Make sure your little one’s very first bite is safe

By Puja Gupta  

New Delhi, June 9 Complementary feeding or starting solids is the process by which your baby moves or shifts from having only breast milk to consuming semi-solid or solid foods. There is a gradual reduction in the intake of breast milk and/or baby formula and your baby more often starts taking more solid food.

“At six months, breast milk alone is not sufficient to provide all the nutrients needed to maintain your growing baby. Increasing needs of calories and protein of growing children cannot be met by the breast milk itself. Starting solids is one of the many important milestones in your baby’s process of development. It is very important for your baby’s health and growth,” points out Abhilasha V, Senior Clinical Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals.

The WHO Recommendation is to start complementary foods at six months of age in addition to breast milk, initially 2-3 times a day between 6-8 months, increasing to 3-4 times daily between 9-11 months and 12-24 months with additional nutritious snacks offered 1-2 times per day, as desired, suggests the expert.

The child is growing in size and needs more calories as other activities like learning to turn, crawl, standing with support, walking, running / vocabulary/ teething/ learning to eat by himself/ grasp are happening now.

Food contains complex form of nutrients which a child is ready to digest; protein and fats by 6 months of age, as the enzymes to digest complex nutrients are fully activated now.