Myth 1: Babies need solid food before they are six months old
Fact: When a baby is breastfeed frequently, starting solid foods earlier than six months is not necessary and can even be harmful. It can increase the risk of illnesses like diarrhoea.
Myth 2: It’s best to feed foods in puree form and cereals in a bottle
Fact: One of the reasons to introduce solid foods using a spoon is to teach the baby how to accept a bite of food in the mouth and use muscles in the mouth to work it backwards to the throat to swallow. Feeding foods using a bottle will not teach babies this skill. It may also cause the baby to eat too much calories and get a stomach upset. Moreover, introducing foods from a bottle does not help babies sleep at night any sooner.
Myth 3: Don’t give nuts or nonveg until the baby turns one
Fact: Children can be fed non-veg food even from six months after getting a pediatrician’s advice. Precautions should be taken while introducing foods that may be potentially allergic or contain allergens, and should be introduced only one at a time. Completely avoiding it for a year is also not recommended.
Myth 4: It’s best to start with foods with bland flavour
Fact: Flavour is a good thing. It’s important that babies are introduced to a wide variety of flavours and textures by the time they are nine months old, because it increases the chances of them accepting a wide variety of foods. For example, a pinch of cinnamon powder on a vegetable puree makes it yum.
Myth 5: Breastfeeding after a year doesn’t provide nutrients
Fact: The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum of two years of breastfeeding. This helps in development as breast milk provides a lot of nutrients.
Myth 6: Formula milk can be added to solid food to enhance the taste
Fact: We should not use formulas in cooking food for babies, as mixing it with other foods will cause digestion issues.
Myth 7: Infants should consume a lot of fruit juices
Fact: This should be avoided as juices have increased sugar levels and the fibre content would also be lost. But, fresh fruits and purees are always recommended till 2 years. Baby Shree Karan on starting solid foods in infants Infant feeding specialist and lactation counsellor
Compiled by Sinduja Jane