The road of parenting is full of challenges, especially in the aspect of newborn feeding, which makes many parents feel very tricky. With the progress of the child’s growth stage, appropriate complementary food selection and nutritional balance become particularly important. How to introduce complementary foods appropriately? And how to determine if the child is deficient in trace elements?
The introduction of complementary foods for children should follow the rhythm of their growth and development to ensure healthy growth. In the first six months after birth, breast milk is the best choice, as it can meet most of the baby’s nutritional needs. During this stage, feeding about seven times a day is ideal, and if necessary, a small amount of supplementary nutrition products can be added as per medical advice.
Between six months and one year old, although breast milk or formula milk remains the main food, gradually introducing diverse complementary foods, including vegetables, fruits, grains, eggs, and meat is advisable. Specific quantities can be determined by consulting a doctor to ensure they meet the baby’s needs.
As children reach one to three years old, their diet is approaching that of adults, but they should still avoid adding too many seasonings to their complementary foods. The addition of complementary foods should be gradual, from liquid to solid, step by step, to help the baby’s digestive system adapt and promptly identify any food allergies.
Regarding trace elements, iron deficiency is particularly common in children and has far-reaching effects. From six months onwards, babies need to take additional iron, zinc, and other elements from complementary foods to support their rapid growth. Red meat, animal liver, etc., are good sources of iron. It is worth noting that directly using iron preparations for iron supplementation is not the best choice because of varying absorption efficiency and potential adverse reactions. Therefore, it is preferable to consider supplementing iron naturally through food, which is safer and more effective for the baby.
In conclusion, careful planning of complementary food menus and reasonable supplementation of trace elements are crucial for the healthy growth of babies, requiring parents’ meticulous attention and effort.
