Complementary feeding

Breastfeeding and the adequate introduction of complementary feeding are the two most important elements in the feeding of the child during the first two years of life, a stage considered very critical from the nutritional point of view due to the short, medium and long term effects on the physical, psychological and social development of the child.

Around six months of life, the child's nutritional requirements cannot be covered by exclusive breastfeeding with breast milk and/or infant milk formulas; therefore, the gradual introduction of other foods is necessary.

Complementary feeding consists of giving the infant from 6 months of age other foods of any consistency (solids, semisolids, and liquids -including water-) other than breast milk and infant formula milk, in order to complement them, without displacing or substituting them.

Complementary feeding comprises the period between the beginning of the consumption of semi-solid foods until the moment when the baby can eat a wide variety of foods of different textures, flavors, aromas, temperatures, consistencies and colors.

It is very important to keep in mind that during complementary feeding, milk continues to be the baby's main nutritional source, so the mother should offer the breast on demand -four to five times a day- preferably before meals. While infants taking formulas should receive between four and five daily feedings of approximately 240 milliliters.

Objectives of the introduction of complementary feeding

• The main objective is to provide the infant with a series of nutrients necessary for growth and development that cannot continue to be provided in the required quantities by exclusive breast milk or infant milk formulas. Among the most common deficiencies that complementary feeding prevents are energy deficiencies and some micronutrients such as iron and zinc.
• Lead the baby towards the practice of a healthy family diet with the gradual introduction of a wide variety of foods in their meals that allow them to enjoy different flavors, textures, aromas, temperatures, consistencies and colors.
• Promote the psychosocial development of the baby through their interrelationship during meals with the rest of the family -parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc.-.
• Contribute to the formation of healthy food preferences in the baby to reduce the risks of certain health disorders in the short, medium and long term, such as obesity, malnutrition and cardiovascular diseases.

When to start introducing other foods in the infant's diet?

In some cases, family circumstances and traditions cause parents to start introducing foods to their babies without consulting a pediatrician, putting the baby's development, growth and health at risk. For example: Some children from the age of four months are given a porridge at dinner so that they sleep most of the night without complaining.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the introduction of complementary feeding from six months; while different European scientific societies consider that for most infants that would be the ideal date, however in some cases - especially in babies who are breastfed - it may be necessary to start the introduction of other foods before six months - always after four months - to ensure optimal growth and development of the baby.

What signs might indicate that the baby is ready for the introduction of complementary feeding?

• Sitting up: They should possess a set of motor skills that allow them to sit with their back and head straight without slumping sideways and backwards. This posture is essential during feedings to prevent food from gravity passing into the throat uncontrollably and causing choking.
• Does not push food out of the mouth with the tongue: The extrusion reflex must have disappeared; which consists of pushing with the tongue any food or solid object that tries to be introduced into the mouth, preventing it from reaching the throat. This reflex protects them during the first five months from choking, but around the sixth month it disappears.
• Theyhave eye-hand and hand-mouth coordination:they should pick up objects with their hands and put them in their mouth to explore the shape and taste.
• Shows interest in the food of other family members, and especially in the food of other children.

Other factors that make the introduction of new foods possible at around 6 months of age

• Around the fourth month, the gastrointestinal tract has already