ATTENTION !!!!! Close to 40% of children in India don’t get complementary food, or nutrition in addition to breast milk, till they are eight months old. The finding can hold significance because late introduction to complementary feeding is linked to lower immunity levels in children. A Unicef study that tracked the progress of child and maternal nutrition in India also found that 30% of babies are introduced to solid food at an early age of four months. This can raise the risk of diabetes and obesity later in life. The ideal age to put babies onto a solid diet is six months. In India, many infants receive complementary food even while they are being breast-fed in the first few months of birth. “Feeding solid food too early can cause obesity, diabetes, celiac disease and other disorders later in childhood,” said paediatrician D V V Varadarajan of Sooriya Hospital. He said that the digestive system of a newborn is very delicate and it was crucial for a doctor to explain feeding and care practices for babies. Complementary feeding is essential for proper growth and during the first two years. Earlier, the appropriate age to begin complementary foods was four months. It has now been revised to six months. “While rice was considered the safest food to begin with, nowadays mothers are advised to feed babies mashed vegetables and fruits that are gentle on the stomach,” said Dr Nirmala Jesudason, consultant dietician at Mehta’s Hospital. “Their iron levels drop as they drink only mother’s milk which is low on iron. So they should be introduced to ironfortified cereals after six months,” said Dr Jesudason. She said children may not be fed frequently enough during the day as the child grows, or the quality of food may be inadequate. “So it is essential to start complementary food at the right time in order to match the growing child’s needs,” she said. FOR A GROWING BABY WHAT IS COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING? Complementary feeding is the process of adding foods to an infant’s diet when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet nutritional requirements. Other foods and liquids are needed, along with breast milk to aid the baby’s growth 0-6 MONTHS | Practice exclusive breast-feeding 6 MONTHS | Introduce semi solid complementary foods like mashed apples, potatoes and biscuits dipped in milk along with baby foods while continuing partial breastfeeding 8 MONTHS | Introduce solid food such as rice, dal, idli and boiled vegetables along with finely chopped fruits 1 YEAR | Optional to stop breastfeeding completely at one year and continue with just complementary foods The target age for complementary feeding is taken to be 6 to 24 months of age, even though breast-feeding may continue beyond two years COMPLEMENTARY FOODS FOR A BABY’S DIET Rich in energy, protein and micro-nutrients, particularly iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate Easy for the child to eat No pathogens or no disease-causing bacteria or other harmful organisms No harmful chemicals or toxins No bones or hard bits that may choke a child Not boiling hot Not too peppery, salty or spicy Locally available and affordable Easy to prepare KEEPING IT CLEAN AND HEALTHY Wash caregivers’ and children’s hands before food preparation and eating Store food safely and serve food immediately after preparation Use clean utensils to prepare and serve food Use clean cups and bowls when feeding children Avoid the use of feeding bottles, which are difficult to keep clean Thanx - TOI
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 03:20:15 +0000
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