Introduction:
It is easier for some mothers to start giving solid food items to their babies. However, commonly, there are challenges that a mother faces while weaning (introduction to solids) as a baby strictly refuses to eat any solid foods.
The babies may spit up, avoid new food items, or refuse to eat certain foods. Sometimes the baby finds it challenging to hold food and liquid in its mouth. These problems are temporary and normal during weaning.
However, in some children feeding disorders might be a reason for refusing food items. Some studies show that nearly twenty-five percent of all children experience feeding difficulties during infancy and early childhood, may have an impact on overall health and development. According to WHO (World Health Organization), 45 % of child deaths are associated with undernutrition.
What Are Some of the Common Feeding Difficulties in Infants After Starting Solids?
Feeding with enclosed essential nutrients is crucial for a child's growth and development. After delivery, breastfeeding is sufficient for growing infants for the initial six months of life. After that, breastfeeding and other solid foods are needed to meet the optimum nutritional needs. Generally, the introduction of solid is a challenging task for mothers as she faces various types of difficulty while starting feeding their babies with something other than breast milk.
Some commonly experienced feeding difficulties are:
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Spitting and Vomiting:
This is one of the most commonly noticed problems while weaning. When you start feeding your baby with solids and other fluids rather than breastfeeding, you might experience spitting up the food that you feed them. They may spit up the food items or sometimes may even vomit. To avoid this, you must feed your baby with small components of food so that they can easily take it inside for digestion. You can try different varieties of food each day.
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Taking Out Tongue From the Mouth:
The baby might take their tongue out when you try to feed them. By doing so, they do not allow you to provide any other types of food. In such cases, you can dilute the food you are feeding with extracted breast milk or plain water to make it familiar-tasting food for your baby.
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Turns Face Away From Food:
You might already have experienced these signs in some infants or toddlers when the mother tries to feed them. It indicates that the baby is either not hungry or does not want to eat. To overcome this, you should be patient and try the same process someday.
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Constipation:
Some mothers complain about constipation when starting solid food. You should modify your baby's diet by removing bananas, potatoes, and rice cereals in such cases. You should include fiber-rich foods such as fruits and veggies on the menu. However, if you find your baby in trouble due to constipation, you may consult your doctor for suggestions.
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Food Allergies and Intolerance:
If you find your baby getting rash after some time, you shall try to feed some new food like eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, or some other items; it may indicate a food allergy. Food intolerances are more common than allergies and can cause bloating, and sometimes belly pain. You must seek attention from your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms. If the symptoms are mild, your doctor may ask you to repeat feeding with the same items to confirm the food allergy. Usually, these problems are temporary and gradually resolve as the child grows. You need to be patient during this period. However, you may seek help from your doctor or lactation specialist if your baby is not showing weight gain or if you feel like your baby is suffering from abnormalities causing feeding problems.
What Is the Difference Between Picky Eating and Feeding Problems?
Picky eating is when a baby rejects one form of a fluid (milk) for another fluid or a toddler refuses certain foods. On the other hand, poor feeding can be caused by abnormalities like premature birth, or congenital anomalies. After your baby grows up to six months of age, your doctor might encourage you to introduce solids or other fluids to their diet. At this stage, you will be asked to feed your baby with breast milk along with some solid foods to achieve adequate nutrition to support your baby's growth. Some good examples of food are cereals, pureed fruits and vegetables, and pureed or soft meats. Some babies do not accept the solids as quickly as other babies.
What Are Some of the Tips to Help Mothers With Feeding?
You may find it troublesome to add solid food items to your baby's diet and breast milk. There are some tips to raise non-fussy eaters; they are:
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You should try to feed your baby routinely.
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You may schedule breakfast, mid-time snacks, lunch, evening milk, and dinner, followed by bedtime milk.
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Avoid making toddler feed alone. Make sure they enjoy meals with their family and siblings.
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Try not to repeat the same food every day.
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It would help if you tried mixing cereal with solid foods.
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Offering solids in small increments, especially when you initially start weaning.
Conclusion:
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation, an infant should continue breastfeeding for the initial six months. The gradual transition should be done to other varieties of food after six months. Solid food in combination with breastmilk should be given to the child for one year. It also advises avoiding cow's milk fed to the child upto one year of age. However, if a mother wishes to discontinue breastfeeding suddenly, she might talk to the doctor for suggestions.
