for the main meal. A new product is introduced with the goal of diversifying a child’s diet, introducing him to other tastes, and gradually introducing him to adult food. Many parents mistakenly believe that when breastfeeding the baby has enough of everything, they can hold off on complementary feeding. In fact, late introduction can also lead to various problems, including complete refusal of normal products.

Content:

When to introduce complementary foods

For breastfed children, complementary foods are introduced later than for formula-fed children, unless there are other indications. In case of poor weight gain or in emergency situations (separation from the mother is expected, she is ill, etc.), the timing is shifted downwards. But under any circumstances, it is necessary to assess the child’s readiness.

Main features:

The tongue thrust reflex has disappeared. It is present in the child from birth and protects against foreign objects getting into the mouth.
My weight has doubled since birth. In premature babies 2.5 times.
The child sits with support or independently. A recumbent baby should not be introduced to solid food.
Interest in adult food has appeared, the baby opens his mouth, stretches out his lower lip, and reacts to the spoon and food of his parents.
Chewing skills have appeared. The child does not just suck an object that has fallen into his mouth, but works with his jaw.

Not all of these signs need to be present. Each child develops individually. Usually by six months you can start complementary feeding while breastfeeding, but many pediatricians insist to wait until 7-8 months. In any case, the readiness will not go unnoticed; the parents themselves will understand everything.

Interesting: Sometimes a sign of readiness for complementary feeding is the appearance of teeth. In fact, this sign has no scientific basis. In some children they appear before six months, in others 8 or even 10 months.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about complementary feeding

Pedagogical complementary feeding: all the pros and cons

Pedagogical complementary feeding is a common scheme for introducing a child to adult food. It has existed for many millennia, but only recently acquired a name. The baby is gradually given food from the common table. It’s convenient, you don’t need to waste time on separate cooking, there’s no need to buy expensive baby purees or cereals, you don’t have problems with lack of appetite, it always appears in company. This technique has been popular for a long time. From 5-6 months (sometimes earlier), infants were given rich soups, meat on moss, mashed potatoes and other dishes prepared for the whole family. However, pediatricians are unanimously against this system:

This technique has no scientific basis.
The food consumed is often not beneficial, and sometimes harms the baby’s fragile body.
It is difficult to control the size of the portions eaten, especially from the first to the fifth, when the count is by grams.
The consistency is not suitable for a small child. At first, he may choke on pieces.
If an allergy occurs, it will be difficult to track down the culprit, since the reaction may not appear immediately, but after a few days.

Pedagogical complementary feeding cannot be gradual, since the rest of the family members are unlikely to want to eat the same thing throughout the week. No less acute is the question of how to prepare food, since the baby should not be given fried, salted, peppered, or fatty foods.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about pedagogical complementary feeding

General rules for introducing complementary foods

Changing the diet requires parents to pay increased attention to the child. It is important to monitor your well-being, mood, stool and skin. If any changes occur, complementary feeding should be stopped immediately.

Basic Rules:

Complementary foods are administered only to a healthy child. If the baby is unwell, teething, or vaccinations are expected in the near future, then introduction to the new product should be postponed.
Acquaintance with each product lasts at least 7 days. If there is no negative reaction, a new species can be additionally introduced.
You cannot mix several types of vegetables (or fruits) if the child is not familiar with each of them.
The consistency of complementary foods should be homogeneous, semi-liquid. Gradually, as the child grows up, the dishes can be made thicker, allowing for grains, then lumps.
You cannot give the same food 2 times a day.
Complementary feeding is not an independent meal. At first, it is offered in addition to breast milk before meals, and later it replaces one feeding.

Important! Any new product, regardless of its type, is introduced gradually, starting from 5 g. Even if the child liked the taste, this rule should not be neglected so as not to provoke the risk of developing allergies.

What foods to start complementary feeding with?

Juices are a controversial product. Once upon a time they were given to children very first. First from 3 months, then they were introduced at 4 months. But, as recent studies show, there is little benefit from such drinks, they contain a lot of acid, cause serious harm to the children’s digestive system, and in the future can cause gastritis. When breastfeeding, juices do not combine well with milk. It is recommended to postpone their introduction until 8-12 months.

Vegetables are ideal for first feeding, especially if the baby is overweight. If, on the contrary, the child gains little, pediatricians recommend starting with cereals. It is advisable to introduce the popular fruit puree after vegetables. Since it has a sweet taste, the baby may simply refuse other foods. In general, in certain months of life, parents themselves choose the appropriate product, based on general recommendations. For example, Dr. Komarovsky recommends starting with baby kefir, but also at 7-8 months you can offer the baby meat or fish, especially if the fermented milk drink is not to your taste. If something doesn't work out, there is always an alternative.

Table for introducing different foods during breastfeeding

Product	Age (months)
Product

Fruits, g

Cottage cheese, g

Complementary feeding at 6 months: vegetables

Vegetables are ideal for healthy breastfed babies. Usually the child is offered purees. It must certainly undergo heat treatment and contain only one component. You can use jarred baby food. Ideally, the first one should be zucchini. It has a neutral taste, light texture, is well absorbed by the child's body and contains a lot of fiber. If your baby has problems with bowel movements, zucchini puree will help solve them.

What other vegetables are given at 6-7 months:

broccoli;
cauliflower;
carrot;
pumpkin.

It is better to introduce potatoes after the first 2-3 types of vegetables. You also need to pay close attention to white cabbage. It provokes bloating in the abdomen, pain, and problems with stool. Turnips and radishes, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes are offered to babies only after one year.

Complementary feeding at 6.5-7 months: fruits

If the child is happy to eat vegetables, the diet is regularly expanded and replenished; fruits can be postponed for another 1-2 months, that is, introduced after 8. For complementary feeding, heat-treated puree, homemade or purchased, is mainly used. They begin their acquaintance with green apples. Next, they offer pears if there are no problems with stool, since they often provoke constipation.

What other fruits are offered to the child:

peaches;
apricots;
plum;
banana;
berries.

Citrus fruits, strawberries and raspberries, and pomegranate have a high degree of allergenicity. But do not forget about individual intolerance. A reaction can even appear to an ordinary apple or pear.

Complementary foods from 7-8 months: cottage cheese

You can offer cottage cheese for six months if there are indications: rickets, insufficient weight gain, calcium deficiency, poor biochemical blood tests. But most often, babies who are breastfed are strong and healthy. Therefore, cottage cheese is introduced no earlier than 7, and preferably 8 months. It is very important that this is a baby food product.

Criteria for choosing cottage cheese:

fat content (up to 10%, preferably within 5%);
no additives;
delicate consistency;
freshness.

You should not give your child dairy products purchased at the market. Also, sweet masses with additives, sugar, and additional fats, especially vegetable ones, are not suitable. The curd product is a legal analogue of cottage cheese, but there is nothing useful in it, especially for a growing organism. If you can’t buy quality food, then there is the option of preparing it yourself.

Complementary feeding from 7-8 months: porridge

You should not introduce your child to cereals before 7-8 months if he is gaining weight well. If you are overweight, cereal complementary feeding can be postponed for almost a year; instead, you can actively expand your diet with fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. The main criterion for choosing cereals is the absence of gluten. You can start complementary feeding with buckwheat, rice or corn.

You can prepare porridge yourself or use instant semi-finished products for baby food. It is important to introduce dishes without milk and other additives in the form of fruits, berries, sugar. Only pure cereal, a small amount of salt and oil is allowed.

Complementary feeding from 8 months: fermented milk products

Dr. Komarovsky suggests that breastfed children be first introduced to fermented milk products, that is, baby kefir. It is good for the stomach, has a beneficial effect on intestinal function, but is not very popular. It is usually given to children after 8 months. In addition to kefir, you can offer children's yogurt and biolact. All drinks are free of additives, fruit, sugar and flavor enhancers. The fat content of the products is average, within 3%.

Complementary foods from 8 months: meat, poultry

Children under one year of age should be introduced to meat, as it is a source of valuable substances. The product is administered in the form of purees, steamed cutlets, and boiled meatballs. You can use canned food for children, which is also added to vegetables, in first courses.

What kind of meat (poultry) can be used:

turkey;
horse meat;
beef;
rabbit meat.

It is not recommended to introduce chicken early as it causes allergies. Types of meat that are difficult for children's stomachs: lamb, duck, goose, goat. In addition to meat, after 10 months, offal is given 1-2 times a week. Beef (veal) liver has the greatest value.

Complementary foods from 8 (12) months: fish

Fish is a necessary product in a child’s diet, but it often causes allergies. If there are no prerequisites for a reaction, complementary feeding begins at 8 months. But under no circumstances should it be combined with meat or poultry. First one thing, after a successful acquaintance you can begin to introduce another. If you are prone to allergic reactions, the product should be postponed until the age of one year.

Which fish is suitable for a child of the first year of life:

pollock;
navaga;
river perch.

You should avoid fatty types of fish, which are difficult for a child’s stomach to handle. As in the case of meat, complementary foods are prepared independently or purchased in cans. It is advisable to combine mashed potatoes or cutlets with vegetables familiar to the child, unsweetened cereals, and soups. Fish does not need to be given daily; it is enough to replace meat with it 2 times a week.

Video: Fish for children under one year old

Additional Products

In addition to basic products, when breastfeeding or any other diet, the child needs supplements. Usually these are oils, spices, eggs. Until a year old, they only give you a yolk, which can be chicken or quail. Additives also include flour products. You should not get carried away with cookies and bread until you are one year old, as they contain gluten, yeast, sugar and other additives that the baby does not yet need.

Table of introduction of additional products

Cautions and Possible Problems

When introducing complementary foods, two problems may arise: allergies and disorders of the digestive system. In any case, you need to immediately stop feeding, temporarily switch to breastfeeding, and give the child’s body time to recover. Re-introduction to new food is possible only after all symptoms disappear and not earlier than after a week.

It is mandatory to take antiallergic medications. If your stool is upset, you will need antidiarrheal medications, for example, Smecta. Espumisan, dill water or fennel tea will help with colic, bloating and other intestinal problems. Gradual introduction and attentiveness are the key to successful complementary feeding.

In the first year of a baby’s life, the foundations for a child’s health are laid, and nutrition is one of the most important components of good health. Proper nutrition is protection against infections, good immunity and child health. The best nutrition for babies in the first half of life is mother's milk; with it, the baby receives protection from many diseases and a complete diet. WHO recommends that if babies gain normal weight, they should be fed only breast milk for up to 6 months, without even offering water. And after 6 months, introduce complementary feeding to the infant, suitable and necessary for his age.

When to introduce complementary foods and is your baby ready for complementary foods?

When and how to start feeding your baby? Your baby has grown up and needs more and more nutrients, and is he ready to try the first dish? Pediatricians recommend introducing juices, purees, cereals or special children's cottage cheese first. All this should have the consistency of puree, this is the baby's first dish after milk, and it should be only a little thicker than milk. So that the baby gradually learns to swallow solid food. Is your baby ready for complementary feeding, should you start introducing complementary foods to your baby? There are several signs that your baby is ready for complementary feeding:

The baby shows interest in the food on your plate, reaches for your spoon, wants to try “adult” food,
Attachments to the breast become more frequent, the baby sucks for a long time - which means it’s time to introduce complementary foods to the baby,
The Nikitins believed that a sign of a baby’s readiness for solid food was the appearance of the first tooth.

So, the baby is 6 months old, healthy, curious, and craving “adult” food? This means that the time has come for the first complementary feeding, we begin to introduce complementary foods to the child.

First complementary feeding, complementary feeding rules

Today, there are two schemes for feeding infants: traditional (gradual introduction of new products in a strictly defined sequence) and pedagogical schemes. Pedagogical complementary feeding is feeding the baby with microdoses of new foods directly from the common table (from the mother’s plate). The child tries a little of everything. He liked this and that, he eats more and more. And gradually, by the age of one year, he switches to new food, which he liked, on his own, without any pressure from the outside. But all this food, of course, is washed down with mother’s milk. Especially when complementary feeding is just starting, mother’s milk remains the main food.

Let us now consider the traditional complementary feeding scheme. Previously, pediatricians recommended starting complementary feeding with juices. Now, on the contrary, it is recommended to introduce the baby to juices when both meat and fish have already been introduced, since juices improve the enzymatic activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Why was early complementary feeding of infants with juices canceled? Because juices are an allergenic product, heavy, poorly digestible, it contains a lot of sugar, and juice puts a strong strain on the gastrointestinal tract.

It is best to start feeding a baby with vegetables; if the child is behind in weight, then with porridge. It is better to choose rice or buckwheat porridge, but not oatmeal - it has a high gluten content, which can cause allergies. And yet, most pediatricians recommend starting complementary feeding for an infant with vegetables - broccoli, green peas, zucchini, and then you can introduce potatoes. The first feeding of these vegetables to babies does not irritate the stomach and does not cause allergies.

The introduction of complementary foods begins with one teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume. It is better to introduce a new product in the first half of the day so that you can see the child’s reaction to it. Offer a new product to a hungry child, then give the breast. First, offer your child mono-component purees (consisting of one product) and monitor his reaction. Then you can give different purees.

Which complementary foods are better for babies - purees you prepared or jarred ones? Most experts are now inclined to believe that jarred puree is better in terms of microbiological indicators (prepared in compliance with all sanitary standards) and more environmentally friendly, since large baby food companies monitor vegetable plantations where vegetables are grown for food, and there are a minimum of additives and fertilizers If you prepare the puree yourself, then choose high-quality, natural vegetables, preferably from your own garden.

After vegetables, porridge is usually introduced; it is better to take a break between the introduction of complementary foods for about a month. Then fruits, cottage cheese, meat, fish, and children's cookies are gradually introduced.

If your baby is breastfed, but there is no need to supplement him with complementary foods. If he does not refuse, then you can offer him compote, tea, water. If your baby doesn't want to drink, don't insist.

How much should a baby eat?

If your baby eats breast milk, then do not insist on completely replacing breastfeeding with complementary foods. Let the baby eat as much as he wants, and not as much as indicated on the package or in the table. Don't insist. Gradually, the baby will get used to eating dense foods and will eat more, choosing more interesting tastes.

Vegetables – 200 gr.
Fruits – 90-100 gr.
Porridge – 200 gr.
Meat – 70 gr.
Cottage cheese – 60 gr.

Modern scheme for introducing complementary foods

According to WHO recommendations, which are also followed in our country, children in the first six months of life do not need additional complementary foods other than breast milk. If your baby is artificial, then consult your pediatrician about introducing complementary foods - this can be done earlier. Below is a modern complementary feeding table:

Complementary feeding scheme

Child's age: 6 months. 7 months 8 months 9 months 10-12 months

Product Type:

Fruit juices (ml): 50-60 60 70 80 90-100
Fruit purees (ml): 50-60 60 70 80 90-100
Yolk (pcs.): 0.25 0.50 0.50 0.50
Cottage cheese (g): 40 40 40 40 50
Vegetables (gr.): 150 150 170 180 200
Porridge (gr.): 150 150 170 180 200
Meat puree (g): 30 50 50 60-70
Kefir, fermented milk products (ml.): 200 200 400 400
Bread (gr.): 5 5 10
Cookies (gr.): 5 5 5 10 15
Vegetable oil (ml.): 3 3 5 5 5
Butter (g): 4 4 5 5 6

This is a modern infant feeding table developed by gastroenterologists. It can be followed when introducing complementary foods to your baby.

Complementary feeding according to Dr. Komarovsky

Complementary feeding according to Dr. Komarovsky is one of the most popular complementary feeding schemes today. A famous pediatrician has his own view on the introduction of complementary foods

Like all pediatricians, the doctor advises introducing complementary feeding to infants carefully and gradually. The scheme for introducing complementary foods from Dr. Komarovsky is slightly different from the modern scheme for feeding babies. Below is a complementary feeding scheme according to Dr. Komarovsky. What should your baby eat as he grows up?

Complementary feeding scheme according to Dr. Komarovsky:

6 months: only breast milk and kefir (start with 5 grams and increase to 30) and cottage cheese (just starting to eat - 5 grams)
7 months: bring kefir to 70 g, cottage cheese to 30 g, add baked apple 30 g, vegetable puree and milk porridge - just start, 5 g. You can add 1 gram vegetable oil to the puree.
8 months: kefir – 100 g., cottage cheese – 50 g., baked apple – 50 g., vegetable puree – 70 g., juice – 10 ml., porridge – 70 g., yolk – 0.25, meat puree – start with 5 g. ., cookies – 5 gr., vegetable oil – 3 gr.
9 months: kefir – 100 g., cottage cheese – 50 g., baked apple – 50 g., vegetable puree – 100 g., juice – 20 ml., porridge – 100 g., yolk – 0.5, meat puree – 30 g., cookies – 10 gr., vegetable oil – 3 gr.
10 months: kefir – 100 g., cottage cheese – 50 g., baked apple – 50 g., vegetable puree – 150 g., juice – 30 ml., porridge – 150 g., yolk – 1, meat puree – 50 g., fish puree – 20 gr., cookies – 10 gr., vegetable oil – 3 gr.
11 months: kefir – 100 g., cottage cheese – 50 g., baked apple – 70 g., vegetable puree – 150 g., juice – 50 ml., porridge – 150 g., yolk – 1, meat puree – 60 g., fish puree – 30 gr., cookies – 10 gr., vegetable oil – 3 gr.
12 months: kefir – 100 g., cottage cheese – 50 g., baked apple – 70 g., vegetable puree – 200 g., juice – 70 ml., porridge – 200 g., yolk – 1, meat puree – 70 g., fish puree – 40 gr., cookies – 10 gr., vegetable oil – 3 gr.

Thus, the complementary feeding scheme according to Dr. Komarovsky is similar to the modern generally accepted complementary feeding scheme, but has some features. For example, the doctor does not recommend introducing various fruit purees, limiting yourself only to the apple that is familiar in our climate. It contains enough vitamins and microelements, and the risk of allergies is minimal.

The principles of introducing complementary feeding to infants in all schemes are approximately the same. The first feeding of a baby should begin at 6 months; until this age, breast milk is sufficient for your baby. A new product must be introduced gradually, starting with one teaspoon and increasing to the required volumes. We try a new product when the child is healthy, in the morning, before breastfeeding. That is, the child must be hungry. We do not insist or put pressure on the child. If the baby does not like some food, you need to offer it again after a week.

You can combine the traditional introduction of complementary foods with pedagogical complementary feeding. That is, you simultaneously introduce traditional complementary foods according to the complementary feeding schedule, and offer your baby small pieces from your plate. The baby will choose delicious food from your plate, and he will develop his own taste preferences. If your baby doesn’t want to try new food and you fall behind and don’t fit into the complementary feeding schedule, don’t be upset, all plans are approximate, and each child is individual.

Offer him new tastes, try them, perhaps the baby will like something, and he will begin to eat this food with pleasure. The main thing is not to insist, to offer new tastes and new textures of food. The baby must learn to swallow solid foods. Listen to your intuition, watch your baby, and you will succeed.

Introducing complementary foods - schemes, subtleties and problems - Reviews and Comments

Margarita Shtanova, child care consultant:

It is known that familiarity with the foods that mother and the whole family eats begins long before the child is born. Through the umbilical cord, the intrauterine fetus receives the first “knowledge” about the diet of its family. Along with all the necessary substances for life, he receives enzymes and information about what his mother ate today. Six months after birth, showing “remarkable” interest in the contents of his mother’s plate, the baby demands “in sign language” that he be given exactly that. What mom eats.

Why can't you start complementary feeding with juices? Juice is a very heavy product, containing a lot of acids, mineral salts and sugar. Even for adults, this is a too concentrated product that needs to be diluted. And for children it’s better to drink compote in general. Imagine a person has problems with his stomach, liver, kidneys... What is his diet? Porridge! Well boiled, sometimes in water, without milk. Not juices. The child eats breast milk, which is absorbed almost completely...

Consequences of early introduction of juice May be:

irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbiosis, kidney problems, problems with the pancreas (as a result - a huge number of patients with pancreatitis in our generation). The allergy may not appear immediately. It happens that about a month after the early introduction of juice, a diathesis appears “it’s not clear why, they didn’t give anything new.”

Now - about juice and anemia. The method of introducing complementary foods with juice was especially common in the period before the 70s. And not only in Russia, but also in Europe and America. But already in the late 60s, the first recommendations appeared in America and Europe to limit such food activities for children. Russia, as always, is in the rear, observations of the “bourgeois children” have no weight, you need to step on the rake yourself 15 times to understand the meaning of what is happening. From observations of children aged 6-12 years old who grew up in the wake of early sexual intercourse, information was gathered that such methods can be fraught with long-term consequences. The danger lay in wait not only in the form of immediate allergic manifestations, but also in subsequent reactions of the maturing body.

From birth, the child’s gastrointestinal tract, receiving unadapted food (and recommendations to give juices starting from 3 weeks), worked under extreme conditions, “to wear and tear.” And during physiological stressful periods (pre-teenage and adolescence), he simply simply lost his temper, rewarding the child with a bouquet of diseases such as gastritis, pancreatitis, problems with the intestinal mucosa, etc. And again, turning to that time, let us remember that the main emphasis was on artificial nutrition (and at that time it was considered BETTER to supplement the child with formula than to support breastfeeding, and the mother was recommended to use the services of a nursery as soon as possible in order to return to work shift) - the child needed additional sources of nutrients. This is precisely where the principle of “lesser evil” has become relevant.

Yes, juices as a first complementary food are harmful. But insufficient nutrition due to the lack of breast milk, milk formula of an unbalanced composition with crystalline sugar (and our mothers should remember how they sifted sugar from mixtures with a sieve), cow's milk or kefir, is more dangerous for the child. Nutrient deficiency provokes severe developmental defects, while gastrointestinal problems, firstly, are more distant in time and, secondly, are potentially familiar and theoretically treatable. And now the numbers: I’ll give an example on hardware. More precisely, on its content in various food sources suitable for an infant and the child’s needs for it. In breast milk, the iron content is insignificant by itself, about 0.04 mg per 100 grams.

But iron in breast milk has a unique bioavailability - 50-75%. No other product in the world provides this. Those. the absorbed amount in mcg/100 grams is about 20-30. In modern adapted mixtures, the content of ferrous sulfate is about 0.2-0.4 mg/100 grams (in enriched mixtures 0.6 mg/100 grams). Taking into account its bioavailability (which is about 20%), the absorbed amount ranges from 40 to 120 mcg/100 grams. According to WHO, 20 mcg/100 grams is a sufficient amount to meet the needs of a child up to the age of 6-8 months on average. In mixtures in which there are no additional factors stimulating absorption, the iron content, as can be seen, is overestimated. But in the milk formula that our mothers fed us, the iron content is two times less than in breast milk - 0.02 mg/100 grams. Bioavailability is low - 10%... and the amount of iron absorbed is only 2 mcg/100 grams of the mixture.

Those. for a child who was bottle-fed at that time, the prevention of iron deficiency anemia was VERY relevant. Because from the available food he received less than 1/10 of the required amount. This was especially true for premature babies, because their own reserves were minimal due to the shortened period of perinatal development, and, as a rule, were depleted to a minimum level by 2 months. Juices acted as at least some alternative to solving such a problem.

Really AT LEAST SOMETHING. Because it is impossible to offer solid food (pieces, purees) to a child of physiological immaturity for complementary feeding. Exceptionally liquid. Such as juices and broths. So, juices... the iron content in fortified apple juice is about 0.4-0.5 mg/100 grams. Bioavailability - 1-2%. those. about 4 mcg/100 grams are absorbed. Therefore, by the age of physiological decrease in iron reserves in the body (about 4 months), the child should already have a SUFFICIENT amount of another source of iron in his diet - juice.

At least these 100 grams of juice per day. But if you give them to a child right away, he will, excuse me, die. That’s why they introduced it as early as possible in order to extend the period of adaptation. Smooth out the stress effect. And why was the recommendation universal - but the reason is simple - few pediatricians will understand whether the mother is really breastfeeding well without supplementing with cow's milk? And the recommendation must be standardized! Maybe the mother is deceiving or not telling about the baby’s nutritional habits? And the child suffers.

That is why, based on the principle of the lesser evil, this recommendation was made universal. If there is any harm, it will be small compared to the problems of growth defects in a child in the first year due to poor nutrition with unadapted food. That's all... The main problem is that in the conditions of modern nutrition for babies, the advantages of introducing juice have lost their relevance. And when there is no even dubious benefit, then what is left?

So, how to start correctly?

The baby's introduction begins with the introduction of microdoses (micro-samples) of products, namely introduction, without the goal of feeding the child a certain portion. A microdose for soft food is approximately the amount that can fit between the pads of a mother's thumb and index finger if she squeezes them, or on the tip of a teaspoon. For liquid products - one sip, poured into a small cup at the bottom. The child can “in one sitting” try what the mother eats and what he is interested in in up to three microdoses.

Only hard pieces are given to the baby's hand, from which he himself will not eat much (hard apples, carrots, stalks, dried fruits, etc.) Microsamples are given for 3-4 weeks. During this time, the baby can become familiar with many of the foods used in his family and learn to drink from a cup. Complementary feeding never replaces breastfeeding! The baby can be introduced to new foods before, after and during breastfeeding. Children often wash down microsamples with mother’s milk. Gradually, the amount of food is increased, allowing the child to eat more. The mother needs to maintain the child’s interest in food and the desire to try. From six months to one and a half years, a child should become familiar with all the foods that his family eats. To maintain the desire to try, the mother must limit the child’s food interest until 8-11 months: if the child has eaten 3-4 teaspoons of one product and asks for more, he should be given something else.

From the outside, the introduction of complementary foods should look something like this: the baby begs for pieces, and the mother gives him some, sometimes. In such a situation, the child is always happy to get acquainted with new food and does not overeat. The child must learn to work with cutlery. Until 8-11 months, these are spoons (there should be a lot of them, because they fall all the time), the child has his own plate when he begins to eat separately, usually after 8-11 months. Until this age, the baby can eat while sitting in his mother’s arms and from her plate. If the child is tired of eating or has lost interest, it is necessary to take him away from the table.

Introducing complementary foods to a child requires certain knowledge and experience. There will be no problems if the baby is healthy, is on properly organized breastfeeding, and his mother was shown how to introduce such complementary foods. This really needs to be shown, as does everything related to practice, such as breastfeeding and caring for a baby. If the mother has not been shown by another experienced mother how to start feeding her baby correctly, she may make some mistakes without even knowing that she is making them. Some mothers succeed.

These are the lucky mothers. How lucky, for example, are mothers who have never seen how to breastfeed their baby correctly, but who managed to establish feeding. You can make mistakes related not to feeding itself, but to the baby’s behavior at the table. For example, a baby eats for some time, to put it mildly, not very carefully; he prefers to take food with his hand, put it in a spoon, and then carry it to his mouth. Many mothers consider this behavior unacceptable, take the spoon away from the child and begin to feed him. The baby loses the desire to eat on his own. A child may really like a certain product and demand more and more, and the mother gives in to him, resulting in indigestion in the baby the next day.

With the correct introduction of complementary foods, the baby’s well-being does not deteriorate, the tummy does not “get upset”, it continues to develop normally. If the mother knows the options for normal behavior of the baby and adequately evaluates them and corrects them in time if necessary, the baby will never grow up to be a child who does not know how to behave correctly at the table, is sloppy or has a poor appetite. Unfortunately, almost no one now remembers what all women knew how to do 150 years ago... Signs of improperly introduced complementary feeding: the child eats very well for some time, and then refuses to try and eat anything. This means that the child was overfed and he overate. A way out of the situation: take the child with you to the table for 5 days, do not offer him anything, do not give him anything, and eat with appetite in his presence.

Very often, mothers fail to cope with the introduction of complementary foods precisely because they really want to feed the baby with other foods. In the minds of modern mothers, there is a strong belief that breast milk, due to its qualitative composition, is not a very reliable liquid and must be supplemented with other food. The fact that milk is a perfect product created by evolution specifically for feeding human children, absolutely complete in its digestibility and nutritional value, is completely ignored. Research has proven that the early introduction of other foods impairs the absorption of nutrients from milk, and a child begins to fully absorb these substances from other foods only after a year.

Baby's eating behavior- not artificially invented, but due to the peculiarities of the development of his body, primarily the gastrointestinal tract. Mothers must remember that their task is not to feed the child food, but to introduce him to it and maintain the child’s interest in food. If you want your baby to have a good appetite in the future, never try to feed the child after he has lost interest in the process of eating. It’s hard for a mother who spent half a day making purees or opening a ready-made jar to watch her child run away after eating two spoons. I just want to catch him, distract him with a book, a toy or TV, just to open his mouth. Do not do that! A baby who has the opportunity to kiss his mother’s breast will never suffer from hunger or thirst! If breastfeeding is organized correctly, then everything the baby needs will be taken from the mother’s breast.

How to be with pieces of food, if the baby’s food is not pureed, he might choke?

Food for your baby does not need to be chopped, but you need to start with small microdose pieces. If a child is given something from which he could potentially bite off a large piece, the child sits on the mother's lap and the mother watches him and as soon as a large piece is bitten off, the mother makes a hook with her finger and takes it out of her mouth. The child actively learns and gradually learns to chew with his still toothless jaws, and then with toothed ones. What if the baby spits out even very small pieces, or tries to burp them instead of swallowing?

Many children behave exactly this way: for a week or two they spit out all the pieces and periodically “chokes”, then they begin to spit out the pieces “every other time”, they swallow half of them, then, finally, they begin to swallow all the pieces. Mom needs to be patient and not insist. At the same time, the child must watch other people eat without spitting out the pieces.

When does complementary feeding stop being just an introduction to new foods and begin to replace feedings? Breastfeeding and the transition to food from a common table are parallel processes. Feedings are not replaced with complementary foods. The fact is that the main feedings from the breast in a child 6 months and older are associated with dreams. Babies suck a lot when falling asleep during daytime and nighttime naps, breastfeed when waking up from daytime dreams and in the morning, and suckle at night, especially closer to the morning.

And acquaintance with complementary foods and food from the common table occurs during mother’s breakfasts, lunches and dinners. A child eats relatively large portions of food already at the age of about a year and older. But even at this age, babies can often drink food from the breast. The baby continues to receive vitamins and other useful substances through breast milk in sufficient quantities and in forms optimal for absorption, provided that breastfeeding is properly organized and the mother does not lack nutrients.

How to be with salt, sugar, spices, and possibly harmful substances (for example, nitrates) contained in adult food that the baby will try? IN baby food All this is missing, and therefore it can be healthier for the baby than food from the common table? Food does contain salt, sugar, nitrates and more. And contains baby food. Baby food is made in such a way that the child absorbs it without adapting to the products that make it up.

There is no adaptation of the digestive system to the taste, consistency, or ingredients. The mother’s task is not to feed the child with other foods, which can be done with baby food, but to continue the slow process of adaptation of the child’s gastrointestinal tract to other foods.

This adaptation began when the child began to swallow amniotic fluid, the taste of which changed depending on the mother’s nutrition, and continued with the start of feeding on breast milk, the taste and composition of which changes not only during the day, but even during one feeding, and the mother feeds not baby food. While the child eats small amounts of food, he adapts to its components: salt, sugar, nitrates, as well as its other components. And when he eats significant amounts of food, he will be quite capable of coping with all this.

Does the child needextra liquid in connection with the start of complementary feeding? The baby continues to receive the main liquid from breast milk. A child usually begins to take an interest in water and drinking after one year. Usually the baby is interested in the contents of his mother’s cup and tastes it if you pour a little drink into the bottom of his cup.

What to do with a child over a year old who has no interest in food?

Until a year old, all attempts to introduce complementary foods led to nothing. The child cried, turned away, and even vomited. Now he eats very poorly and not everything, but only certain types of canned food. How to accustom a child to adult food and increase appetite? This is how children usually behave when they have not seen what and how other people eat. This often happens if a separate process is arranged from feeding the child and they are fed something special. You need to stop feeding your baby separately.

It is necessary to sit him at the table with everyone, or at least with his mother, and not try to feed him. Everyone should become indifferent whether the child eats or not, at least it is necessary to “pretend” that this is so... Let him watch how other family members eat for several days. If he starts asking to try something, let’s do it. Put on the plate the same thing as everyone else. In the presence of the baby, you need to eat with appetite. Don't try to distract yourself with TV, books or toys. Do not scold or punish if a child spills or smears something, clean it up immediately and demonstrate that everyone eats carefully.

If the baby is almost 5 months old, he is very interested in any food, looks into everyone’s mouth and demands to try it, is it possible to introduce pedagogical complementary foods to him now? The baby is a developed and inquisitive child. He really wants to do the same things with food as his mother does. But we must remember that the child’s gastrointestinal tract, at less than 5 months, is not yet very ready to be introduced to other foods. Enzyme systems are just beginning to mature. The situation in the intestines is now stable; interfering with it ahead of time is quite dangerous.

The mother’s task is to protect this stability from premature interventions. A child of this age should have a limited interest in food; in other words, take him out of the kitchen and not eat in his presence. If you don’t really like this advice, you can do something, but only at your own peril and risk.

We have already encountered a situation where a mother, even who knows how to properly introduce complementary foods, shows impatience and, as a result, the child suffered a breakdown in the digestive system, which then had to be dealt with for a long time. If the mother has the opportunity to introduce complementary feeding under the full-time guidance of a lactation consultant (the best option), then it will be possible to do this from 5.5 months of age. If you can only act on your own, introducing complementary foods before the baby is six months old is not recommended.

Are there any peculiarities in the management of pedagogical complementary feeding if the baby or his parents - allergy sufferers? Of course, there are features. Such a baby is introduced to foods more slowly, starting with hypoallergenic ones, and the amount of complementary foods is increased much more slowly than usual.

The speed of product introduction can be described as “one step forward, two steps back.” Mom should follow a hypoallergenic diet, excluding foods that cause her allergies or any other discomfort. A breastfeeding mother should not introduce new foods to her baby due to an exacerbation of her own illness. All product trials must be completed by applying to the breast. It is necessary to introduce no more than one product per day and monitor the baby’s reaction to it for at least 3 days. Why can babies who eat baby food at 7-8 months eat 100-200g of puree or cereal, but children who started with pedagogical complementary feeding do not do this? A child in the second half of life eats little because he does not want to be full yet. He only imitates his mother in her actions.

He eats up milk. Perhaps there is a genetically built-in mechanism in the human baby that does not allow him to eat a lot at this age. Just a couple of thousand years ago, a child would probably have had big problems in the digestive system if he had been fed 100g of game meat brought by his dad from a hunt. Another thing is that then no one would have thought of doing this to a child. Even our great-grandmothers, 100 years ago, who cooked food for a family of 5-10 people on a stove or wood-burning stove, did not think (and were not able), on the one hand, to feed the child something specially prepared separately from everyone else, and on the other hand, there was no thought of giving the baby more common porridge or soup to fill him up... Baby food is made so that the child can eat a lot of it.

And you can feed it to any baby, but is it necessary? There are children who for the time being eat this “baby food” and with pleasure, however, most of them have to be entertained during the feeding process so that their mouths open. Many people have to entertain themselves while eating for quite a long time, some - until adolescence. A situation often occurs when a child, who ate with pleasure and a lot, up to a year or a little over a year, as he grows older, begins to refuse food and turns into a toddler, whom it is simply torture for parents to feed. Such children are not at all interested in food. There are, of course, children who relatively “safely” bypass the baby food stage. “Safely” is put in quotation marks because... Now the long-term consequences of introducing large quantities of baby food to a child when he is biologically not quite ready for such a load are just beginning to be studied; the results will not be soon.

The introduction of complementary foods is a mandatory stage for every baby, allowing them to move on to the so-called “adult” food.

In the first months of life, children receive all the substances necessary for normal growth from breast milk and (or) nutritional formulas, but later, with the development of the digestive organs, this becomes clearly not enough.

In order for new food to be well absorbed and complementary feeding not to harm either the baby or the mother, you need to follow certain rules.

Why do you need to introduce complementary foods?

1 Natural need for nutrients. Indeed, breast milk is an incredibly valuable product that can provide an infant with a complete nutritional complex. But babies grow faster than we can imagine, and already in the 6th month of life they need much more vitamins, trace elements and minerals for harmonious growth.

2 Rest for mom. Not all women can breastfeed a child for a long time, especially when a lot of time has passed since the first latch. If you feel like you’ve literally “run out”, don’t worry or blame yourself - it means you’ve already fulfilled your quota.

3 Helps with physiological development. Food that has a thicker consistency than breast milk affects the timely development of the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal motility, and the correct formation of the masticatory apparatus.

4 Educational aspect. If you have been breastfeeding for a long time and do not feel tired, your lactation is good and your baby is actively gaining weight, this is simply wonderful.

But it is quite logical that the longer the baby eats only through breastfeeding, the more difficult it will be for him to switch to a more varied menu.

Therefore, the sooner the baby begins to eat food with adults, the easier it will be for him to instill cultural skills and table manners.

5 Coordination of movements. It is extremely important to develop hand motor skills from an early age, to ensure that grasping movements are more coordinated and not chaotic. With the introduction of complementary foods, the baby has the opportunity to try to support the utensils used for feeding with his hands.

When is the best time to start introducing complementary foods?

Complementary feeding should not be introduced before the 6th month.

There is no practical or pedagogical need for this. The exception is those cases when the mother, for one reason or another, was forced to give up breastfeeding in favor of special formulas.

Then additional food is introduced a little earlier, from 4-5 months.

Interesting! Desserts for children 1 year of age

Also, early introduction of complementary foods is prescribed when the baby is significantly underweight or has anemia. Breastfeeding should be extended if, at the time of 6 months, the child is sick with something, has a fever or has intestinal upset.

How do you know when your baby is ready to introduce complementary foods?

Still, any strict time frame in children's problems is just a formality. There are critical boundaries, and within them, only individual characteristics decide the question of “starting or not starting.”

Therefore, be more attentive to your baby: he himself will tell you when the cherished “time” comes.

Remember that feeding too early is much more dangerous than feeding too late, as it can cause an allergic reaction or intolerance to certain foods.

1 Absence of the ejection reflex. Infants have the ability to push food out, because they are adapted only to sucking. Over time, this feature goes away, new reflexes appear - chewing.

Bring the spoon to the baby’s mouth, and if its contents go back, then you should wait before introducing complementary foods.

2 Increased appetite. The child eats actively and asks for more. Breastfed babies can eat both breasts and remain hungry, while bottle-fed babies can eat more than one liter of ready-made formula per day.

3 Parents' interest in food. The child may reach out to your food and try to taste it. But this may also be a sign that the baby’s body is already quite ready to eat a variety of foods, and simple curiosity.

4 By 4-5 months, babies, as a rule, begin to learn to sit and maintain an upright body position. This is also important for feeding.

5 The event that naturally presupposes a transition to more solid food is appearance of the first milk teeth.

What rules should be followed when introducing complementary foods?

First of all, complementary feeding should not be understood as a complete replacement for breast milk.

It is most effective to put the baby to the breast either before meals or after meals (the child will, as it were, wash down the food with milk). Also, in order for the child to better perceive new taste sensations, it is permissible to dilute complementary feeding with breast milk.

The baby's first adult food should consist of one and only one component, and contain no salt, no sugar, much less pepper.

The best type of complementary feeding at first is considered to be pureed seasonal vegetables and fruits, which are the main suppliers of vitamin C, iron, and folic acid.

Vegetables should not contain fiber that is too coarse for the baby; the best option is stewed or steamed carrots, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, cauliflower

The preferred fruits are non-sour apples, bananas, and peaches. Initial portions do not exceed 1-2 teaspoons of soft puree; they should be increased gradually.

Interesting! Porridge in complementary feeding: everything a mother needs to know

It is advisable to make an interval of a week between the introduction of new types of complementary foods, give the baby the opportunity to get used to each of them, and monitor his body’s reaction to food. Afterwards, you can alternate dishes and combine products with each other.

You should not force feed your baby. Children themselves know how much they need to eat and feel good. Use a spoon with smooth edges for feeding so as not to injure the baby’s oral cavity.

Allow your child to take food with his hands, but under your close supervision. It is quite natural that at first the food will end up anywhere other than its direct destination: on the face, on the floor, on clothes. But all these actions will help over time the baby learn to eat without the help of adults.

By the age of 7-8 months, the child’s digestive system adapts to eating cereals.

You can use both factory mixtures enriched with vitamins and minerals, and home-cooked cereals.

The porridge should be brought to a boiled state, and then crushed using a blender. The ideal option for a child's first porridge is easy-to-digest rice porridge with a small amount of butter or vegetable oil. You can try introducing milk-based cereals, but if your baby has an allergic reaction to milk, then you should still return to cereals cooked in water.

The introduction of complementary foods is a transitional stage from a single product (breast milk or formula) to food from a common table. During this period, the child’s diet undergoes dramatic changes; new products appear in it, completely different in taste and composition from the previous food. In addition to the new, unusual taste of the food for the baby, the consistency and temperature of the food changes, as well as the feeding process itself, because now the baby receives food from a spoon. With the appearance of new ingredients in a baby’s diet, the load on the digestive system and the child’s body as a whole increases significantly. It is not surprising that such significant changes may not be liked by the baby’s body, and he will begin to rebel.

Introduction of complementary foods: the child refuses to try new foods

One of the common problems when introducing complementary foods is the child’s refusal to try new foods. There can be many reasons for this behavior in a child.

For example, at this moment the child may not be completely healthy or may be teething. If, in addition to refusing to eat, the baby exhibits other signs of illness - lethargy, drowsiness, the child does not behave “as usual", is capricious a lot and shows anxiety - it is necessary to show him to the doctor to find out the reason for this behavior, and postpone attempts to introduce new food until the time when the baby is in a good mood and feeling well.

It should be noted that often the reason a baby refuses complementary feeding is the parents’ violation of the deadlines, as well as the basic principles of its introduction. So, a child may refuse to eat from a spoon if the mother started introducing complementary foods too early, and the baby is simply not yet ready to switch to “adult” food. According to modern recommendations, the optimal age for introducing complementary foods is 5–6 months. It is during this period that a number of changes occur in the child’s body that allow the baby to accept and assimilate food other than mother’s milk or formula. As the nervous system matures, the so-called “spoon pushing reflex” gradually fades away, and the baby gains the ability to swallow food with a denser consistency, a readiness for chewing movements appears, the acidity of gastric juice and the activity of digestive enzymes increases.

It is important to understand that the optimal period for introducing complementary foods is individual for each child, it depends on the characteristics of its development. Therefore, it is advisable to determine the baby’s readiness to be introduced to new food together with the pediatrician observing him. In this matter, you should not rely on familiar children of the same age who are already “eating porridge and puree with all their might.” If the baby is not yet 6 months old, he is healthy, gains weight normally and is actively developing, but does not yet show interest in “adult” food, you should not force things: it is better to postpone attempts to introduce complementary foods for a while and wait until the baby develops an interest in food.

The child may refuse the food offered if the mother is in too much of a hurry and increases the portion size very quickly, violating the principle of gradualness when introducing complementary foods and not allowing the baby to adapt to the new taste. According to the recommended rules for introducing complementary foods, you should start introducing new food with a small amount (half a teaspoon), and only then the volume of the new dish can be gradually increased over 7-10 days to the norm corresponding to the child’s age.

The baby’s reluctance to eat from a spoon may be due to the fact that the dish is too thick and dense, which does not correspond to the child’s ability to chew and swallow the food offered. Therefore, it is very important that the dishes with which the baby begins to get acquainted with new food are semi-liquid and homogeneous (without lumps), so as not to cause difficulty in swallowing. Then, as the child grows older, the consistency of the food should gradually change to a thicker and harder one.

What to do if “the time has come” and the baby refuses a new dish or product? Don’t be upset or angry if your little picky child once again pushes away the spoon with carefully prepared puree. Children are mostly conservative in their preferences and are very cautious about everything new and unfamiliar. In such a situation, you should be patient and give the baby some time to get used to the new sensations. It has been scientifically established that in order to perceive a new taste, the product must be offered to the child every day for at least 8–10 days. If even after 10 attempts the child refuses complementary feeding, the mother should postpone the introduction of this product for 1-2 weeks and then offer it again.

This is too tough for us. Often, after successfully mastering the first stage of complementary feeding and introducing pureed foods, babies seem to “get stuck” at this stage and do not at all want to switch to foods with a lesser degree of grinding. Often in such cases, mothers complain that the child spits out food and chokes on what is offered, even to the point of vomiting. Meanwhile, you need to accustom your baby to food in pieces. After all, this contributes to the development of the chewing and speech apparatus. Most often, such problems arise when the baby is untimely (too early or too late) switched to food of a denser consistency. A baby’s negative attitude towards solid food can also be caused by too rapid an increase in the size of the pieces or a sharp transition from one consistency of the product to another.

To transfer a child to a denser food, parents will have to show patience and perseverance, since accustoming to a new consistency occurs gradually and takes time. Every day, let your baby try a small amount of less crushed food, without forcing him to eat by force. The baby probably already has some taste preferences, so it is much more effective to accustom him to a new consistency by offering a product that he eats more willingly.

Introduction of complementary foods: skin rashes and allergies in a child

In response to the introduction of a new product, the baby may develop an allergic reaction in the form of skin rashes, accompanied by redness, peeling and itching. Most often, rashes are caused by foods such as cow's milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, chicken, vegetables, fruits and red and orange berries. If skin rashes appear, you should immediately stop introducing the new product and postpone introduction to it for at least 1 month.

In order to be able to assess the tolerability of a new ingredient, it is advisable to give it to the child in the first half of the day. You should not introduce several new foods to your child at once, since if an allergy to one of them occurs, it will be impossible to determine the source of the problem.

Sometimes skin manifestations in response to the introduction of complementary foods do not occur immediately, but after some time, and then it can be quite difficult to identify the product that caused the allergic reaction. In such situations, keeping a food diary1 can be of great help, in which the mother should keep a record of all the foods the baby eats during the day and reflect all the unusual reactions and manifestations that arise in the child during this period. If, after eliminating the “culprit” product, skin manifestations persist for more than 2 weeks, and there are also cases of extensive and severe rashes, the child must be shown to a pediatrician and allergist.

Problems with the baby's tummy when introducing complementary foods

Problems with the introduction of complementary foods can be various digestive disorders, which manifest themselves in the form of stool disorders (liquefaction of the stool or, conversely, constipation), colic, increased gas formation, frequent regurgitation and even vomiting. Most often, such violations occur in response to unreasonably early introduction of complementary foods or violation of the rules of introducing new food.

For example, a mother, trying to diversify her child’s menu, began to replenish his diet with new products too quickly.

It also happens that the baby immediately liked the product offered, and the mother, unable to resist the baby’s appetite, gave him too large a portion.

There are often cases when parents allow a child, who shows an active interest in food from the common table, to try “adult” products and dishes from his plate that are not adapted for the child and may contain components harmful to the child’s body. All these disorders lead to significant overload of the baby’s digestive system and can provoke disruptions in its functioning.

If, in response to the introduction of a new type of complementary food, a child experiences abdominal pain, bowel problems, excessive regurgitation or vomiting, the use of this product must be stopped immediately.

It is important to remember that such symptoms may be a sign of a serious illness (for example, an intestinal infection, neurological or acute surgical diseases), so if they appear in your baby, you must show him to the doctor.

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