By 4-6 months, the child's need for additional energy, vitamins and minerals Oh. Because the breast milk or its artificial substitute does not fully meet the requirements of the baby at this age, in order to increase the calorie content of the diet, it is necessary to introduce additional food to the child. The first dishes of complementary foods for a child are vegetable purees and cereals. In addition, they teach the baby to perceive more dense food, develop chewing. These complementary foods are designed to replace breastfeeding. Therefore, they belong to replacement food.

When to start feeding?

Why is the interval from 4 to 6 months taken for the introduction of the first complementary foods? This is due to the fact that before this age, the child's body is not physiologically prepared to accept new dense foods. And it is undesirable to start later than six months, the child may have problems adapting to food of a denser consistency than milk. Therefore, according to most experts in the field of child nutrition, first food should be administered between 4 and 6 months of age. However, it should be remembered that the timing of the introduction of complementary foods is individual. With artificial feeding, complementary foods can be started with 4 - 5 months , with chest - with 5 - 6 months .

The choice, firstly, depends on the statechildat the time of the introduction of a new food. Ifchildhas a lack of weight or unstable stools, it is better to start with cereals. Conversely, with excess weight and a tendency to constipation, it is recommended to introduce complementary foods with vegetable puree. If your baby is devoid of such troubles and is absolutely healthy, then the advice of pediatricians and nutritionists is currently reduced to starting complementary foods.with vegetable puree.

Why? Many mothers may argue that it is rather difficult to introduce vegetable puree first. It is not easy for a child to go from the sweet taste of breast milk or a substitute to a completely unsweetened vegetable. And here you have to be patient. You should offer a new dish not once, but at least 10-12 times, and only after the baby stubbornly refuses it, move on to another type of vegetable. After child did not accept this or that vegetable, parents, as a rule, switch to cereals, making big mistake! It is highly likely that the baby will not want to eat vegetables at all after the introduction of sweet porridge. Moms make another mistake when they additionally sweeten porridge. industrial production.

It should be taken into account that child he is only getting used to new tastes, and his future eating habits depend on how well he is taught to eat in the family. As a consequence, the habit of sugary foods can lead to obesity and related diseases. So, we introduce vegetables. It is better to start with foods such as zucchini, all types of cabbage, potatoes, they are the least likely to cause allergies. Later, you can try carrots, beets and tomatoes. The modern children's industry offers a wide range of various kinds puree. According to the degree of grinding, they are divided into homogenized, which are offered to children from 4.5 months, puree for children 6–9 months and coarsely ground(9–12 months). Canned vegetables for children are prepared with a small amount of salt, and some manufacturers leave the taste of vegetables natural without adding salt at all.

It should be remembered that when buying ready-made food, you should not add additional salt and add it. vegetable oil. Foreign manufacturers, in an effort to improve the taste of their products, use legumes (beans, peas, etc.), tomatoes and tomato paste, onions, garlic, and spices (in particular, pepper) in the manufacture of vegetable puree. They recommend in this case to introduce them from 5-6 months. This does not meet the requirements of domestic pediatricians and nutritionists.

Such purees should not be given as complementary foods babies aged 4-6 months, since tomatoes, which are among the vegetables, are especially often causing allergies in children, it can be introduced into the diet no earlier than six months. tomato paste containing salt is best administered with 6–7 months . Legumes, which are high in plant fibers and special types sugars that can cause irritation of the intestinal mucosa and increased gas formation not earlier 7–8 months . Onion and garlic containing essential oils that irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach, intestines, kidneys - only with 8–9 months , spices - with 9 months and older .

You can prepare vegetable complementary foods yourself, using both fresh and frozen vegetables. To do this, they must be boiled, then mashed (in a blender or using a regular crush). Add a little vegetable or melted butter (in a volume of no more than 3-4 grams). Oil Another one New Product complementary foods, with which children get acquainted from the moment the vegetable puree or porridge is introduced. It is a source of nutrients, energy, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E). Vegetable oil is allowed to enter with 4.5 months , creamy - not earlier 5–6 months .

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

When introducing complementary foods, you must follow the basic rules:

1. Complementary foods should be given before breastfeeding, starting with a small amount (5-10 g - 1-2 teaspoons), and gradually increase the portion to the required age norm over the course of a week.
2. You should switch to another type of complementary foods only after the child gets used to the first one (1st week - gradually increase the volume to the required level, 2nd week - addiction, from the 3rd week - new complementary foods, etc.).
3. Do not introduce two new products at the same time.
4. Use dishes for complementary foods that are homogeneous in consistency and do not cause difficulties for the child when swallowing.
5. With age, you need to transfer the baby to a thicker, and later to dense food.
6. Teach your child to spoon-feed and chew as early as possible.
7. Gradually diversify the composition of food and increase its quantity.

It is recommended that you keep a food diary when introducing new foods to your baby's diet. It should record the product introduced for the first time, its volume and the child's response to the reception. Any new food can cause an allergic reaction in a baby in the form of redness and a rash on the face, limbs and body, the appearance of yellowish crusts (gneiss) on the head in the area of ​​​​a large fontanel, as well as the appearance of a rash, bloating (flatulence), loose stools (diarrhea). ) or constipation, anxiety, the appearance of blood streaks in the stool, etc.

If any of the complications occurs, it is necessary to temporarily stop complementary feeding with the product that caused such a reaction, report the incident to the doctor and decide on the tactics of further introduction of complementary foods.

Complementary feeding scheme

We introduce porridge

Two weeks after the baby gets used to vegetable puree, you can start introducing cereal complementary foods . Dry instant porridges are the most convenient. To prepare them, you only need to mix the dry powder with warm boiled water and mix. The advantage of these products (as well as canned baby food) is their guaranteed chemical composition, safety and saturation with essential vitamins, calcium, iron and minerals. You can also use dry milk porridges that require cooking, flour for baby food, as well as ordinary cereals, previously ground in a coffee grinder.

It is important to emphasize that as the first cereal complementary foods should be used gluten free cereals - rice, also buckwheat and corn flour; other cereals - rye, wheat, barley, oats - contain gluten. This is the main protein of cereals, in babies it can cause such unpleasant phenomena as pain and bloating. The principles for introducing cereals are the same as for other types. complementary foods- start with one type of cereal, gradually, a week after the introduction of the first porridge, try another type, even later - you can switch to porridge from a mixture of cereals.

We introduce a new product

• You need to start with one type of the least allergenic product. Interval between administration various dishes complementary foods should be at least 5-7 days. While the baby begins to try something new, you should carefully examine the skin daily for the appearance of any rash, and also monitor the stool. If rashes appear or the nature of the stool changes (frequent and liquid), it is necessary to cancel the dish complementary foods and see a doctor.
• A new product cannot be introduced if child unwell or during preventive vaccinations, it is undesirable to start in hot weather.
• It is recommended to give "novelty" before breastfeeding- then hungry child most likely to react positively to food. In addition, it is better to offer a new dish in the morning to monitor the baby's condition throughout the day.
• Complementary foods give baby only from a spoon, not through a nipple.

One should not strive for excessive variety in the diet of a small child, for starters, 2-3 types of vegetables introduced progressively (one per week) are enough. It is necessary to adhere to certain schemes for introducing new foods into the baby's diet.

An example of the introduction of cereals and vegetable purees

1st day - 1 teaspoon (5g) 2nd day - 2 tsp. (10g) 3rd day - 3 tsp. (15 g) 4th day - 4 tsp. (20 g) 5th day - 50 ml (50g) 6th day - 100ml (100g) 7th day - 150 ml (150g).

An example of the introduction of vegetable and melted butter:

1st day - 1 drop 2nd day - 2 drops 3rd day - 5 drops 4th day - ¼ tsp 5th day - ½ tsp. (3d) 6th day and beyond - 1 tsp. (5–6d).

Diet child 4-6 months (the volume of porridge and puree is up to 150 ml, the frequency of feeding is 5-6 times a day)

Scheme for the introduction of complementary foods for children of the first year of life on breastfeeding and mixed feeding (as recommended by WHO)

Where to start feeding?

Breastfeeding and developing children are recommended to give vegetable puree from zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower at 6 months.

If weaning occurs in the summer or fall, it's a good idea to use fresh vegetables to puree, but first make sure they're environmentally friendly and haven't been treated with various chemicals. An ideal vegetable for complementary foods is from your own garden.

If the time has come to introduce complementary foods in winter or spring, then it is better to give the baby mashed potatoes of industrial production.

The baby may develop an allergic reaction to any new food in the form of redness and the appearance of a rash on the face, body, limbs, the appearance of yellowish crusts (gneiss) on the head in the area of ​​​​the large fontanel. The product that caused such a reaction should be excluded from complementary foods, and if the allergy does not disappear within one or two days or, on the contrary, intensifies, you should definitely consult a doctor. All questions regarding changing the timing or sequence of introducing foods into the child's diet should be discussed with the pediatrician.

The introduction of juices in complementary foods

Fruit juices were indeed introduced early in complementary foods. However, modern research has shown that this is not practical.Pediatricians recommend offering the baby juice after vegetables, fruit puree,.

Juice is given to a child, starting with 3-5 drops and within a week the volume is increased to the age norm. As for the assortment, the first one can be recommended Apple juice, which is less than others capable of causing allergies. Then - pear, plum, apricot, peach, and at the next stage - blackcurrant, cherry and other berry juices.

At home, juice can be obtained using various juicers or use the "grandmother's" recipe: grate the fruit (juicy varieties of apples, pears, carrots) on a fine grater into a fairly deep container, then transfer the pulp to a gauze napkin (preferably sterile) with a teaspoon and squeeze the juice through it into a prepared (sterilized) vessel.

What kind of juice to choose for complementary foods?

First clarified juice from one fruit (monocomponent product) should be introduced into the baby's diet. For example, apple. After a while, the child can be offered a similar juice with pulp. Children with iron deficiency anemia recommended apricot, apple-plum, apple, apple-blackberry, apple-rosehip, pumpkin juices, since they contain a large amount of iron, and vitamin C, which is part of them, improves the absorption of iron.

With a tendency to constipation, pumpkin, plum, apple-plum, apricot juices are recommended. They contain a large amount of fiber, which enhances intestinal motility and promotes its emptying. Apricot, apple-plum, pumpkin juice, banana puree are especially rich in potassium, which is necessary for work of the heart muscle.

Apple-rosehip and apricot juices are useful for children who often suffer from acute respiratory viral infections as a source of vitamins C and A, which increase immunity. Babies with diseases nervous system and visual impairments, juices with a high content of B and A vitamins are recommended. Apple, blackberry and blueberry juice are especially useful for them.

Discuss on our forum

By about six months of age, babies have an increased need for more energy and nutrients. The mother is faced with the question of how to properly introduce complementary foods. The development of the digestive organs in the future depends on it. The first food becomes the basis for the development of chewing technique and the proper production of enzymes.

The World Health System (WHO) has developed a system for introducing complementary foods and has determined the approximate time frame for when it can be given. The goal is not only to enrich the body of children with nutrients, but also to introduce them to solid, adult food.

According to generally accepted WHO standards, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods depends on the type of feeding.

Complementary feeding during breastfeeding should begin no earlier than 6 months. By the age of six months, there are not enough vitamins and minerals in breast milk for the full growth and development of the child.

Formula-fed babies can try new foods a little earlier, at 4-5 months. Their need for trace elements is much greater than that of breastfed children. By this time, the immune and digestive systems are mature enough to absorb the new food.

The start of complementary feeding can also be determined by the behavior and development of the child himself. Signs defined by WHO:

• the usual portion of breast milk or formula is not enough for the child;
• the baby can sit without support;
• the first teeth appeared, the baby does not push food out of his mouth, he tries to chew it;
• interested in what is in the adult's plate.

It is important to remember that throughout the entire period of introducing new products, a nursing mother should not overshadow breastfeeding.

The table will help you figure out where to start, when and how much to give complementary foods while breastfeeding. Data are in accordance with accepted WHO standards.

Age, months	6	7	8	9	10	11
Products and dishes
Porridge	40	70	90	150	170	190
vegetable puree	130	160	170	190	200	200
fruit puree	50	70	80	90	100	100
Butter and sunflower oil	1 g	3 g	3-4 g	4 g	5 g	5-6 g
Yolk chicken egg		¼ pc.	½ piece	½ piece	½ piece	½ piece
Meat puree		30	50	60	70	80
Rusks, cookies		5 g	5 y.	8 g	10 g	15
Fish			30	40	50	60
Cottage cheese		30	40	50	50	50
Kefir			100	150	170	200
Bread			5 g	10 g	10 g	10 g

Rules for entering products and dishes

In order for a new product to bring only benefit to children and not cause unwanted reactions, several rules must be observed.

• At the time of the introduction of a new product, the baby must be healthy. You can’t do this during the period of scheduled vaccinations, at the time of separation from your mother or moving to a new place.
• Complementary foods should be given in the morning, a few grams, before the main feeding with breast milk or formula.

• The dishes must be thoroughly washed, the products are properly cooked.
• It is undesirable to store the cooked dish, even in the refrigerator.
• Complementary foods should be given with a spoon (only not a metal one).
• Switching to the next new product is not earlier than a week.

If a new product caused vomiting, diarrhea, rash and other unpleasant symptoms, then you need to exclude it from the diet for a month. After that, repeat the introduction again.

The scheme will clearly help to understand how the sequence of introducing new products to a child is carried out, according to WHO recommendations.

Input time	Type of dish serving	Frequency of introduction into the diet	Servings
6-8 months	The consistency of food should resemble breast milk or be brought to a puree state.	Up to 3 times a day, 2 snacks are allowed.	Gradual transition from 5 ml to 120 ml.
9-11 months	Food mashed with a fork or finely chopped. Products that can be held in the hands are offered to the baby.	Up to 4 feedings per day and 2 snacks.	One feeding is equal to 120 ml.
12 months and older	Porridges are not ground, solid food is cut into pieces of medium size.	Complementary foods will replace 4 breastfeeds or formula and 2 snacks.	A serving is approximately 230 ml.

1. If the child is only breastfed, then with the first complementary foods he should be offered water.
2. With a lack of weight, complementary foods begin with cereals.
3. If there are problems with the stool, it is recommended to introduce prunes into the diet earlier.
4. When the baby does not have time to absorb the product in a week, the time can be increased. Portions depend on the weight of the baby.

The table of introducing new products for children of 6 months using the example of vegetables will help you figure out how much complementary foods are allowed in the first days.

New Product	Week, No.	Diet of the day (complementary foods during lunch)
vegetable marrow	1	1st day. Puree, 1 tsp 2nd day. Zucchini puree, 2 tsp Add 5 g each day. Increase to 60 g.
Cauliflower	2	1st day. Cauliflower puree, 1 tsp, and 60 g squash puree. 2nd day. Puree from a new product, 2 tsp, and 55 g of mashed zucchini (gradually reducing the already digested product by 5 grams). 6th day. Cauliflower, 60 g, and 25 g zucchini. 7th day. Only cauliflower, 70 g.
Broccoli	3	1. Broccoli puree, 1 tsp, and 70 g zucchini. 2. Broccoli, 2 tsp, and 60 g of cauliflower. 6. Cauliflower puree, 80 g, and zucchini, 20 g. 7. Cauliflower puree, 100 g
	4	1. Broccoli and zucchini - 50 g each. 2. Cauliflower and zucchini - 50 g each, etc. 7. Broccoli and cauliflower - 50 g each.

The table will help you figure out how many grams of the dish and on what day you can offer the baby during the period when new products are introduced.

Getting to know new

How to start breastfeeding? The first complementary foods during breastfeeding depend on the health of the baby. If he lacks valuable kilograms, then it is better to start with cereals from gluten-free cereals. In other cases, the introduction begins with vegetable dishes, but not with fruit.

Vegetable dishes are useful for constipation. Fruits themselves are sweet, and after them it is more difficult to accustom the baby to other dishes.

The first cereals should be given one-component, gluten-free. These include corn, rice, buckwheat and oatmeal. If the baby is prone to constipation, then rice porridge should not be given first, and it can be cooked no more than once a week. The most useful is buckwheat. It prevents the development of anemia, gives energy, is easily absorbed by the body. On the contrary, it should be included in the diet at least twice a week.

The first cereals for children should be dairy-free. They should not contain sugar or salt. The same rule must be followed when cooking dishes at home. Closer to the year, porridge can be boiled in pasteurized milk with the addition of water. When one year old, it is allowed to give completely milk porridge.

Vegetable dishes form the correct intestinal microflora, stimulate intestinal motility. Feeding is better to start with zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower. Closer to 8 months, carrots and pumpkin can be introduced into the diet. You need to start with one component. Once the child gets used to several vegetables, they can be mixed in one dish.

The first fruit puree should be given from a green apple or pear. Just enter them with caution. They can increase the formation of gases and cause flatulence.

Meat dishes should be introduced after 7 months. You need to start with lean meats: turkey, veal, chicken. If the child is breastfed and does not want to take meat dishes in the diet, then you can not insist. If a child is artificially fed and has low hemoglobin, then it is necessary to introduce meat into his diet.

At 9 months, you can start giving fish (hake, pollock) - up to 2 times a week. In the same period, fermented milk products such as kefir and cottage cheese are introduced.

Scheme of the sequence of introduction of complementary foods for breastfed children, according to accepted WHO standards:

• 6 months - vegetable dishes;
• 6.5–7 months - fruits;
• 7-9 months - cereals;
• 8–9 - yolk;
• 9–11 - fish, meat;
• 11–12 - kefir;
• 12 - cottage cheese.

Innovations

Relatively recently, the term " pedagogical complementary foods" appeared. It differs slightly from the standard adopted by WHO, includes the experience and advice of parents, and is not supported by any other scientific data.

Pedagogical complementary foods do not aim to feed the child. A nursing mother just needs to teach her baby the culture of behavior at the table and instill an interest in food.

Pedagogical complementary foods include the following tips:

1. Feeding is not according to certain boundaries in the calendar adopted by WHO, but at the request of the child. At the same time, it is still taken into account that the first complementary foods of the baby should not be introduced before 6 months.
2. Non-compliance with the norms of the consistency of dishes proposed by WHO for the first complementary foods. The child takes everything that adults eat from the table. Mom needs to make sure that the food is properly cooked (there should be no smoked meats, fried, spicy, canned foods). The pieces are not crushed.
3. Separate children's meals are not prepared. The child eats what adults do.
4. Up to 9 months, a child can freely eat from an adult's plate. And only after the specified period, he is given a separate spoon and plate.
5. Pedagogical complementary foods are not used for artificial feeding. Supporters this direction for nursing mothers to keep their milk as long as possible.

Pedagogical feeding has a lot positive aspects. Among them, the main one is the acquaintance of children from the very first day of complementary feeding with the traditions of eating within their family. A nursing mother does not need to spend time and effort to prepare a separate dish. In addition, pedagogical complementary foods contribute to good lactation, so milk is stored for a long time.

A mother's guide to introducing new dishes using this method:

1. For breakfast, mom should put only fresh and high-quality products on the plate, for example, cottage cheese, cookies, cheese.
2. The child is seated on his knees and given a spoon in his hands. As the mother begins to eat, he also becomes interested in the process.
3. If the baby reaches for food, it is worth giving him a small piece (equal to a match head).
4. The baby either chews the product or spits it out.
5. If the baby liked it, and he asks for more, it is allowed to give two more such portions. Gradually, in 3-5 days, the amount of the product you like is adjusted to 5 g.
6. If a child is fed with the same product, then he quickly loses interest in him. Therefore, it is worth drawing his attention to other foods.

At the same time, the mother needs to instill in the baby the rules of behavior at the table. There is no need to allow the child to be outrageous, to be allowed to try everything that is on the plate.

These tips will help you adapt to new foods faster. But it should be borne in mind that most children under one year old suffer from food allergies. In this case, it is more difficult to use this technique.

When the period of the first complementary foods comes, you need to take into account the state of health and taste preferences of the baby. Advice from others may not be appropriate, as each child develops differently. The best option is expert advice.

The introduction of complementary foods is an important period in the first year of a child's life. But you shouldn't rush into it. There are indicators of the baby's readiness for the introduction of new food. The danger of early complementary foods, the timing of the introduction of new food and nutritional recommendations - we are studying!

The beginning of complementary foods for a child: important indicators

An important indicator for starting the introduction of complementary foods is the readiness of the baby. This is not only the achievement of a certain age, but also the presence of certain physiological indicators:

• weight of the child: by the time the first complementary foods are introduced, it should be at least 2 times more weight at birth (see norms for weight and height);
• ability to sit independently;
• lack of a pushing reflex of the tongue: the baby does not push the offered spoonful of food out of the mouth;
• feeling of hunger: the baby does not have enough milk or an artificial mixture;
• Showed interest in adult food (stretches, wants to try the food that parents eat).

An important fact for the timing of the introduction of the first complementary foods is the type of feeding: breastfeeding or artificial. The recommended periods are different: when breastfeeding, pediatricians are not recommended to rush with complementary foods and not introduce new food before 6 months - until this age, the baby has enough mother's milk.

For artificers, earlier complementary foods are possible.

The "golden rule" in the case of the introduction of the first complementary foods: it is better to be a little late than to hurry.

From what month to start feeding a child

The time when, symbolizes that the baby has already grown up and is ready to get acquainted with "adult" food. But when do you start doing it?

It is no coincidence that young mothers actively ask the question: “From what month should we start feeding a child?”. After all, if you start it ahead of time, the child will not only not eat the food offered, but may also refuse it later.

Breastfed and bottle-fed is different. "Grudnichkov" pediatricians recommend introducing new foods from the age of six months. Those who eat mixtures a little earlier - from five months. The difference is explained by the fact that the digestive system of babies who eat adapted milk formulas will more easily “accept” the new food.

Why is early feeding dangerous?

• Disruption of the digestive system. The child's body is not physiologically ready to digest new food. If you introduce the first complementary foods at 3-4 months, it threatens with frequent colic, abdominal pain, vomiting and stool disorder. The main danger is a complete disruption of the digestive system, requiring serious medical treatment.
• For a weak immune system and immature digestive enzymes, new foods can be a dangerous source of allergies. In the future, this can lead to frequent infectious and chronic diseases.
• Load on the liver, kidneys and intestinal system. Food offered to the child ahead of schedule(when it does not have a mechanism for chewing and swallowing) can provoke diseases of the digestive organs. In addition, the baby may choke.
• Decreased lactation. Early first complementary foods reduce lactation due to reduced breastfeeding.

The appearance of at least one of these signs can cause the child to reject food, which will lead to malnutrition in general and a lack of interest in food.

What foods to start feeding a baby with

The baby's first complementary foods should include foods that will not cause an allergic reaction and are easily digested. Most often, young mothers who are faced with a choice - with which foods to start complementary foods for a child, prefer zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower.

The decision is explained by the fact that the structure of these vegetables is unusually delicate. And, therefore, the texture of the cooked puree will be light. And this is very important - after all, the children's stomach, which previously "saw" only milk or an adapted milk formula, should not actively work to digest a new product.

The choice of zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower as foods for the first feeding is also explained by hypoallergenicity: soft and green vegetables, as a rule, do not cause rashes on baby skin.

Baby's first feeding

Basic rules for the first complementary foods:

• start with liquid and semi-liquid foods (juices, purees);
• start with one-component dishes, gradually adding a low-allergenic product;
• introduce the child to new food gradually, introducing a new product into the diet once a week, observing the reaction of the body. Start with half a teaspoon (5-10 grams), gradually increasing the rate to 80-100 g.

With the first complementary foods, breastfeeding does not stop. A growing body needs proteins, fats and carbohydrates - the nutritional value of milk is not able to provide it in the right amount. The purpose of complementary foods is to supplement breast milk or formula.

Complementary foods during breastfeeding differ in the timing of the introduction of new foods:

How to prepare baby food for the first time

Many young mothers, whose children have already grown up to the age when it is time to introduce the first complementary foods, are faced with a choice: cook it yourself or give preference to vegetable purees from numerous baby food brands.

The first feeding of a child is a very responsible matter, due to the tender age of the crumbs. So if you decide to make your own puree, be sure to high quality vegetables. Be sure to check them for nitrate content.

How to prepare the first complementary foods for a child: so that vegetables do not lose their vitamin value, steam them. This way you save all the "usefulness". Then, using a blender, bring the vegetables to a puree state. The texture should be soft, without a single lump. Remember that the child will swallow puree - I would not want the baby to accidentally choke.

• It is better to start complementary foods with low-allergenic vegetables: zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli.
• You can add a few drops of vegetable oil or pounded yolk to vegetable puree.
• Starting from 6 months and later, one milk feeding is replaced with complementary foods in the form of vegetable puree (150-200 g).
• The first porridge for feeding should be rice, buckwheat or corn, cooked on your own (the cereal is first ground in a blender) or purchased.
• From 7 months and later, one breastfeeding is replaced by porridge (150 gr)
• Meat is a source of protein, iron and vitamins. You can start with turkey, rabbit and veal (if you are not allergic to cow protein). Up to a year, you should not offer meat broths, it is better to chop the meat (1-3 teaspoons) and add to vegetable soup or puree.
• Fish is a rich source of amino acids, but also in some cases an allergen. You should start with white fish (cod, hake).

With the appearance of the first teeth, the child can be offered finely chopped fruits and vegetables or with the help of a feeding strainer. Instead of meat, include meatballs and meatballs in the first feeding diet, and replace vegetable purees with soups with finely chopped vegetables.

How to introduce complementary foods is the “eternal” question of parents of infants, whose age gradually approached in six months. The kid has already grown up, and it is time to gradually and correctly accustom him to "adult" food. Where to begin? Which product to give first? How to avoid allergies and digestive problems? We got answers to these and other questions from an expert - Tatyana Vladimirovna Kulichenko, pediatrician, allergist-immunologist, MD, head of the emergency pediatrics department of the Scientific Center for Children's Health in Moscow.

Much depends on how correctly you begin to introduce complementary foods into the baby’s diet: his growth and development, his health, and finally, his mood!

What does “feeding” mean and why is it needed?

Complementary foods are all products, except for women's milk and infant formula, that supplement the diet with nutrients necessary to ensure the further growth and development of the child.

The first time, which fully provides all the needs of his growing body. But there comes a time when it becomes insufficient for the baby: he begins to need more minerals, a higher nutritional value of the diet, and just other nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, etc.), and then it's time to give complementary foods. In addition to providing additional nutrients, timely and competent introduction contributes to proper formation chewing apparatus and taste habits.

When to introduce complementary foods?

How to introduce complementary foods into the baby's diet is an important, but not the first question. First of all, you need to decide when exactly you should start feeding. The optimal age to start complementary foods is 4-6 months. The exact dates are always set individually, taking into account the characteristics of the physical and psychological development child. It doesn't matter if you are breastfeeding or formula-feeding - you should start complementary foods when the need arises. Before 4 months, the baby is not yet ready for the assimilation of other foods than human milk or infant formula. By 4 months of age gastrointestinal tract the child becomes more mature, and the child acquires the ability to swallow semi-liquid and thicker food, associated with the extinction of the “spoon ejection reflex”.

At the same time, late complementary feeding (after 6 months) leads to a delay in the formation of chewing and swallowing skills of solid foods, and can also cause a pronounced deficiency of micronutrients (iron, zinc, etc.) and the need for the rapid introduction of a large number of products, which leads to increased load. on the immune system.

How to introduce complementary foods: where to start?

In many ways, the start of complementary foods depends on the health and nutritional (physical) status of the child. Complementary foods directly affect the state of the digestive system and can help solve some problems: for example, for children with frequent stools, it is good to give enriched foods as the first main complementary foods. nutrients baby porridge. Recommended vegetable puree. The second wave can be introduced into the diet of fruit purees.

Fruit purees, like vegetable purees, can be prepared independently, or you can buy "ready-made jars".

At the same time, it is sometimes worth starting with fruit puree, since children usually react very positively to it and easily get used to spoon-feeding.

Don't be afraid to push your child to try new foods. Mom should show the child food, give it a try, try it herself in his presence, setting an example. Even if the child refused the proposed product, do not lose hope. Sometimes it takes up to 15 attempts to introduce a new product into the diet.

To maintain lactation, during the period of complementary feeding, the mother needs to put the baby to the breast after each feeding.

Which is better - cook it yourself or use ready-made "jars"?

Let's do both. It depends more on the preferences of the parents. But many nutrition experts believe that it is advisable to use commercially produced complementary foods and meals in a child's diet. This opinion is based on the fact that modern baby food products are made from high-quality raw materials, they meet strict hygienic requirements for safety indicators, they have a guaranteed chemical composition, including vitamins, regardless of the season, the necessary degree of grinding.

How to introduce complementary foods?

There are several basic rules on how to properly introduce complementary foods:

• start simple - first monocomponent porridge or vegetable puree;
• introduce each new product, starting with a small amount (1/2 teaspoon), gradually increasing over the week to the required volume; at the same time, carefully monitor food tolerance;
• give each new product or dish in the morning, this will help you track the reaction of the child;
• give complementary foods from a spoon, before breastfeeding or infant formula;
• new products are not introduced if the child is sick, and during the period of preventive vaccinations.

If a child develops a skin rash within minutes or hours of introducing a new food, an allergy to that food can be suspected. In all cases of severe allergic reactions or if you are in doubt about continuing to feed this product, it is best to discuss this with your doctor. Sometimes it is possible to change the nature of the stool after the introduction of a new complementary food. The appearance of diarrhea (diarrhea), blood or mucus in the stool is also a reason to see a doctor.

Approximate scheme for the introduction of complementary foods to children of the first year of life

This scheme for starting complementary foods is approximate (considering individual characteristics growth and development of each child) and is taken from the National Program for Optimizing the Feeding of Children in the First Year of Life in Russian Federation”, approved in 2011.

Brief description of the main complementary foods

Grain food (porridge)- one of the main sources of carbohydrates, vegetable proteins and fats, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. Experts recommend starting with gluten-free cereals (rice, buckwheat, later corn). You can give milk and dairy-free cereals, the latter can be diluted with breast milk or that milk mixture that the child tolerates well. In the future, gluten-containing cereals (oatmeal, barley, wheat, semolina) and cereals from a mixture of cereals can be used.

vegetable puree- the main source of organic acids, iron and other minerals and dietary fiber. Initially, it is best to introduce vegetable puree from one type of vegetable with delicate fiber, such as zucchini or cauliflower. Then you can use a combination of 3-4 vegetables.

natural juices contain natural sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose), organic acids that have a positive effect on digestion. They are rich in potassium and contain iron. The first is recommended to prescribe apple or pear juice, which are traditional for residents middle lane and less likely to cause allergic reactions.

Industrial juices - additional source vitamins. Vitamin C can be added to industrial juices, lemon acid, individual minerals, natural fruit flavors.

fruit puree contains more sugar, organic acids and dietary fiber than juices with pulp. You can start with any monocomponent puree.

Whole cow's milk can be used in the nutrition of children of the first year of life only for the preparation of milk porridges, if you have not found a ready-made (industrial) children's milk porridge. It is acceptable to use no more than 100-200 ml of whole milk per day.

Curd and egg yolk- valuable sources of animal protein and fat, vitamin B2, calcium.

Meat contains high-grade animal protein, well-digestible iron, magnesium, zinc, as well as B vitamins. Meat puree (beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, etc.) is introduced into the diet after 6 months.

Fish contains a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the Omega-3 class, and minerals. Fish is introduced into the diet of children from 8–9 months, 1–2 times a week instead of meat. Children with allergies do not introduce fish in the first year of life.

Complementary feeding scheme
Signs of readiness to introduce complementary foods
Complementary foods are by no means introduced after reaching a certain age - age is only one of the factors. Readiness can only be judged by the presence of a combination of factors:

1. Age not less than 4 months. (for babies who were born prematurely, the gestational age is taken as the basis).

2. The baby has doubled its birth weight. For premature babies, the coefficient is x2.5.

3. The child's expulsion reflex of the tongue is gone. If you give it to drink from a spoon, then its contents will not be on the chin (and we give complementary foods EXCLUSIVELY from a spoon so that it is processed with saliva).

4. The child knows how to sit. May lean towards the spoon or lean back, refusing to eat. Knows how to control the turn of the head - can turn away in case of refusal. Or tilt your head.

5. If artificial, then eats more than a liter of the mixture per day, and does not gorge. If she is breastfeeding, then at each feeding she eats both breasts and really wants more.

6. The child can hold something in his fist and put it purposefully into his mouth.

7. And most importantly - children show a HUGE interest in the food of their parents and are eager to try it. Nature itself lets you know when the child's body is already able to accept food other than adapted food (mixture or mother's milk).

For each child, this period, when ALL the factors of readiness are already manifested, comes individually. On average between 5 and 9 months. By the way, even twins can give signs in different ways. There are situations when a child gives all signs of readiness as early as 4 months, and there are situations when a child can wait up to a year - but these are more extreme situations, although they are also a variant of the norm.

Therefore, DO NOT rush with complementary foods. It's better to be "a little" late than to hurry. If the baby has good adequate nutrition (breast milk or a good adapted formula) - he will not be deprived of a source of nutrients.

What mom needs to know so that the baby does not get a tummy ache when introducing complementary foods

Basic rules for the introduction of complementary foods
Start introducing complementary foods only to a healthy child or, as a last resort, during the recovery period, with a normal stool;

Complementary foods are introduced warm before breastfeeding or formula;

complementary foods are given from a spoon, vegetable puree can first be added to a bottle of milk, so that the child can more easily get used to the new taste;

Each complementary food dish is introduced gradually, from small amounts (1-2 teaspoons) and brought to the age dose within two weeks;

1.5-2 weeks after the introduction of the previous one, they switch to a new type of complementary foods;

The density of complementary foods should gradually increase;

Complementary foods - vegetables
Important point!!! The first vegetable should be "typical of the family and locality." A baby from Egypt will be bent on peas as a complementary food, but it will ideally transfer an orange. From which the "average Ukrainian" will be treated for years.

For example, carrots in Germany are considered a hypoallergenic product. The "bright coloration" theory is considered a myth. Squash and rap are not recommended to give up to a year ... and celery and carrots are considered best solution for the first meal. The same pumpkin the best variety considered "Hokaido" - a bright red little pumpkin.

Be sure to look at the label so that spices, salt, rice starch are not added to the puree. It is very important! In the first puree (and in subsequent ones, by the way, too) there should be nothing but vegetables and water

Table with vegetable purees: http://www.pregnancy.h1.ru/baby/kormlenie/veget.htm

How to give:

Gradually, the volume is brought to 50-100 ml, making sure that everything is in order, you can try to give another vegetable. The introduction rules are the same, starting with a small amount, the volume of puree offered to the child is gradually increased.

· do not give two new vegetables at once, only mono puree. About a couple of months after the introduction of vegetables, you can start giving your child vegetable oil, adding a small amount to the vegetable puree. It is very useful to give oils obtained by the "cold" method, as they contain polyunsaturated fatty acid beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. Linseed oil is rich in such acids.

In order to minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to vegetables, you need to introduce vegetables (and any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

· Introduce a new vegetable at the end of a feed, mixing it with an old familiar food if possible. If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink each new complementary food to the baby with a breast (at his request, of course), this will help the baby digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product. If this is not the first complementary food for the baby, then mix the vegetable with the “old” (familiar to the child) food.

· The lower doses you start with, the better. The smaller the initial amount of vegetables, the slower it increases, the less likely the occurrence of diathesis.

homemade vegetables

If you do not have enough money for purchased jars, or you have some kind of prejudice before them, you can cook vegetable puree for your baby yourself - either from frozen vegetables or from fresh vegetables. It depends on the time of the year - if it's autumn, the season of vegetables, then you will definitely mash fresh market vegetables, if there are no vegetables on sale, then buy frozen vegetables in bags and mash them.

If you have a blender, great! cook cauliflower, zucchini, pumpkin or turnips, as usual, cook for yourself (with the only difference being that you add salt and spices for yourself, and for the baby you cook vegetables just on the water). Then cool the vegetables a little and grind them in a blender. The only exception is potatoes - it is not recommended to grind it in a blender, because the starch in it will turn the puree into a sticky paste, not much like delicate mashed potatoes.
When you introduce a mono puree of fresh or frozen vegetables, you can make the most various variations from mashed potatoes, make it to the taste of the baby and his discretion: boil carrots, potatoes, cauliflower. Boil peas, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes together, etc. The options are many!

With the age of the baby, you can not chop vegetable puree in a blender - it will be enough just to mash soft boiled vegetables with a fork (the baby will learn to eat in pieces, and since vegetables are usually soft, it will be easier for the baby to get used to eating in pieces).

If you do not trust not only canned baby food, but also frozen vegetables, then you can freeze the vegetables for future use yourself. They can be stored at -6°C for a week, at -12°C for 1 month, at -18°C for 3 months.

The second complementary food - cereals - you need to start introducing gluten-free cereals (rice, corn, buckwheat) and cook them on the milk or milk mixture that the child receives;

· Baby food in jars contains the optimal amount of salt and sugar and therefore should not be added.

Complementary foods - porridge.

The first porridge for the baby must be gluten-free - rice, buckwheat or corn porridge (by the way, one of constituent parts conventional corn porridge - corn starch, which is 80% gluten). Therefore, when talking about corn porridge, we mean industrially prepared porridge specifically for children, and not ground corn, which is also called “polenta”. The rest of the cereals: oatmeal, semolina, millet, barley, etc. - contain gluten and are not suitable as a first food.

Porridge is best cooked on water, but it is allowed, if the baby is breastfed, to cook porridge on expressed mother's milk. The same applies to artificial people - it is permissible to cook porridge on the mixture that the baby usually consumes.

If the baby has a tendency to constipation, then it is advisable not to start complementary foods with rice porridge. Best with buckwheat. Although they say that buckwheat is very allergenic, but this must be looked at by the child. If there is a tendency to allergies, then start feeding with rice, if there is constipation, then start with buckwheat. If there is a tendency to both allergies and constipation at the same time, then start complementary foods with corn, and then introduce oatmeal.
If the baby has no problems, then you can enter in this order - rice, buckwheat, corn or buckwheat, rice, corn. After these cereals are introduced, you can try oatmeal. Semolina porridge in view of its great nutritional value, but low fortification and usefulness, it is better to postpone for later and offer it to the baby after a year

Table with dairy-free, milk and fruit-grain cereals: http://www.pregnancy.h1.ru/baby/kormlenie/cereals.htm

How to give?

Do not under any circumstances give yourself little child porridge from a bottle. It’s better to make thin porridge and give it from a spoon, let the baby eat a little, but it’s right! For a baby in the first complementary foods, the amount of food is not so important, for him it is still only an introductory, trial, and not satiating. When feeding from a bottle, food does not undergo enzymatic processing of saliva, which negatively affects the digestive process. The fact is that in the baby's saliva there are special enzymes - amylase and lysozyme. When food enters the baby's mouth from a spoon, it manages to completely, so to speak, be saturated with saliva, and enters the stomach already thoroughly "soaked" in saliva. And amylase is very helpful in digestion and the breakdown of food. It is already in the stomach helps to quickly break down food into smaller components and thus it contributes to faster digestion. When the baby is given food from a bottle, it does not have time to soak in saliva and almost immediately gets into the throat, without lingering in the mouth. Thus, it enters the stomach without primary treatment with amylase.

To minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to porridge, you need to introduce porridge (and any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

Offer a new porridge at the end of feeding, if possible, mix it with the old familiar food to the child. If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink each new complementary food to the baby with a breast (at his request, of course), this will help the baby digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product. If this is not the first complementary food for the baby, then mix the porridge with the “old” (familiar to the child) food.

This is done to prepare the gastrointestinal tract for new food, so that it is easier for the enzymatic systems, intestines, and stomach to work, digesting “familiar food”. By introducing complementary foods at the end of feeding, you will not "take by surprise" the child's body and do not harm him.

The lower doses you start with, the better. The smaller the initial amount of porridge, the slower it increases, the less likely the occurrence of diathesis.

When to give?

Entering porridge into the baby's diet depends only on the baby and his mother. Traditionally, if the baby has a lack of weight, if the baby is thin, then it is advisable to start complementary foods with cereals. If the baby is chubby, if he has a small (or large) overweight, then it is best to start complementary foods for such a baby with mono-vegetable puree.

The time of day for entering porridge is of fundamental importance. Traditionally, porridge is given either in the morning or for dinner. But for the first feeding, it is better to choose the morning time in order to see during the day what the baby's reaction to the new product will be. If you give a new product at night, you may not notice it. When you have already introduced porridge into the child's diet and made sure that the baby reacts normally to it, you can give porridge at night (or leave it like that in the morning).

Fruits

Fruit purees are best administered after cereals and vegetables. If you have already introduced your baby to porridge and vegetables, then it's time to give your child a taste of fruit puree.

For the first feeding, it is necessary to take products with a low degree of allergenicity - these are green apples, white cherries, white currant, gooseberry, plum. When low-allergenic vegetables are introduced, “medium-allergenic” vegetables such as peaches, apricots, red currants, bananas, cranberries can be introduced. And you need to leave at the very last turn highly allergenic foods, such as strawberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, pineapples, grapes, melons, persimmons, pomegranates, citrus fruits and others.

After the first solid food with mono-fruits is introduced, you can offer the child a puree-assortment of different fruits. There are so many purees!

Table with fruit purees: http://pregnancy.h1.ru/baby/kormlenie/fruits.htm

How to give?

· Complementary foods are introduced starting from a quarter of a teaspoon once a day, preferably in the morning. Every day the volume increases gradually, approximately 2 times. It takes 7-10 days to reach the age norm. The condition of the child's skin, digestive problems are assessed daily, if any changes appear, then the introduction of complementary foods is suspended.

Gradually, the volume is brought to 50-100 ml (on average 70 grams in the first complementary foods, then increases to 100 g, and then to 180 g), making sure that everything is in order, you can try to give another fruit. The introduction rules are the same, starting with a small amount, the volume of puree offered to the child is gradually increased.

· General rule for ANY complementary foods - no more than one product in 1-2 weeks!

· Do not give two new fruits at once, only mono puree.

In order to minimize a possible allergic or other reaction to fruits, you need to introduce fruits (and any other product) as carefully as possible, especially if the baby is prone to diathesis, allergies, constipation, diarrhea, etc.

· Offer a new fruit at the end of feeding, if possible, mix it with the old familiar food to the child. If you are breastfeeding, then let's drink each new complementary food to the baby with a breast (at his request, of course), this will help the baby digest and assimilate a new product for his gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is bottle-fed, then it is optimal to give a little familiar mixture after introducing a new product. If this is not the first complementary food for the baby, then mix the fruit with the “old” (familiar to the child) food.

This is done to prepare the gastrointestinal tract for new food, so that it is easier for the enzymatic systems, intestines, and stomach to work, digesting “familiar food”. By introducing complementary foods at the end of feeding, you will not "take by surprise" the child's body and do not harm him.

· The lower doses you start with, the better. The smaller the initial amount of fruit, the slower it increases, the less likely the occurrence of diathesis.

FEEDING SCHEME FROM GASTROENTEROLOGIST

Give each new product at least 7 days. Start with 1 tsp. and bring back to normal within a week.

6 months

At about 12 noon (future lunch) - vegetables.

“Squash” (zucchini-pumpkin) is still a kind of pumpkin, and not in our strip - do not give it.

Pumpkin, carrot - remove.

Leave the yellow for later. Start with green.

You can cook it yourself or make mashed potatoes from frozen vegetables.

Zucchini is frozen. For example, firms "4 seasons"

Cauliflower - "Semper" or frozen

Broccoli - "Semper", "Top-top" (not to be confused with "Tip-top")

Green beans - do it yourself

Green peas - "Gerber"

Potatoes - "Gerber" ordinary, do not give sweet, (also not our strip), do it yourself (soak before that 2 hours in boiled cold water, when starch is released - change the water)

Parsnips and spinach - after a year, because reduces the level of iron absorption in the child's body by more than 76%

When you try everything, you can mix, but no more than 3 types.

Vegetable oil from 8 months.

7 months

Gradually completely replace one feeding.

Buckwheat, corn, rice without additives.

Oatmeal, semolina, milk, soy porridges are not introduced into the diet for up to a year. It is harmful.

The package should say: "no sugar, salt, gluten, milk, dyes."

It is best to give it on water, since with the addition of milk there is a big load on the digestive tract.

Gerber, Baby Sitter, Low Allergy Baby

7 months

At 17 o'clock (future afternoon snack) - fruits:

Green apple - "Semper", "Top-top". Bake yourself.

Red later.

Pear - (if there is no constipation) "Semper".

Banana - do it yourself.

Apricots, peaches - jars, do it yourself in the summer, they are not watered with anything harmful,

As for cherries and cherries - later, in the summer, do it yourself.

Cottage cheese - after 8 months. For an afternoon snack, add to fruit puree.

For example, 0% cottage cheese "House in the village". Every day a new pack.

Strictly not more than the norm, if a child is overfed with cottage cheese, he will develop anorexia.

Meat - after 12 min (load on the digestive tract) add to vegetable puree. Do not exceed the norm of meat! Strictly prepared puree with vegetables.

"Gerber" - turkey, piglet, lamb, beef.

At least up to a year you can not give children meat broth. It contains too many carcinogens. They serve soup with vegetable broth.

Kefir - after 12 p.m. (it has too high acidity, and in children with perinatal CNS damage (90% of children) and so hyperacidity gastrointestinal tract

Kefir in children up to a year causes microbleeding in the intestines, which leads to severe hypochromic anemia), give at night.

Beefy, Agusha without sugar. If the child refuses, do not insist.

It is better to drink before meals, do not drink.

Juices diluted with water (min. 1/1), after a year.

Salt after a year, sugar, in general, the later the better.

Feed the child always at your table so that nothing distracts.

Do not snack between feedings - apple, bread, drying

Total:

7 m. Fruits - 60 gr., vegetables - 150 gr., porridge - 150 gr.

8 m. F. - 70, O. - 170, K. - 150

9 m. F. - 80, O. - 180, K. - 180

12 m. F. - 90-100, O. - 200, K. - 200,

Butter - 5 gr., Meat - start 5-30 gr., then 70, cottage cheese 10-30, then 50 g. then 60

Meat puree table: http://pregnancy.h1.ru/baby/kormlenie/meat.htm

Table with vegetable and meat purees http://pregnancy.h1.ru/baby/kormlenie/meat_veget.htm

Bottle feeding baby:

1. After opening the jar, select a serving for feeding, and put the rest in the refrigerator.
2. Strictly follow the instructions for storing opened baby food jars.
3. Reheat only as much food as needed for one feeding.
4. Do not return the uneaten portion to the jar - this will cause bacteria to grow, and saliva enzymes will thin the mixture.
5. Do not freeze baby food, it becomes inedible.