Ludhiana, August 20
Breastfeeding of infants alone is sufficient for the first six months and thereafter, complementary foods are required to ensure adequate growth as well as to prevent malnutrition, which is common in the age group of 6 month to 24 months.
This was stated by Dr Rajinder Gulati, Head, Paediatrics Department, ESIC Model Hospital, in his keynote address at a two-day orientation training course in nutrition education organised by the local unit of the Food and Nutrition Board for anganwari workers of ICDS project of Doraha, Dehlon and Sidhwan Bet blocks in this district here yesterday.
Highlighting the importance of appropriate infant and young child feeding, he defined complementary feeding as any non-breastmilk food or nutritious food given to young children in addition to breastfeeding. “The six-11 months period is an especially vulnerable time because infants are just learning to eat and must be fed soft foods frequently and patiently. Care must be taken to ensure that these foods complement rather than replace breastmilk. For older infants and toddlers, breastmilk continues to be an important source of energy, proteins, vitamin A and vitamin C. Therefore, breastfeeding should continue up to the age of 2 years at least, while receiving complementary foods.”
Dr Gulati said a six-month-old child could eat soft and starchy foods such as cereals. By the age of nine months, infants could be given chopped food. Complementary food had to be started in small amounts and increased progressively so as to provide more than half of the nutritional requirements of the child by the age of one year.
He warned against early introduction of complementary food before six months of age as it could have a negative effect on health like reduction of protective factors available with breastmilk, reduction of key nutrients such as zinc and iron, which were available through exclusive breastfeeding, risk of diarrhoea and displacement of fully nutritious breastmilk with other nutritionally inferior food.
“Similarly, late introduction of complementary feeding is associated with insufficient intake of energy and protein leading to poor growth, insufficient intake of iron leading to anaemia and insufficiency of other nutrients leading to malnutrition.”
Regarding the taste, consistency and texture of complementary foods, Dr Gulati advised that transition from liquid to semi-solid and solid feeding was a major developmental milestone and it was important to change the taste, consistency and texture of foods as the child grew older so as to ensure that he accepted almost all family food by the time he was one.
“A child’s first food should be soft and flowing, thicker than breastmilk, bland in taste and homogenous (mashed or strained). When the infant has accepted soft food, different taste should be gradually introduced while increasing the thickness and varying the texture of the food. A child’s first food should be based on cereal or stable food.”
On the frequency of complementary foods, he said initially a small amount should be introduced once or twice a day slowly increasing it to four times. Gradually, the amount of food could be increased and at one year, complementary food should be given four times daily along with breastfeeding, especially during night.
