Modern parents will think hard regarding when their children should stop breastfeeding and when to eat solid food. Some parents can’t wait to let their babies start eating solid food before they are six months old. They want their children to adapt to adult food as soon as possible, but they are too hasty. More often than not. Recently, a new idea of ”self-weaning of babies” has been advocated in the parenting circle. Is this feasible? Pediatricians have the following insights.
Recently, the “Baby Led Weaning” (BLW, Baby Led Weaning) method has emerged in Hong Kong’s parenting circle, which has caused a series of heated discussions with traditional feeding (TW, Traditional Weaning). BLW was proposed by British early childhood expert Gill Rapley. She advocates that children should try themselves and choose the food they want to eat at their own pace, while TW is a step-by-step spoon feeding method to reinforce the diet. Both feeding methods have their own admiration, but there is one thing parents should keep in mind, and they should never be rushed.
In the emerging BB weaning method, when is the most suitable time to add solid diet, choose the wrong time, choking the throat can cause suffocation.
Zhang Jie, a pediatrician, said, “It is generally recommended to start solid food for children at the age of six months. The reason is that most children’s “tongue reflex” movements are reduced at this time, that is, it is easier to accept solid food into the mouth. Otherwise, this reflex will The action causes the child’s tongue to push solid food out of the mouth. This protective reflex wears off between four and six months of age. On the other hand, by six months of age, the neck and back of the child are Muscles are stronger and can maintain a longer sitting position, making it easier to eat solid food.”
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Misuse of the consequences can be big or small
Some parents let their babies try solid food as early as four months, and the consequences can be big or small. Dr. Zhang pointed out, “If you try to let your child eat solid food too early, there will be several problems: First, the child is more likely to choke. , especially they fail to sit. The second is that the failure rate is very high, which will disappoint the caregiver. The third is that the child’s intestinal digestion is not mature enough, which can easily lead to indigestion.”
Some parents are very aggressive, and some are too slow, which can also affect the baby’s growth. “Some parents let their babies breastfeed until they are one year old or even older. If they are fed the reinforcement food too late, it will make it more difficult for the child to learn solid food. Eating. So, I recommend starting training at 6 months old, but don’t expect easy success at first. Young children may be more resistant when they start eating solid foods. Parents should be patient and try a lot , you can let them try following another one to two weeks.” Dr. Zhang said.
In the emerging BB weaning method, when is the most suitable time to add solid diet, choose the wrong time, choking the throat can cause suffocation.
Introduce one food at a time
Basically, the infant is regarding one year old, and it has been able to stably crush the food with its teeth, and it has been successfully strengthened. Dr. Zhang said: “Actually, any food can be given to children, but one type of food should be introduced at a time. The purpose is to let parents observe children’s reaction to this kind of food first, and the food should be easy to digest and less fiber. Lord, following the baby is six months old, they need more iron and cannot rely on breast milk alone to meet their needs, so parents should provide iron-rich foods such as egg yolk, tofu, meat, fish from the age of six months. Etc. Parents should remember to cut food into small pieces to make it easy for children to eat.”
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Keep the code in mind when implementing
When giving liquid/solid foods to your child, keep the following in mind:
‧Let children eat in their own dedicated chairs.
• Have your child eat while sitting, not lying down.
‧Do what you can, and don’t give too much weight at one time.
• Expect a change in stool with the addition of solid food, but not constipation or other abnormal conditions.
‧It is expected that the amount of milk you drink will decrease accordingly.
‧Start to strengthen the habit of cleaning your mouth.
‧You can start the habit of drinking water.
• Don’t compare yourself to other babies.
‧Don’t give up because the child refuses a little.
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