957 North Plum Grove Road • Schaumburg IL 60173 USA

847.519.7730 Fax 847.969.0460 800-LALECHE• •

L L LA ECHE EAGUE

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

According to recommendationsf r o m t h e W o r l d H e a l t hOrganization (WHO), the IndianAcademy of Pediatrics (IAP),National Institute of Nutrition(NIN), and the BreastfeedingPromotion Network of India(BPNI), human milk is the onlyfood that healthy, full-termbabies need for about the first sixmonths of life.

The composition of human milkchanges in response to a variety ofcues, so that each mother providesmilk that meets her own baby'sunique needs. Human milkprovides immunity factors for aslong as the baby nurses, and manyof the health benefits of breastfeeding continue well intochildhood and beyond.

As your baby will signal that she is readyto nurse or is feeling full, she will alsosignal her readiness for ingestingcomplementary foods.

Baby is about six months old.

Baby is able to sit, with minimalsupport.

Baby has lost his tongue-thrustreflex, meaning that he does notpush foods out of his mouth with histongue when they are offered.

Baby can pick things up betweenhis finger and thumb.

Most solid foods are lower in caloriesthan human milk, of lower nutritionalvalue, and can be difficult for youngbabies to digest. Many foods can causeunpleasant reactions and even triggerallergies in babies with a predispositionto them if introduced beforecompletion of six months of age (Greeret al. 2008).

Indications include:

Signs of Readiness

The Benefits of Waiting Until YouSee the Signs

•

•

•

•

Feeding complementary foods to yourbaby before she is ready is typicallymessy and inefficient as she willnaturally push the food out with hertongue as long as the tongue-trustreflex is functioning. By waiting for herto be developmentally ready, shebecomes an active participant ineating, rather than merely a passiverecipient. This helps to put her incharge of how much she eats, teachingher important fullness cues.

Starting solid foods before your baby isready will not increase his sleep atnight, is not necessary for larger babies,and does not initially increase calories.

Learning to eat solid foods is a new skillfor babies. It will be awhile before yourbaby needs significant calories ornutrients from foods other than yourmilk, so consider these first “meals” assensory experiments. Try to keep the“lessons” pleasant and relaxed for youand your baby.

Your milk is still the most nutritiousfood your baby will need, sobreastfeed him first and then offersolid food. He will have received thebenefit of his mother's milk, andwill be ready to learn a new skill.Hungry babies may not be eager tocooperate in new ventures.

Offer small amounts of food. Yourbaby is learning to eat and enjoy newtextures, rather than having a fullmeal.

Offer food when the baby is inthe mood to learn. This could beduring a quiet time, or it could be at asocial time when the rest of thefamily is also eating.

Introduce new foods a week apart.This way, a reaction to a p a r t i c u l a rfood can be tracked. Some signs of apossible allergic reaction include a

Introducing ComplementaryFoods

•

•

•

•

rash, runny nose, or sore bottom.

If you see any of these signs, wait aweek and try the food again. If youget the same reaction, hold off untilyour baby is a year old and try again.

If your baby does not seem to like anew food, offer it again at a n o t h e rtime. It may take a few times beforehe learns to enjoy a new flavor.

As with your milk, allow baby tocontrol the amount he eats, and stopwhen he is done. Offering “fingerfoods” allows your baby to do this.

Remember that playing with food ispart of learning. Your baby may makea mess and enjoy it thoroughly!

Do not leave your baby alone whilehe is eating. Do not offer him solidfood while he is lying on his back.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, a LaLeche League International book,suggests offering complementaryfoods in the following order, waiting aweek between the introductions of anynew foods:

Soft, seasonal, mild-tasting fruits:ripe banana, chickoo, papaya,stewed or boiled apple. These can begrated, mashed or chopped so thatthe baby can feed himself safely.Citrus fruits can also be offeredpeeled and chopped. (These areexcellent sources of Vitamin C.However, consider avoiding if there isa family history of allergies). Youcould give your baby tender coconutmeat / pulp (malai).

Soft, mild-tasting cooked vegetables:Sweet potato or carrot cooked,grated, and mashed.

Whole grain breads and cereals: rotior chapatti (wheat, raagi/nachani,jowar, or brown rice flour), khichdicooked with brown rice, semolina(sooji/rawa), bulgar wheat, or laapsiwith moongdal (lentils).

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Ideal Foods to Offer

your breastfedbaby

IntroducingComplementary Foods to

© October 2009, La Leche League International

# 10156-HI-INAdapted and translated by Kavita Mukhi, Manisha Gogri, Sonali Shivlani,Anna Coelho and Effath Yasmin from the LLLI pamphlet

This informational sheet may not be reproduced in any mannerwithout written permission from La Leche League International.

for more information:

www.llli.org

957 North Plum Grove Road • Schaumburg IL 60173 USA

847.519.7730 Fax 847.969.0460 800-LALECHE• •

L L LA ECHE EAGUE

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

© October 2009, La Leche League International

# 10156-HI-INAdapted and translated by Kavita Mukhi, Manisha Gogri, Sonali Shivlani,Anna Coelho and Effath Yasmin from the LLLI pamphlet

You can use ghee or expressed breastmilk to soften khichdi/roti for desiredconsistency. Porridge with semolina(sooji/rawa) can be offered to yourbaby for breastfast.

Protein-rich foods (meat or beans)cooked until tender and offered insmall pieces when your baby is nineor ten months of age. You can alsointroduce egg yolk of a hard-boiledegg (boiled for 20 to 25 minutes).

Oils: Indian Clarified butter (Ghee) orother cold pressed oils can be addedin sma l l quan t i t i e s du r i ngpreparation of khichdi or roti.A mixture of rice bran oil andgroundnut oil is a good example.

Yogurt, natural cheese, and cottagecheese can all be offered when thebaby is nine or ten months of age(consider avoiding if there is a familyhistory of dairy allergies).

Whole milk can be offered after oneyear of age. However, breast milk is recommended until at least two yearsof age. Also whole milk should notreplace semi-solid food.

Honey is not recommended untilyour baby is at least one to two yearsof age because of the risk of botulismpoisoning caused by spores ofClostridium botulinum that can befound in honey.

Traditionally, many pediatricianshave recommended not givinginfants eggs (Egg white), fish,peanuts, or any nuts in the first yearof life. However, these can beincluded in the baby's diet duringfirst year of life if no family history ofallergy such as asthma or eczema isknown. Ensure nuts are offeredpounded and fish f ree of bonesbefore offering the baby.

Allow your baby to explore the tasteof new foods without added spices,flavorings, or enhancements (for

•

•

•

•

•

•

example, stay away from adding saltor sugar to baby food for the firstyear, however, mild spices can beused as there provide essentialmicronutrients).

Baby food need not be preparedseparately simply remove fully cookedingredients before seasoning whenmaking soups, stews, and similardishes. Foods can and should beappropriate to your home and culturesuch as idlis, dhoklas, iddiyappam,appam and the like made from brownrice or par-boiled rice. Offer semi-solids(mashed) and well cooked food to yourbaby.

Sweeteners of any kind are notnecessary for a healthy diet, and mosta r e h igh l y p roce s sed . Avo idintroducing them for as long aspossible. Jaggery, rich in iron contentcan be used instead of sugar. When thebaby is one year of age, rock salt couldbe added to food instead of salt.

Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in asclose to their natural state as possible.This is as true for infants as it is foranyone else.

Many commercial baby foods haveadded sweeteners, spices, thickeners,and even artificial colors. If commercialfoods are offered, read ingredient listscarefully. This is also a good time toconsider wholesome family food andkeep away from refined ingredientssuch as refined flour and white rice.Organic food could be considered forthe whole family.

The process of starting complementaryfoods may take 3 to 6 months startingfrom when baby has completed sixmonths until the baby turns one year.

Once your baby is eating a variety offoods without any signs of allergy ordistress, there is less concern aboutmixing foods or introducing something

new. As long as your baby is offerednourishing whole foods, her appetitecan be the guide as to what she wantsto eat and when she wants to eat it.Avoid force feeding.

Adding solid foods is the first step towardweaning, though breastfeeding may continue formonths or years after introducing solids.

Adding solid foods to your baby's diet:

• Replaces your milk with another food.

and fertility.

• Impacts your milk supply.

• May hasten the return of your menstrual cycle

AAP statement, 2005: www.aap.org

APHA Statement, 2007: www.apha.org

Greer, F.R., Sicherer, S.H., Burks, A. W.; American

Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition;

American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Allergy

and Immunology. Effects of early nutritional inter-

ventions on the development of atopic disease in

infants and children: the role of maternal dietary

restriction, breastfeeding, timing of introduction of

complementary foods, and hydrolyzed formulas.

Pediatrics 2008 Jan; 121(1):183-91.

WHO policy statement, 2003: www.who.int

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. Schaumburg, IL:

La Leche League International, 2004.

Promoting Complementary Feeding Practices;

Compiled and additional research provided, by Gopi N

Ghosh, Shavika Gupta & Meghendra Banerjee - Cross

posted with MC Health Community; 2005

Child Care, Dr Prashant Gangal, Mother Support

Group Co-ordinator, BPNI, Maharastra; 2007

Resources

La Leche League Leaders are accredited

volunteers who are available to help with

breastfeeding questions in person, over the

phone, or online. Locate an LLL Leader near

you at www.llli.org.

This informational sheet may not be reproduced in any mannerwithout written permission from La Leche League International.

for more information:

www.llli.org