SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDS

When should I start feeding my child? At what age should I do it? What did I include first in your diet? What happens to the allergens? Surely if you are a father or mother you have asked yourself questions of this type more than once.

The answer is one:
The order does not matter, only the age at which they are introduced. «Opinions vary widely between regions and cultures and that is why parents should not receive rigid instructions, since there are no better foods than others to start» although experts recommend starting with foods rich in zinc and iron. The important thing is to «include them one by one and at intervals of a few days, to observe intolerance and acceptance; you should also not add salt, sugar or sweeteners, so that the baby gets used to the natural taste of food»

At what age should we start?
It doesn’t matter, but what about the age at which the food is given? «A very early introduction of complementary feeding can generate short and long-term risks for the child.» «If there is no availability of breast milk before four months, only the initial formula (type 1) should be used as a substitute.»

It is also important to know that “although the benefits of the introduction of infant feeding at four or five months in children have not been demonstrated, there has been an increase in infections, both in developing and developed countries. «Therefore, the recommendation is» wait six months to start supplementary feeding in children with breast milk. «In those who are artificially breastfed, «the recommendation is less unanimous, although in any case it should never begin before the fourth month.»

Why at that age?

Waiting at 6 months of life is key because «it is when children’s organisms have the necessary maturation at the neurological, renal, gastrointestinal and immune levels.» It is also important that the child has an interest in food, that it does not have the extrusion reflex, that is, the expulsion of non-liquid foods with the tongue, that it can take food with the hand and take them to the mouth, and hold the sitting position with support.

Risks of Introducing Food Before 4 Months

Short term:

Possibility of suffocation.
Increased acute gastroenteritis and upper respiratory tract infections.
Interference with the bioavailability of iron and zinc in breast milk.
Replacement of milk intake with other less nutritious foods.

.Long-term:

Increased risk of obesity.
Increased risk of atopic eczema.
Increased risk of type 1 diabetes.
Higher rate of early weaning, with additional risks that this entails.

But, just as there is a period to start, there is also a limit that should not be exceeded. «You don’t have to wait to do it beyond 7 months.»
In fact, the late introduction of complementary feeding implies, among other problems, «nutritional deficiencies, especially iron and zinc, an increased risk of food allergies and intolerances, a worse acceptance of new textures and flavors or a greater possibility of altering abilities oral motor. « according to pediatricians.

What do we do with allergens?

Another question that parents ask is when they should introduce foods that produce more allergies; «Currently, there is no evidence that delaying the introduction of potentially allergic foods beyond 6 months prevents the development of allergy to them, regardless of the risk of atopy they present.» On the contrary, «there are studies that suggest that the early introduction of some of these foods in small amounts may decrease the subsequent occurrence of allergy.»

«Cereals can be introduced into powders dissolved in milk, added to purees, in the form of boiled and sauteed rice, bread, pasta, corn cakes, quinoa or oatmeal, depending on the age and maturation of children’s customs and family».

Here it is important to note that «it is a mistake to replace breastfeeding with formula milk with the sole purpose of giving cereals, since it can condition an unnecessary premature weaning and are not a mandatory consumption of food in the diversification process, especially if diet It is balanced and rich in iron through the consumption of other foods such as meats. «

Finally, in the case of dairy products, if the baby older than 6 months performs at least 4 or 5 lactations a day, «no other dairy sources are required.» You can include yogurts or cheese after 9 months and whole cow’s milk only after 12 months.

It will not be until the second year of life when the parents begin to incorporate the child to the menus of the rest of the family. In this phase, «it is important to maintain the quality of food, as well as the reduced amount of salt and sugar.» It is preferable that parents adapt to the child’s meals than the other way around.