Eating tips for children (1) - babies

Babies grow quickly in the first year of life, so they need plenty of energy (kilojoules) and nutrients. Children’s growth isn’t always steady and even but can be in spurts, which means that appetite and hunger can be unpredictable.

The amounts of foods eaten by your baby and their interest in food may be a little different from day to day. This is normal and shouldn’t cause any concerns if your baby is growing well.

Weaning
When solid foods are introduced, it is sometimes referred to as ‘weaning’. This is when your baby changes from having milk only to eating solid foods. From around 12 months on, your baby should be ready to eat normal family foods.

Introduce solids at about six months of age
Breast milk or infant formula is an important food for babies until at least 12 months of age, but it is essential that solid foods are also introduced at the right time. By about six months of age, a baby’s iron stores are low and extra foods will be needed to prevent later nutritional problems such as iron deficiency. Start to introduce solids around six months of age – depending on the developmental needs of your child.

Starting solids too early can cause problems
Hungry babies should be offered more breast or formula feeds until they are ready for solids. Some parents want to try solids before four months, believing this may help baby grow, sleep or settle better.

Giving solids too early rarely helps these problems and may lead to other difficulties including:

• Greater chance of developing food allergies
• Poor growth, if the solid food replaces breast milk or formula
• Loose bowel actions or diarrhoea, if the baby cannot digest the food.

• Poor growth due to low energy intake
• Iron deficiency anaemia
• Feeding problems, particularly if not started before about seven to nine months of age.

• Watching and leaning forwards when food is around
• Putting fingers in their mouth
• Opening their mouth when food is offered
• Ability to move tongue up and down
• Reaching out to grab food or spoons.

• Showing an interest in self-feeding
• Ability to chew lumps in food
• Ability to use a feeding cup
• Independent eating with some assistance.

• Digestive system – digestive enzymes that help to digest food are developed.
• Immune system – immune gut defence mechanism is fully developed.
• Mouth and tongue – your baby is able to move food to the back of their mouth and swallow safely.
• Head and neck – your baby is able to hold their head up; head control helps them sit up straight and swallow.
• Kidneys – your baby’s kidneys can now handle the increased liquid load produced by solids.

• Be calm and relaxed when you start to feed your baby.
• Make sure your child is sitting comfortably and is not too hungry.
• Stay with your baby when they are eating and let them sit with the family to watch and learn.
• Be patient. Your baby may only take a spoonful at first, but this will increase with time and practice.
• Be prepared – all babies will make a mess as they learn to eat.
• Stay with your child while eating to avoid accidents such as choking.
• Try again in a day or so if your baby refuses the first time.
• Wait several days before introducing a new food.

• Start with a single food rather than a mixture.
• Offer infant rice cereal first as it is fortified with iron and makes an ideal first food.
• Give vegetables and fruits next.
• Introduce meats and chicken from seven to eight months. All infants should have meat or alternatives, such as lentils or beans, as part of their diet by eight to nine months.
• The main milk for babies less than 12 months should be breast milk or infant formula. However, it’s okay to introduce and use cows milk as part of custard, yoghurt and on cereal from seven to eight months of age.
• If there is a family history of allergy, do not give peanuts, tree nuts or shellfish for the first two years. Discuss your child’s diet with your family doctor or health nurse.
• Avoid small hard foods, such as nuts and hard uncooked vegetables, because babies might choke.
• Fruit juice is not suitable for babies.

• Give finger foods, such as pieces of cooked vegetables and crusts, at about seven months to encourage chewing and self-feeding.
• Give baby a small spoon to encourage self-feeding, even while you continue to give most of the food.
• Encourage drinking from a cup from about seven to eight months of age.
• Progress from food that is pureed to food that is mashed then chopped into small pieces.

• Cows milk is a poor source of iron and is never a substitute for breast milk or formula for babies under 12 months. Continue breastfeeding or using infant formula until your baby is at least one year old.
• Cows milk contains higher levels of protein, salt, potassium and calcium than breast milk or formula. This can increase the load on the kidneys.
• Cows milk may be included from about seven months in small amounts as custard or yoghurt or on cereal.
• Milk should not be the main drink until after one year of age or until a range of food is eaten each day, including meat or meat alternatives.

• Allergy – if there is a strong history of allergy in your family, be cautious when you introduce solids. Seek advice from your doctor or Maternal and Child Health nurse.
• Vegetarians – your baby may need extra nutrients if fed on a vegetarian diet. Seek advice from your doctor or Maternal and Child Health nurse.

• Honey – there is a potential risk of bacterial infection from honey.
• Tea – contains tannins that can restrict vitamin uptake.
• Whole nuts – should be avoided due to the risk of choking. If there is no food allergy in your family, nut pastes can be used after 12 months.
• Fruit juice – contains no nutritional benefit and can reduce the amount of milk consumed.
• Reduced fat milk – is not suitable for children under two.

• Your doctor
• An accredited practising dietitian, contact the Dietitians Association of Australia
• Maternal and Child Health nurse
• Maternal and Child Health Line (24 hours) Tel. 132 229
• Parentline (24 hours) Tel. 132 289
• Royal Children’s Hospital Tel. (03) 9345 5663

• Start to introduce solids around six months of age.
• First solids should be finely mashed and smooth, then graded to coarsely mashed quickly.
• Your baby may only take a spoonful at first, but this will increase with time and practice.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:


(Logo links to further information)