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What's Your Baby-Food IQ?
Do you have the nutrition know-how to wean your baby successfully?
By Christina Ching and Kathryn Blundell
Once breastfeeding stops, a balanced and healthy diet should provide all the necessary nutrients.
Introducing solids isn’t initially about nutrition. It’s about your baby experiencing different textures and tastes.
Any healthy child will not ‘starve to death’. He will definitely eat when he’s hungry. If he refuses food, he’s simply not hungry now and does not need food at that very moment.
1. What are the symptoms of a food allergy?
a Coughing
b Rash
c Eczema
d Runny nose
Answer: All of the above
Also watch out for itching, diarrhoea, vomiting, wheezing, swollen lips, and sore or red eyes.
Food allergies are rare. “Less than 4 per cent of children in Singapore suffer from food allergies, so don’t get too anxious about it,” reassures Dr Dawn Lim, a consultant paediatrician at Kinder Clinic, who specialises in paediatric allergy and immunology. Local studies have found that common allergens among little sufferers aged 3 and below include cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, shrimp and fish. If you have a family history of food allergies, don’t give these to your children until they are 3.
While you should never take food allergies lightly since they can be potentially fatal, nutritionist Rachel McCarthy highlights that you should not assume that these symptoms automatically mean your child is allergic to food. “It could be an allergy to something else, such as pollen, or signs of flu or a cold.’
2. Which signs show your baby is ready for weaning?
a Drooling
b Being hungry after feeds
c Showing an interest in what you’re eating
d Licking her lips
Answer: b and c
Both the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the World Health Organisation recommend that mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first six months, before introducing them to their first taste of solids. If your baby seems hungry and you’ve increased her milk feeds for several days, and she still wants more, this could indicate that she is ready for solids. Teething and sitting up are also signs. If you’re unsure, talk to your GP.
3. With fruit and vegetables, should you give your baby “five a day”?
a Yes
b No
Answer: b
There are no specific guidelines, but it’s important to introduce variety into your child’s diet as you go through the weaning process. As a rule of thumb, at least a third of her food intake should be starchy carbohydrates, such as rice, cereal, pasta and bread. She should also eat more fruit and veg, and moderate amounts of meat, fish, eggs, beans and dairy products, while taking foods high in fat and sugar sparingly. According to the HPB’s dietary guide for children, tots aged 1 to 2 should strive for at least half a serving of fruit and veg each, while preschoolers aged 3 and above should eat one serving of fruit and a serving of veg every day. One portion is the amount that would fit in their hand (a couple of orange segments, for example, or a piece of broccoli).
4. At what age will your child need meat in her meals?
a 4 to 6 months
b 6 to 9 months
c 9 to 12 months
d Above 1 year
Answer: b
“Meat is not a first weaning food, as it’s not easily digestible,” McCarthy notes. So stick to baby rice, fruit and veg for the first fortnight when you introduce your baby to semi solids, before moving on to minced foods like meat.
Between 6 and 9 months, increase the amount and variety of foods, including meat, fish, egg yolk, all cereals and pulses. This helps increase an infant’s iron intake - an essential nutrient for your growing child, McCarthy stresses.
5. When it comes to milk feeds and weaning, which statements are false?
a You should stop breastfeeding when your child starts solids
b You need to cut back on milk feeds as your baby eats more purées
c You should start using formula when you wean
d You should stop all night feeds around now
Answer: a, c and d
“Milk feeds - whether you’re breastfeeding or using formula - continue in conjunction with weaning,” McCarthy says. You should continue to give your baby milk until she is 1 and beyond, although you may find that your child needs less milk as she consumes more solids.
Take your cue from your baby. If your child’s feeds get further apart, you may want to increase their size. “Once breastfeeding stops, a balanced and healthy diet should provide all the necessary nutrients,” McCarthy notes.
Chow, Baby!
Before you raise the white flag, M&B experts solve your weaning woes.
Q: My baby is 22 weeks and I think he’s ready for solids. What should I give him?
A: “Introducing solids isn’t initially about nutrition,” says paediatric dietitian Jacqui Lowdon. “It’s about your baby experiencing different textures and tastes. He’s used to sucking from your breast or a bottle, so it’s about teaching him to take food from a spoon without spitting it out again.”
After starting with baby rice cereal, try moving on to simple runny pureees like apple, pear, carrot or sweet potato.
Milk should still be your baby’s main source of nutrients. “Until your baby is 1, he still needs about 600ml (20oz) of milk a day,” Lowdon points out.
Q: My 6-month-old girl screams for milk when I try to give her solids. What should I do?
A: “Stop trying,” advises nurse Karen Gentry. “Continue feeding her milk and wait a few more days before having another go. Her screaming may well be a sign that she’s not ready to move on yet, and the last thing you want is to make her associate mealtimes with something unpleasant.”
Start with just one or two teaspoons of baby rice cereal mixed with her familiar breastmilk or formula milk, the next time you try again, Gentry suggests. Pick a time when she’s not too sleepy or over-hungry. Try giving her half a bottle of formula, or some breastmilk first.
Most importantly, don’t rush her and don’t worry if she spits the whole lot out. “Gradually increase to three, then four, spoonfuls of rice. After that, your baby should dictate how much she wants to eat,” says Gentry.
Q: Do I need to sterilise my 6-month-old’s feeding equipment?
A: “As long as the cutlery, plates and bowls are washed in hot, soapy water, they’ll be fine,” Lowdon assures.
Q: My son will only eat frozen peas and sweetcorn and won’t touch fresh vegetables. Should I worry?
A: No, says food guru Annabel Karmel, author of Baby and Toddler Food Diary. “Frozen veg are often better than fresh as they’re frozen within hours of being picked, thus locking in nutrients. By the time fresh vegetables reach the shops, they may have been sitting around for weeks,” she explains.
Q: Is it safe to reheat my baby’s leftovers to feed him later?
A: No. “If your baby doesn’t finish a meal, throw it away because food left at room temperature becomes a breeding ground for bacteria,” Lowdon explains. “When you reheat a frozen or properly chilled puree, make sure it’s piping hot then let it cool before giving it to your baby. Never refreeze food that has already been frozen, and always freeze purees within 24 hours of making them.”
Q: It seems my toddler won’t eat a thing! I’m worried he’ll starve to death. Is it ok to give him snacks between meals?
A: “Any healthy child will not ‘starve to death’,” assures Rehana A Wahid, Gleneagles Hospital’s clinical dietitian. “He will definitely eat when he’s hungry. If he refuses food, he’s simply not hungry now and does not need food at that very moment.”
Sometimes, children won’t eat for reasons other than being stubborn, Rehana points out. Perhaps your tot has eaten too many snacks or filled up on drinks before dinner. Also, check how much food is being served. Children have small stomachs about the size of their fist and large servings can put them off. Try servings small portions ?they can always come back for second helpings.
“Offering healthy snacks in between meals is a great opportunity to introduce new foods and helps to keep up with his small appetite throughout the day,” Rehana notes. A great tip is to serve them small meals throughout the day and limit drinks to up to two to three cups of milk a day and no more than one cup of diluted juice. But don’t limit the drinking of water. |
If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg
- Mother & Baby
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