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108 4.2­ Weaning onto Solid Foods – Complementary Feeding
Follow-on formula can be given in place of infant
formula after 6 months but this is not a necessary
change for infants being weaned appropriately.
However, using it may provide a useful source of
extra nutrients for infants who do not readily accept drink.
solid foods or have feeding problems.
Suitable drinking cups
Drinks can be offered from a cup from about 6
months. Non-valved lidded cups are the ideal as
they allow infants to learn to sip. Cups with valved
lids that infants must suck from should be
discouraged. It is ideal to phase out all drinks from food at mealtimes learn more about it and develop
bottles around an infant’s first birthday. This is to a positive relationship with food. Finger foods give
help prevent tooth decay known as ‘bottle caries’ in
the toddler years which can occur in toddlers who
use bottle feeding for comfort.
Commercial Baby Foods
Commercial baby foods, such as pouches, cans, jars
and dried food, may be convenient in some
circumstances but their exclusive use should be
discouraged as they provide much less variety of
taste and texture. Learning to like family foods is a Infants who are allowed to become involved in
key aim of weaning but the family foods when used
for infants need to be nutritious and balanced as
described above. Some families may need a lot of
support to improve their cooking skills and
knowledge of healthy eating.
Organic baby foods have become much more
popular in recent years but they are low in iron
content. Most manufacturers only add the
minimum amounts of meat required by the
regulations governing the nutritional content of
baby foods, which is 8–10 per cent. Non-organic
baby foods are usually fortified with iron and have
a higher content, but few parents now choose to buy
non-organic for their infants.
Positive Feeding Environment
Feeding infants in a positive and responsive
environment allows infants to eat to their appetite
and enjoy mealtimes. Many parents find it
disappointing and frustrating when their infant
eats less than they expect. Some parents need a lot
of reassurance to allow their infant to decide when
he or she has had enough food or enough milk to
Infants who are coerced or forced to eat more
than they need may gain weight rapidly and cross
centiles upwards on their growth chart. Excess
weight gain in infancy is a risk factor for future
obesity (Reilly et al. 2005) (see Chapter 7.2, page 199).
Infants who are able to see and to play with their
this opportunity, but touching and playing with
soft or liquid foods in their bowl or plate is also
important. Some parents find the mess involved
hard to accept and may need to be encouraged to
allow this important part of an infant’s learning
experience.
Offering finger foods and allowing infants to
have their own spoon with which to try feeding
encourages the development of self-feeding skills.
learning to self-feed will feel more engaged in the
feeding process and will be less likely to want to
end the meal because they have become bored.
Although offering only finger foods to infants
has been promoted in recent years, there is no
evidence to support the energy and nutritional
adequacy of this method (Wright et al. 2011).
Younger infants need more help with feeding as they
may not be able to feed themselves adequate
quantities of food fast enough to satisfy their hunger.
Components of a responsive feeding
environment include:
●● infant sitting with support for both back and
feet
●● infant and carer facing each other
●● pleasant and positive interaction between infant
and carer
●● allowing infant to set the pace and following his
or her cues
●● having food where the infant can see it and
allowing the infant to touch and play with food