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beginning, the aim is simply to encourage babies to experiment with the new experience of having food in their mouths. Parents and care givers should get the baby's permission before putting anything in his mouth and let him decide how fast and how much to eat. It doesn't matter if on some days he spits out his food or seems to play with it rather than eat it because he will be getting most of his nutrition from breastmilk. Emphasizing the quality of feedings rather than getting food into the baby helps make feeding fun for parent and baby. If a baby refuses a particular food, she should be encouraged to try it again another day. She may need as many as 5 or 10 or even 15 exposures to a new food before liking it (7). Babies' stomachs are still relatively small, so it's important they receive nutrient dense foods. The WIC program recommends iron-fortified infant rice cereal as the first food introduced because it is a good source of iron and unlikely to cause allergies. Importance of breastfeeding past 6 months oldOur culture leads many moms to think weaning should occur at a young age. However, breastfeeding continues to be important for children's nutrition, development and care long after the first 6 months of life. Breastmilk contains more calories and nutrients per ounce than most other foods and is easy to digest. It is also contains factors that help with the absorption of nutrients. Additionally, breastmilk continues to provide protection against illness and reduce the severity of those that occur. Some protection is provided even if breastfeeding declines to a few times per day. Breastfeeding also helps recovery from illness. Sick babies often do not feel |
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like eating foods, but usually want to breastfeed, which helps keep them hydrated and nourished. The special emotional nurturing provided by breastfeeding continues well beyond 6 months. Continued breastfeeding along with responsive feeding as described above is part of a caring transition from exclusive breastfeeding to eating family foods.
References
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August 5, 2005
San Diego, California, USA To Clip or Not to Clip: Ankyloglossia & the Breastfed Infant. Children's Hospital Grand Rounds, 0800-0900, Cafeteria Conference Rooms A,B,C. Sponsored by CHHC. Speakers: Dr. James Murphy & Dr. Seth Pransky For more information contact Nancy Wight MD at 858-939-4175. August 6, 2005
Breastfeeding the Older Child: A Mini-Seminar for Physicians & Other Health Care Providers. Children's Hospital Medical Office Bldg, 8:00-12:30 Sponsored by CHHC in cooperation with the SDCBC Contact: Gigi Campbell at (858) 939-4175 or Email: gigi.campbell@sharp.com September 20, 2005
Promoting Breastfeeding through Education & Evidence-Based Care. San Mateo Perinatal Council, Foster City Library, Wind Room. Contact by telephone (650) 573-2955 or Email: smperinatal@yahoo.com |
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October 7-9, 2005
Sacramento, California, USA Essential Pieces: Continuing Education Lactation Conference 2005 Sponsored by La Leche League of Northern California and Hawaii Contact by telephone (916) 781-9871 or Email: LLLConference@yahoo.com October 17-18, 2005
Human Milk Banking - A Global Perspective on Best Practices Sponsored by the Human Milk Banking Association of North American Email: aprather@olsonmgmt.com October 23-24, 2005
Taking Breastfeeding to New Heights: The 5th Annual Health Team Members Meeting at the 10th Annual International Meeting of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Sponsored by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Program and registration information will be posted at www.bfmed.org. For more information, call (877) 836-9947 or Email: jymeek@orhs.org |
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