My Health Digest
My Health Digest
Weaning is the process by which children who were fully dependent on milk are introduced to solid foods. It starts with the first dose of food and ends with the last breast milk or artificial milk.
Weaning date:
The timing of stopping breastfeeding (infant weaning) varies depending on the needs and desires of both mother and child. But the best diet to follow is breastfeeding for at least six months, continuing to breastfeed with solid foods until the age of 12 months, and then continuing to breastfeed as long as the mother and child are willing to do so. Gradual weaning over weeks or months is easier for both the child and the mother.
Factors indicating the readiness to wean:
- Sit well
- Good head control.
- He can carry food in his mouth and he’s ready to chew it.
- He can pick up food and put it in their mouths.
- He’s curious at mealtimes and makes sure to participate.
The pros and cons of weaning:
- pros
- Encourages independent eating sooner.
- Children are more likely to decide when they are full and less likely to gain weight in the long run
- Reduces the need for separate cooking, as family meals are usually suitable.
- Your whole family can eat together.
- cons
- However, if the right foods are served, your child’s risk of suffocation should not be higher than in the traditional approach.
- It’s hard to tell how much food your child has eaten.
- It can be messy.
- Identifying food allergies may be more difficult, as many foods are often served once.
Risk factors for early weaning:
- Increased chances of disease
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- The possibility of some serious diseases
- Increased child exposure to contamination
- Other early infant weaning damage
- Feeling pain
- Lack of breast milk administration
- Feeling tired
Weaning prevention:
Exercise respiratory hygiene, including during nutrition. If you have respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, use a medical mask (medical muzzle) when approaching your baby. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or disinfectant before and after touching your baby. Clean and cleanse any surfaces you routinely touch.