Question

8. Outline a general schedule for a new mother to use as a guide for adding solid foods to her infant's diet during the first year of life; indicate both the time of addition and the items to be offered.

Answer 1

Setting Baby's Mealtime Routine

A baby needs focus to eat, so start a routine where you wash his hands, soothe him, and then sit him down to eat. And maintain the calmness. Turn off the TV and any loud music. "This will help your baby become conscious of eating and learn to recognize when he's full," says Marilyn Tanner, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

It will take time for your baby to feel comfortable with the new sensations that go along with eating -- the feel of a spoon in his mouth and the tastes and textures of different foods.

And get used to messes! Your baby will likely fling food everywhere, especially if you're practicing baby-led weaning. This is common and doesn't necessarily indicate a dislike.

4 to 6 months: Single-grain cereals

The level of iron that is stored up while in utero drops after birth, and a baby reaches an all-time low at around 9 months. That's why cereals are fortified with iron and why they're a good early food. Combine one teaspoon of single-grain cereal with four to five teaspoons of breast milk or formula. Once your baby is used to swallowing runny cereal, thicken it by using less water or breast milk and more cereal.

4 to 8 months: Pureed veggies, fruits, and meats

You may have heard that eating fruits before vegetables can cause a lifelong preference for sweet foods, but there's no research to back that up. So it's up to you whether you begin with bananas or carrots, or pureed chicken for that matter.

6 to 8 months: Single-ingredient finger foods

Whether you've begun with purees or are starting solids just with finger foods, may babies enjoy experimenting with self-feeding from an early age. Don't offer any hard, raw foods, such as apple slices or carrot sticks at this point. Make sure fruits and veggies are soft enough to mash with gentle pressure between your thumb and forefinger.

9 to 12 months: Chopped, ground, or mashed foods

As soon as your child is able, transition him away from smooth purees. Incorporate more finger foods and make sure there's texture in any mash. It's also safe to feed your child soft rice and casseroles at this point.

Solid Foods Not to Give Baby

You should avoid giving infants the following foods:

Honey: It can cause botulism, a serious illness, if introduced too early.

Cow's Milk: Stick with breast milk and formula as a primary beverage until your baby is a year old. It's fine to use cow's milk in cooking or baking, though.

Nuts, Popcorn, Whole Grapes, and Globs of Nut Butter: These foods are choking hazards.

6 to 8 MONTHS

At this age, your baby will probably eat about 4 to 6 times per day, but will eat more at each feeding than the first 6 months.

• If you feed formula, your baby will eat about 6 to 8 ounces (180 to 240 milliliters) per feeding, but should not have more than 32 ounces (950 milliliters) in 24 hours.
• You can start to introduce solid foods at age 6 months. Most of your baby's calories should still come from breast milk or formula.
• Breast milk is not a good source of iron. So after 6 months, your baby will start to need more iron. Start solid feedings with iron-fortified baby cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. Mix it with enough milk so that the texture is very thin. Start by offering the cereal 2 times a day, in just a few spoonfuls.
• You can make the mixture thicker as your baby learns to control it in their mouth.
• You can also introduce iron-rich pureed meats, fruits, and vegetables. Try green peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, applesauce, pears, bananas, and peaches.
• Some dietitians recommend introducing a few vegetables before fruits. The sweetness of fruit may make some vegetables less appealing.
• The amount your child eats will vary between 2 tablespoons (30 grams) and 2 cups (480 grams) of fruits and vegetables per day. How much your child eats depends on their size and how well they eat fruits and vegetables.

There are several ways you can tell that your baby is ready to eat solid foods:

• Your baby's birth weight has doubled.
• Your baby can control their head and neck movements.
• Your baby can sit up with some support.
• Your baby can show you they are full by turning their head away or by not opening their mouth.
• Your baby begins showing interest in food when others are eating.

You should also know:

• Never give honey to your baby. It may contain bacteria that can cause botulism, a rare, but serious illness.
• Do not give your baby cow's milk until they are 1 year old. Babies under age 1 have a difficult time digesting cow's milk.
• Never put your child to bed with a bottle. This can cause tooth decay. If your baby wants to suck, give them a pacifier.
• Use a small spoon when feeding your baby.
• It is fine to start to give your baby water between feedings.
• Do not give your baby cereal in a bottle unless your pediatrician or dietitian recommends it, for example, for reflux.
• Only offer your child new foods when they are hungry.
• Introduce new foods one at a time, waiting 2 to 3 days between. That way you can watch for allergic reactions. Signs of an allergy include diarrhea, rash, or vomiting.
• Avoid foods with added salt or sugar.
• Feed your baby directly from the jar only if you use the entire jar contents. Otherwise, use a dish to prevent food-borne illness.
• Opened containers of baby's food should be covered and stored in a refrigerator for no longer than 2 days.

8 to 12 MONTHS OF AGE

At this age, you can offer finger foods in small amounts. Your baby will probably let you know they are ready to start feeding themselves by grabbing the food or spoon with their hand.

Good finger foods include:

• Soft cooked vegetables
• Washed and peeled fruits
• Graham crackers
• Melba toast
• Noodles

You can also introduce teething foods, such as:

• Toast strips
• Unsalted crackers and bagels
• Teething biscuits

Continue to offer your baby breast milk or formula 3 to 4 times per day at this age.

You should also know:

• Avoid foods that may cause choking, such as apple chunks or slices, grapes, berries, raisins, dry flake cereals, hot dogs, sausages, peanut butter, popcorn, nuts, seeds, round candies, and raw vegetables.
• You can give your child egg yolks 3 to 4 times per week. Some babies are sensitive to egg whites. So do not offer them until after age 1.
• You can offer small amounts of cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt, but no cow's milk.
• By age 1, most children are off the bottle. If your child still uses a bottle, it should contain water only.