Promote optimal infant feeding practice by initiating breastfeeding within the first hour after normal delivery (or within four hours after a caesarean delivery). Embrace rooming in, allowing mothers and infants to stay together 24 hours a day, and encourage breastfeeding on demand. Strictly adhere to the practice of not introducing any food or drink other than breast milk and avoiding artificial teats or pacifiers for breastfeeding infants.
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Complementary Feeding:
Implementing a systematic infant feeding practice involves introducing appropriate food substances alongside mother’s milk at the right time to provide essential nutrients. As babies become biologically ready for semi-solids around 4 months of age, it is crucial to continue breastfeeding for as long as feasible, ideally up to two years. This practice is particularly significant during the first two years, a period of rapid brain growth, as breast milk contains vital taurine amino acid factors essential for optimal brain development.
What are Complementary Feeds?
It can be homemade. It is better to start with mono cereals followed by multi cereals. Cereal like rice is the best choice to start weaning as it is gluten-free and easily digestible. Tubers, Fruits, Biscuits and Banana powder are also popular weaning foods. The addition of oil for calories can make homemade food more nutrient dense.
Family Pot Feeding:
Around 6 months:
- Cereals based porridge (ragi, suji, rice).
- Cereals can be enriched with jaggery, sugar, oil, and ghee.
- Start with the 1-2 spoon and gradually increase to 1 cup per day in 1-2 servings in addition to breastfeeding.
- Fruit Juice also can also be added.
Around 6-9 months:
- Mashed rice with pulses.
- Mashed tubers.
- Vegetable soups mashed fruits.
- Biscuits and egg yolk can be given.
Around 9-12 months:
- Introduce soft food that can be chewed, avoiding hot spices.
- Chappathi and other hard items can be made soft by adding a little milk.
- It can be given 4-6 times a day gradually increasing the quantity.
- By one year of age, the baby should be taking everything cooked at home.
Food Items Enhancing Calories:
Oil, Ghee, Sugar, Egg, Fish, Meat, Green leafy vegetables, Curd, and Sprouting pulses enhance the calories.
Texture, Preparation, and Storage of Weaning Food:
It is essential to advise the mother to differentiate the texture through preparation and cooking methods. A soft to coarser to bigger bite texture will be a positive approach towards developing the baby for acceptance.
Careful hygiene preparation such as hand washing with soap and water should be practiced before cooking and also during feeding is essential. Food stuff should be freshly prepared. Cooked food should be stored in airtight container.
Complementary Bridge and Safety Net to Prevent Malnutrition:
Most of the children fall into the pit of malnutrition during weaning and postweaning phase. Some even succumb to it. Mothers are expected to make the weaning bridge to carry children across the pits.
The three Planks include
- Continuous breastfeeding.
- Introducing Vegetable protein.
- Animal Protein.
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