MUMS, GO SOFT ON BABY

Tuesday March 18, 2008

Don’t introduce your baby to solid foods too soon

Eveline Gan
eveline@mediacorp.com.sg

YOU may be eager to introduce your baby to the fascinating world of tastes
and textures, or perhaps your friends and relatives have been pressuring
you to wean your baby early.

Nutrition experts, however, say it is best to hold that first spoonful of
cereal until your baby is over six months old.

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommends that babies start eating
solids from seven months, with breast milk as the sole source of nutrition
from birth.

Said Gleneagles Hospital dietitian Rehana A Wahid: “Early introduction of
solids could result in digestive disorders, due to an immature digestive
system which is unable to digest certain substances like complex
proteins.”

Even if you do begin weaning your baby, solid foods should be introduced
one at a time – over a period of three to four days – to detect any food
allergies, advised nutrition experts.

“For babies with a family history of food allergy, dairy products should
be delayed until after they are one year old and eggs should only be
introduced after two years of age,” said chief dietitian at KK Women’s and
Children’s Hospital Christine Ong.

The best foods to start with are simple grains like white or brown rice,
which are less allergenic. These are usually sold as iron-fortified rice
cereal or milled rice.

“Rice cereal can be mixed to a smooth consistency by adding breast milk or
formula. The cereal also usually contains iron which is important to
prevent iron-deficiency anaemia in growing babies,” said Ms Ong.

When rice is well-accepted, starchy vegetables such as potato, carrots and
pumpkin can then be introduced before including fruits such as mashed
papaya, banana, apple or pear.

“First foods are usually smooth purees, progressing to soft mashed foods
and then roughly mashed or chopped foods by the time baby is 10 or 12
months old,” added Ms Ong.

WHAT TO AVOID FEEDING YOUR BABY IN HIS/HER FIRST YEAR:

Seasoning like salt, soya sauce and sugar
Whole nuts to prevent choking and allergies
Egg white which is more allergenic than egg yolk
Undercooked eggs to prevent food poisoning and allergies
Honey which can contain bacterial spores
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