Sometimes young parents underestimate the seriousness of the first feeding stage, relying on the experience of relatives who "have somehow raised their children." What's wrong here?
Even with the development of the Internet, the myths and superstitions about parenting are still alive, and the achievements of evidence-based science are skeptical. Let's figure out why you should still trust and listen to official science. Here are just 6 reasons.
1. Proper nutrition - prevention of chronic diseases and obesity
Modern man has no reason not to trust evidence-based science. Consider, for example, how many lives were saved by the invention of antibiotics and how infant mortality decreased with the advent of vaccinations. But science does not stand still, but opens up more and more new facets of human health. So, the beginning of the "epidemic of obesity" among young people forced medical organizations to reconsider their attitude to many things, including complementary foods. For example, WHO pays a lot of attention to the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases among children , such as type I diabetes , promoting breastfeeding, the start of complementary foods after 6 months of life, the phased introduction of products, the timely detection of allergic reactions, the absence of sugar and salt in baby food. .
2. Incorrect introduction of complementary foods leads to problems with the gastrointestinal tract in the future
This is perhaps the most obvious problem. Until now, some parents are sure that introducing juices drop by drop already at 1-2 months of life is a wonderful way to transfer a child to a common table. Nothing like this! Juices are concentrated fruit acids that are too aggressive for the developing gastrointestinal tract. Early introduction of juices threatens to disrupt the child's stool, colic, allergic reactions, increased stress on the kidneys and pancreas. Added sugar can cause weight gain , cavities and chronic diseases.
3. Bad eating habits
This moment is still new to parents. It is important to realize and accept that complementary foods are introduced not to feed the baby, but to introduce him to new tastes and textures. At the same time, breastfeeding remains the main food for a child up to a year. or adapted milk formula. But inexperienced parents, as a rule, are in a hurry, introduce complementary foods ahead of time, become too persistent and force children to eat. In the meantime, kids may not want to eat buckwheat porridge at all in a volume of strictly 100 g! This is absolutely normal. A kid is an individual who needs to be listened to, so that later you don’t get a small child without an appetite, recognizing only pasta and dumplings, but ready to try a variety of fruits and vegetables. The desire to feed is only the problem of the parents, not the need of the child.
4. Products not by age - a threat to the life of the baby
Undoubtedly, chicken soup is a tasty and healthy dish. But not for a child under 2 years old. Scientists have studied this issue and came to the conclusion that you should not give, for example, saturated meat broths to babies, because they still do not have enough enzymes to digest such fatty foods. The same applies to eating mushrooms: the very first that can be offered to a child are champignons or oyster mushrooms (after 2-3 years), but wild mushrooms may not be entirely edible and carry a mortal danger.
Separately, in the issue of food safety, it is worth highlighting the method of feeding products in complementary foods. The fact is that a full-fledged chewing skill is formed between 2-4 years of age. In the meantime, the child has not learned to chew well (especially for the age of up to a year), there is a danger of choking. Therefore, the parent should be skeptical about the proposals "give the child a piece of an apple to suck" if the baby still often chokes on the offered food. The introduction of pieces is an important part of complementary feeding and adaptation, but such manipulations should be done gradually, going from puree to solid pieces of food in stages.
Up to 2 years, it is also recommended to exclude all small round-shaped foods: berries, popcorn, sweets (here we additionally remember that sugar is undesirable). They can also easily enter the child's respiratory tract.
5. Dental problems
We have known the basic rules of dental care since childhood: do not eat sweets, brush your teeth twice a day. But the problem of caries in children could not be overcome. The fact is that some products on store shelves are labeled “from 4 months” or “from 6 months”, although in fact they are not acceptable at such an early age.
So, soft baby cookies are not the best option for a snack, but very convenient for a walk, in a clinic, etc. The cookie melts in your mouth, leaving the sugar on your gums, an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, even if your teeth haven't come out yet. Therefore, if children have not tried sugar candies before the age of 2, then consider that you have won this battle! It is believed that such people will not have sugar cravings even in adulthood.
6. Iron-deficiency anemia
According to WHO reports, iron deficiency anemia in children is more common in countries where, despite prolonged breastfeeding, tea is offered to babies at an early age. Later studies have shown that tea interferes with normal absorption of iron, as well as animal milk, and therefore these products should be introduced into the diet after a year.
And what is the result? Be critical of any advice, not only on feeding, but on education in general, be interested, read and just love your children. This is what makes us engaged parents.
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