Dietitian Heather Miller who holds clinics in Balla, Castlebar, and Ballindine this week talks about weaning your baby.
During the first year, a baby grows more quickly than at any other time in his life. This means that he needs a lot of energy and nutrients to ensure that he can grow well. Initially, babies only need breast milk, or a suitable formula milk, but as they get older they need to have other sources of nutrition to help with growth and development. Weaning therefore is the introduction of solid foods into the diet of a baby who is drinking breast milk or formula milk. It is a gradual process but, by the time they are one year old, most children will be eating chopped, mashed, family food.
At, or around, six months old, a child's body stores of some nutrients, such as iron, start to run out. Therefore it is important that when cow's milk is introduced as the main drink at one year old, babies should be eating a varied diet, which meets their nutritional requirements.
When to wean?
All infants, breastfed and formula fed, should be weaned at six months. Some parents, however, may wish to wean earlier, and four months, or 17 weeks, should be considered as the earliest age that weaning on to solids should take place. Babies who are born pre-term need to be weaned according to their individual needs, and advice should be sought from the dietitian and medical team.
Consistency of foods
Six months — smooth pureed foods.
Six to nine months — thicker consistency with some lumps; soft finger foods can also be introduced.
Nine to 12 months — mashed, chopped, minced consistency; more finger foods.
12 months and over — mashed, chopped family foods and a variety of finger foods.
Heather Miller has clinics in Balla Medical Centre, Balla; 24 St Patrick’s Avenue, Castlebar; and Healthwest Pharmacy, Ballindine. If you want to make an appointment with Heather Miller call her on 087 172 3664 or email [email protected]
