How Should Babies Transition to Complementary Food Be?

Adequate and balanced nutrition is necessary for healthy growth and development. The baby’s first 2 years after birth are the most important period for healthy nutrition. During this period, due to rapid growth and development, malnutrition may result in frequent illnesses. The most suitable food for a newborn baby is breast milk. Therefore, it is recommended that the baby be fed only breast milk for the first 6 months. Since breast milk contains immune elements, it protects the baby against diseases. It is known to protect the baby against diseases that may develop in the future, such as allergies, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Your doctor should decide whether breast milk is sufficient or not based on weight gain and height growth monitoring. In the absence of breast milk or its insufficiency, the decision to continue with formula milk should be made by consulting your doctor. Under normal circumstances, breast milk is sufficient for baby nutrition for the first 6 months, but after that, it is not enough on its own and needs to be supported with supplementary food.

How should the transition to supplementary food be?

When trying solid food for the first time, the baby should be in a good mood, hungry and sitting upright. It should be tried with a single nutritional teaspoon and gradually increased depending on willingness or not. If the baby is reluctant when you first try it, it should not be perceived as having no appetite. It should be tried again at 3-day intervals, if the patient does not want to take it, a new food should be tried again in 2 weeks. Supplementary foods should be prepared fresh, canned and frozen foods should not be given. Food to be given to the baby should be consumed within 2 hours after preparation, and food that has been kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours should not be given to the baby. Before preparing additional food, hands should be washed thoroughly and clean sterile containers should be used. When giving supplementary food, it is recommended to give it with a spoon.

Fruit and vegetable puree and yoghurt should be the first foods to be given when starting complementary foods. When preparing vegetable and fruit puree, a glass grater should be used to avoid vitamin loss. When switching to supplementary food, the main meal should be breast milk and the snack should be supplementary foods. The mother should not be in a hurry or stressed while feeding. It should be very slow, calm and patient. Additional water can be given when supplementary food is started. The baby determines his water needs. Sugar and salt should not be added to supplementary foods. Initially, it should be in the form of fruit juice and vegetable juice, and then gradually prepared in the form of puree and puree. Grainy and rough foods should be introduced by 10 months.

Additional nutrition 6-8. A total of 2 meals per month should be 1 tea glass for each meal, and 3 meals between 9-12 months should be 1 tea glass for each meal. Babies should not be given honey, mushrooms, sugar and salt before the age of 1. Hard foods such as nuts, grapes, uncooked carrots and sugar, which may cause choking, should not be given during infancy. Foods such as sausages and salami containing nitrites should not have a place in baby nutrition. Herbal teas, sugary ready-made fruit juices, canned foods, ready-made  soups, sugary yoghurt, salty cheese, hot and spicy foods are not suitable foods.

Transition to Supplementary Food List

0-6 months Nutrition

• Exclusive breastfeeding or formula can be given under the supervision of a physician if breast milk is insufficient or not available.

Nutrition for 6-8 months

• Fruit puree (can be prepared with apples, pears, bananas, peaches)
• Vegetable puree (can be prepared with carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, green leafy vegetables)
• Yogurt (can be prepared by fermenting breast milk or follow-on milk with 1 spoon of yoghurt)
• Yolk of the egg (starting with 1/8 of the cooked egg yolk at the 6th month, gradually increasing it; egg white should not be given before the age of 1, as it is more allergenic)
• Molasses is a valuable food. It can be given after the 7th month.
• It is not recommended to give foods containing high nitrate such as radishes and beets early.
• Unsalted white cheese
• Lentil soup should be given in the form of a thin puree by crushing it. From the 7th month onwards, you can have vegetable puree prepared with minced meat. Minced meat should be ground 2-3 times.

8-12 months Nutrition

• Legumes (such as peas, beans, lentils)
• Dishes made with meat and chicken
• Vegetable food
• The oil to be used when preparing crushed pasta and rice dishes should be olive oil. Honey should not be given before the age of 1 year. After the age of 1, it is the period of sitting at the table and eating with the family. A small amount of salt can be added to meals.

What are the Allergy Symptoms when Switching to Supplementary Food?

Babies may experience allergy symptoms during the transition to solid food. Foods such as cow’s milk, egg whites, seafood, hazelnuts, peanuts and walnuts are the most common foods that cause allergies. Food allergy may develop within a few minutes of exposure, or it may take up to 72 hours to respond. The most common skin rashes are redness in the anus, bruising on the lips, respiratory distress, diarrhea and constipation. Cow’s milk allergy is common in babies; foods such as yoghurt, cheese and butter may cause allergy symptoms. This type of allergy may resolve spontaneously after 2-3 years of age. The way to recognize food allergies is to try each food one by one and give less and increase gradually. The food to which we are allergic is removed from the diet. You can consult a pediatrician for any other questions you may have during the transition to complementary foods in babies.