Medyk
3-4 Abbey Parade
W5 1EE London
Tel.: 0208 997 91 91
Tel.: 0808 145 86 86
Darmowy parking
Godziny otwarcia:
Pon. – Sob. 09:00 – 21:00
3-4 Abbey Parade
W5 1EE London
Tel.: 0208 997 91 91
Tel.: 0808 145 86 86
Darmowy parking
Godziny otwarcia:
Pon. – Sob. 09:00 – 21:00
First food for baby
Spoon-feeding practices vary from one family to another. Boys may
different from girls and breast fed infants tend to start spoon-feeding
later than those who are not breast fed. This is general guidance to
help ensure that your baby gets the right food at the right time.
Babies have special nutritional needs and what is healthy for adults
(e.g. high fibre, low fat) is not suitable for infants and small
children.
It is best not to offer the first spoon feed when the baby is very hungry. Begin by giving a spoon-fee once a day, at a time when you two are relaxed and can enjoy the experience. At first, only a very small amount of food will be eaten. What is important that the baby is beginning to learn to take food from the spoon. Introduce one food at a time so that the baby can get used to the different tastes and textures. If a particular food is refused, wait a few day and try again. If you suspect that your baby has reacted to a food by being unsettled or upset, avoid this food for a while and if the problems persists when you try the food again talk to your doctor, a nutritionist/dietitian or your public health nurse.
4 - 6 months
Whichever food you choose, initially it should be of a soft, runny consistency. Fruits like banana, pear or vegetables like carrot, green beans are excellent choices as are gluten free cereals, e.g. baby rice. The range of foods used may be expanded gradually to include all fruits and vegetables, potatoes, eggs (begin with the yolk, cooked solid), meat or chicken, pulses (peas, beans, lentils, appropriately cooked) and gluten free cereals. Cereals may be mixed with water, expressed breast milk formula.
6 - 9 months
As your baby becomes used to swallowing solid food, a thicker consistency may be offered. Do not give hard or lumpy food until baby has enough teeth to chew it! Continue to use fruits, vegetables, meats, pulses and cereals which need to now be gluten free. After six months, cow`s milk may be used, but only to mix feeds or as an ingredient in foods (e.g. on breakfast cereals, as a sauce or in milk based desserts such as custard). Bread, or scones are useful between meal snack. Try yoghurt for dessert.
9 -12 months
Baby will now be able to bite and chew and eat most family foods and snacks. Breast milk or formula should continue to be the main milk drink. You can offer finger foods such as toast, chopped fruit, cooked carrot sticks or a slice of fruit loaf. If meals are not eaten, try to include the food at another time. Make a sandwich with chopped meat or chicken or melt some cheese on wholemeal toast. By their first birthday, babies should be able to eat most family foods and join in family meals. It still essencial to supervise your baby during mealtimes, never leave him/her alone while drinking or eating.
Two or three teaspoonfuls is enough to begin with but the quantity and number of feeds will need to increase gradually. Each baby will progress at his/her own rate. By responding to your baby you will know how much he/she needs. Although spoon-feeding can be a somewhat messy affair initially, little by little, as the baby masters the technique, the amount of food which is actually eaten increases.. Eventually, some food should be given at least three times a day with a milk drink (breast or formula). Small snacks, e.g. fruit or rusk, may be offered between meals. Small babies are not able to eat big meals but by eating frequently they can get all the energy they need for growth.
Home prepared foods which are suitably purEed can be perfect first food. To begin, you will probably have to prepare your baby`s meals separately. Stew small portions of fruit or steam or boil vegetables and purEe or mash them to a soft runny consistency. Add a little boiled water if necessary. Small portion of family food (e.g. plain stew made simply with meat or chicken and vegetables) can be used between four and six months, as baby`s tastes expand. Remember not to thicken stews with wheat flour, which contains gluten. Babies are happy with bland tastes and do not need strong flavours. Salt or salt products should not be added to foods for infants as babies` kidneys can not cope with large amounts of salt.
If you prepare baby`s food yourself, you will want to be sure that the meals you prepare provide the nourishment your baby needs. Foods may be diluted at first to achieve the correct consistency but more substantial meals will be needed as your baby grows. Use a variety of foods and include different tastes, textures and colours.
Commercial prepared baby foods are widely available and offer a convenient alternative to home cooked meals. Their nutrient content is controlled by law and they are sterile before opening. It is important to offer variety so that babies do not become used to a particular taste or texture and can easily adapt to eating a wide range of foods.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional in the world and can affect the growth and development of infants. Small children are at greater risk of becoming iron deficient than adults because they need extra iron for growth Red meat (lamb, beef, pork) and chicken are excellent sources of a type of iron which is easy for your baby to absorb. Vegetables, eggs, cereals and pulses also contain some iron but the iron form these foods is less well absorbed. Vitamin C (e.g. orange juice), given at the same meal, helps iron absorption from these foods.
Iron requirements remain high during the second six months of life and the pre-school years, so all infants and young children should be encouraged to eat some meat on a regular basis (at least three to four times a week) to prevent the development of anaemia.
Snack foods, chosen wisely, can provide useful nourishment for your baby between meals.
Remember, up to six months all foods should be gluten free. Try fruit (banana, nectarine), vegetables (lightly cooked carrot, celery, or broccoli) or gluten free rusks. Toast or scones may be used after six months or you could make a small sandwich with chicken or cheese.
Even when babies can hold small pieces of food, they should never be left unattended while eating.
Breast milk, formula or cooled boiled water are the best drinks for babies. Fruit is very good for your baby but fruit juice drinks, even without added sugar and if used, should be well diluted. The more frequently teeth are exposed to sugar the greater the risk of tooth decay. Tea and coffee are unsuitable for babies. They do not provide the same nourishment as milk and can interfere with the absorption of nutrients such as iron.
You may like to try using a drinking cup with spout during the second six months. A cup is useful for giving small drinks between meals and using a cup encourages baby to develop another new skill. Bottle use should be discourage after 12 months.
A baby`s teeth begin to appear during the second six months of life. Tooth cleaning should begin as soon as the teeth are visible. Brush the teeth gently with a soft brush or a clean cloth after meals without toothpaste up to 18 months. Take your baby to the dentist from about one year to make sure the teeth are developing properly.
If the teeth are exposed frequently to sugary foods or drinks the risk of tooth decay increases. Never leave a baby with a bottle for a long period and do not give the baby a bottle to take to the bed. Cool boiled water is best as a between-meal drink. If juices are used, they should be limited to meal times and preferably given from a cup.
Small babies are particularly vulnerable to infection, so great care must be taken to ensure that all foods are fresh, clean, hygienically prepared and stored correctly. Never leave leftover food lying around. If you wish to offer it again later the same day, cover it and store it in the fridge. Generally, what is not eaten on the same day should be discarded. Meals, which are prepared in advice for freezing, or for use later in the day, should be stored with care.
- Never leave baby alone while drinking or eating.
- Check with a parent or guardian before offering any food to a baby or young child.
- Breast milk or formula should be the main milk drink to 12 months.
- Cows milk should not be used as the main milk drink for the first year. It may be used to mix foods or as a food ingredient after six months.
- Solid foods should not be introduced before four months.
- Feed solid food from a spoon; do not add food to a bottle feed. Chewing is important for speech development and the muscles used for chewing are also used in speaking.
- Use gluten-free cereals to six months.
- Red meat is the best source of iron and may be introduced between four and six months.
- Sugar may be used in moderation, e.g. to sweeten stewed fruit.
- Salt should not be added to baby`s food.
- Do not use low fat, high salt or high fibre products for babies.
- Hot or spicy foods are not suitable first foods.
- Never give chopped or whole nuts to small babies or young children.
- Keep all utensils used for feeding babies scrupulously clean.
How to proceed
It is best not to offer the first spoon feed when the baby is very hungry. Begin by giving a spoon-fee once a day, at a time when you two are relaxed and can enjoy the experience. At first, only a very small amount of food will be eaten. What is important that the baby is beginning to learn to take food from the spoon. Introduce one food at a time so that the baby can get used to the different tastes and textures. If a particular food is refused, wait a few day and try again. If you suspect that your baby has reacted to a food by being unsettled or upset, avoid this food for a while and if the problems persists when you try the food again talk to your doctor, a nutritionist/dietitian or your public health nurse.
Month by month
4 - 6 months
Whichever food you choose, initially it should be of a soft, runny consistency. Fruits like banana, pear or vegetables like carrot, green beans are excellent choices as are gluten free cereals, e.g. baby rice. The range of foods used may be expanded gradually to include all fruits and vegetables, potatoes, eggs (begin with the yolk, cooked solid), meat or chicken, pulses (peas, beans, lentils, appropriately cooked) and gluten free cereals. Cereals may be mixed with water, expressed breast milk formula.
6 - 9 months
As your baby becomes used to swallowing solid food, a thicker consistency may be offered. Do not give hard or lumpy food until baby has enough teeth to chew it! Continue to use fruits, vegetables, meats, pulses and cereals which need to now be gluten free. After six months, cow`s milk may be used, but only to mix feeds or as an ingredient in foods (e.g. on breakfast cereals, as a sauce or in milk based desserts such as custard). Bread, or scones are useful between meal snack. Try yoghurt for dessert.
9 -12 months
Baby will now be able to bite and chew and eat most family foods and snacks. Breast milk or formula should continue to be the main milk drink. You can offer finger foods such as toast, chopped fruit, cooked carrot sticks or a slice of fruit loaf. If meals are not eaten, try to include the food at another time. Make a sandwich with chopped meat or chicken or melt some cheese on wholemeal toast. By their first birthday, babies should be able to eat most family foods and join in family meals. It still essencial to supervise your baby during mealtimes, never leave him/her alone while drinking or eating.
How much food?
Two or three teaspoonfuls is enough to begin with but the quantity and number of feeds will need to increase gradually. Each baby will progress at his/her own rate. By responding to your baby you will know how much he/she needs. Although spoon-feeding can be a somewhat messy affair initially, little by little, as the baby masters the technique, the amount of food which is actually eaten increases.. Eventually, some food should be given at least three times a day with a milk drink (breast or formula). Small snacks, e.g. fruit or rusk, may be offered between meals. Small babies are not able to eat big meals but by eating frequently they can get all the energy they need for growth.
Home prepared and ready-to-use foods
Home prepared foods which are suitably purEed can be perfect first food. To begin, you will probably have to prepare your baby`s meals separately. Stew small portions of fruit or steam or boil vegetables and purEe or mash them to a soft runny consistency. Add a little boiled water if necessary. Small portion of family food (e.g. plain stew made simply with meat or chicken and vegetables) can be used between four and six months, as baby`s tastes expand. Remember not to thicken stews with wheat flour, which contains gluten. Babies are happy with bland tastes and do not need strong flavours. Salt or salt products should not be added to foods for infants as babies` kidneys can not cope with large amounts of salt.
If you prepare baby`s food yourself, you will want to be sure that the meals you prepare provide the nourishment your baby needs. Foods may be diluted at first to achieve the correct consistency but more substantial meals will be needed as your baby grows. Use a variety of foods and include different tastes, textures and colours.
Commercial prepared baby foods are widely available and offer a convenient alternative to home cooked meals. Their nutrient content is controlled by law and they are sterile before opening. It is important to offer variety so that babies do not become used to a particular taste or texture and can easily adapt to eating a wide range of foods.
Iron for babies
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional in the world and can affect the growth and development of infants. Small children are at greater risk of becoming iron deficient than adults because they need extra iron for growth Red meat (lamb, beef, pork) and chicken are excellent sources of a type of iron which is easy for your baby to absorb. Vegetables, eggs, cereals and pulses also contain some iron but the iron form these foods is less well absorbed. Vitamin C (e.g. orange juice), given at the same meal, helps iron absorption from these foods.
Iron requirements remain high during the second six months of life and the pre-school years, so all infants and young children should be encouraged to eat some meat on a regular basis (at least three to four times a week) to prevent the development of anaemia.
Snack for babies
Snack foods, chosen wisely, can provide useful nourishment for your baby between meals.
Remember, up to six months all foods should be gluten free. Try fruit (banana, nectarine), vegetables (lightly cooked carrot, celery, or broccoli) or gluten free rusks. Toast or scones may be used after six months or you could make a small sandwich with chicken or cheese.
Even when babies can hold small pieces of food, they should never be left unattended while eating.
Drinks
Breast milk, formula or cooled boiled water are the best drinks for babies. Fruit is very good for your baby but fruit juice drinks, even without added sugar and if used, should be well diluted. The more frequently teeth are exposed to sugar the greater the risk of tooth decay. Tea and coffee are unsuitable for babies. They do not provide the same nourishment as milk and can interfere with the absorption of nutrients such as iron.
You may like to try using a drinking cup with spout during the second six months. A cup is useful for giving small drinks between meals and using a cup encourages baby to develop another new skill. Bottle use should be discourage after 12 months.
Taking care of baby`s teeth
A baby`s teeth begin to appear during the second six months of life. Tooth cleaning should begin as soon as the teeth are visible. Brush the teeth gently with a soft brush or a clean cloth after meals without toothpaste up to 18 months. Take your baby to the dentist from about one year to make sure the teeth are developing properly.
If the teeth are exposed frequently to sugary foods or drinks the risk of tooth decay increases. Never leave a baby with a bottle for a long period and do not give the baby a bottle to take to the bed. Cool boiled water is best as a between-meal drink. If juices are used, they should be limited to meal times and preferably given from a cup.
Hygiene
Small babies are particularly vulnerable to infection, so great care must be taken to ensure that all foods are fresh, clean, hygienically prepared and stored correctly. Never leave leftover food lying around. If you wish to offer it again later the same day, cover it and store it in the fridge. Generally, what is not eaten on the same day should be discarded. Meals, which are prepared in advice for freezing, or for use later in the day, should be stored with care.
Practical points to remember
- Check with a parent or guardian before offering any food to a baby or young child.
- Breast milk or formula should be the main milk drink to 12 months.
- Cows milk should not be used as the main milk drink for the first year. It may be used to mix foods or as a food ingredient after six months.
- Solid foods should not be introduced before four months.
- Feed solid food from a spoon; do not add food to a bottle feed. Chewing is important for speech development and the muscles used for chewing are also used in speaking.
- Use gluten-free cereals to six months.
- Red meat is the best source of iron and may be introduced between four and six months.
- Sugar may be used in moderation, e.g. to sweeten stewed fruit.
- Salt should not be added to baby`s food.
- Do not use low fat, high salt or high fibre products for babies.
- Hot or spicy foods are not suitable first foods.
- Never give chopped or whole nuts to small babies or young children.
- Keep all utensils used for feeding babies scrupulously clean.
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