Page 108 - MHF-FeedingMinds-final.indd
P. 108
4.2
Weaning onto Solid Foods –
Complementary Feeding
Summary
●● I●nf antsSduemvmeloapryaBtudllieffteerdenLtisrtates and parents ●● Introducing finger foods from the beginning of
should be supported to decide when their weaning encourages the development of
infant is ready to begin solid foods. self-feeding skills.
●● Most term infants are ready to begin between ●● A positive feeding environment allowing the
4 and 6 months and the UK Department of infant to decide how much they eat and drink
Health recommends that they begin around 6 enhances weaning progression. Milk feeds
months but not before 4 months. should decrease as more food is eaten.
●● Breast milk is the ideal main milk drink during ●● Progression through the weaning stages onto
weaning but most infants in the UK are already more complex textures and a wide variety of
on formula milks by this age. tastes of family foods by 12 months decreases
the likelihood of feeding problems in toddlers.
Terminology at a time when they are receptive to learning to
like them.
In the UK the term ‘weaning’ means the
introduction of solid foods alongside an infant’s Ideally, breast milk should continue as the main
milk feeds, rather than the process of moving an milk drink throughout weaning (Agostoni et al.
infant from feeding from the breast altogether. 2008).
Both the terms ‘introduction of complementary When to Begin Introducing Solid
foods’ and ‘complementary feeding’ are used Foods
internationally for the introduction of solid foods
alongside an infant’s milk feeds. Over the last few decades recommendations on the
suitable age to begin weaning have changed and
Why Wean? conflicting advice is sometimes given to parents in
the UK. The key recommendations from various
The purpose of introducing solid foods alongside agencies are summarized in Table 4.2.1.
an infant’s milk feeds is to:
Infants all develop at different rates and
●● provide extra energy (calories) and nutrients when healthcare professionals need to support
breast milk or infant formula no longer supplies parents to decide when their individual infant
them in sufficient amounts to sustain normal is ready to wean. Oromotor skills to support
growth and optimal health and development weaning onto solid food are noticeable in
infants between 3 and 6 months of age (Carruth
●● provide infants the opportunity to learn to like and Skinner 2002).
new tastes and textures, based on family foods,
