Weaning your child

How do I know when my child needs to be weaned?

Weaning refers to the period during which an infant child gradually becomes more accustomed to food other than milk.

You can tell that your baby is ready for weaning when he or she

shows signs of hunger before usual feed times

dribbles constantly

keeps putting things into his mouth

keeps chewing on things

can sit up with support

shows an interest in food

Usually, at what age will my baby need to start weaning?

Usually , weaning is started from age 4 to 6 months onwards, but unless your baby is ready, it is not advisable to start weaning too early as this could result in digestive disorders and also a higher risk of food allergies. Of course, if your baby is weaned too late, he may not get adequate nutrition , resulting in growth failure.

How do I start weaning my baby?

Age 4 - 6 months

Start with food prepared so that it is only slightly thicker than milk so that your baby can lick it off a spoon easily. Progress from this liquid paste to semi-solid food. Do note that your baby's milk feed should be given first and then the food, since at this stage offering solids is only to expose the baby to different kinds of food and to get him accustomed to spoon-feeding. Milk should still be the main source of nourishment for your baby at this stage.

Age 6 - 8 months

Your baby should be ready for foods of different textures at around 6 months of age. The food need not be in a milky form any more, leaving it thick is fine. You can also introduce finger foods like teething rusks or bisquits and he should be encouraged to try self-feeding to learn independence in feeding. Milk should now not be the only source of nourishment, so at this stage, it is necessary to give the baby food first followed by the milk feed.

Age 8 months and onwards

Soft foods such as porridge can now be given. Spinach and ikan bilis can be added to the porridge as these are high in protein, iron and vitamins. By the time your baby is one year old , his food can be adapted from the family meals and there is no longer any need to cook separately for baby.

WEANING FOODS

Infant Cereals

There are many commercial brands available. Do check the labels carefully for instructions on how to prepare the cereal as some are milk-based (so only water needs to be added ) and some require the addition of milk.

Rice Porridge

Brown or white rice porridge, home cooked and blended .

Fruits

Bananas , papayas or other soft. ripe fruits can be mashed and added to cereal, or can be scraped and fed to your baby directly. Strained, diluted fruit juices can also be given.

Vegetables

Carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and other vegetables can be boiled, mashed or pureed and added to cereal or rice porridge or fed on their own. If necessary, they can be moistened with milk.

Do you have any useful tips when weaning a child?

You'll need LOTS of patience. Weaning is an important stage in a child's emotional and behavioural development and you need to be patient with your baby as he learns that good food can come froma bowl or plate as well as from the breast or bottle.

Let your baby set the pace. If he rejects the food at first, give him his milk feed and try weaning again when your baby us less hungry or tired

Introduce one food at a time as this makes it easier to identify food intolerance. Offer only a small amount of the new food and increase the quantity over a few meals.

Avoid adding sugar or salt.

Avoid adding fats such as butter or oil as they are harder to digest for small babies

If you are heating food in a microwave oven, stir the food very well and test the temperature on the back of your hand before feeding

Avoid raw nutes, raw carrots , hard sweets and grapes as these may cause choking hazards

Sit your baby in a chair while feeding and ensure a calm environment during meal times. These will ensure that the baby is not fretful during the meal.

Always wash your hands well before handling your baby's food.

Cook meat thoroughly.

When reheating food, always bring to a full boil.

Discard all food not finished from your baby's bowl. Do not serve leftovers.

A Sample Menu For Your Growing Child
Time	4-6 months	7-9 months	10-12 months
6 am	200 ml of milk	250 ml of milk	250 ml of milk
9 am	Half a bowl of baby cereal mixed with 120 ml of milk 1 teaspoon of scraped banana A few teaspoonsful of water	Half a bowl of baby cereal mixed with 120 ml of milk and half a soft-boiled egg	1 egg ( lightly scrambled ) I slice of bread with the crust removed 120 ml of milk
11 am		4 teaspoonsful of scraped papaya A few teaspoonsful of water	3 desert spoonsful of watermelon, cut into small pieces A few teaspoonsful of water
12 noon	120 ml of milk and 3 teaspoonful of orange juice
1 pm		Half a bowl of thin porridge mixed with 2 teaspoonsful of mashed kangkong 1 dessert spoonful of scraped meat A few teaspoonsful of water	1 bowl of thick porridge mixed with 3 teaspoonsful small pieces of mustard green leaves Half piece of mashed soft beancurd Half dessert spoonful of chopped liver
3 pm	200 ml of milk
4 pm		200 ml of milk	120 ml of milk 1 teething biscuit A few teaspoonsful of water
6 pm	Half a bowl of unmilled rice gruel mixed with half a soft-boiled egg yolk 1 teaspoon of sieved spinach A few teaspoonsful of water
7 pm		1 mashed potato mixed with 2 dessert spoonsful of mashed carrot 1 dessert spoonful of mashed baked fish A few teaspoonsful of water	1 bowl of thick porridge mixed with 3 teaspoonsful of mashed pumpkin 1 dessert spoonful of minced chicken A few teaspoonsful of water
9 pm	200 ml of milk (Some babies may need an additional milk feed in the night)	250 ml of milk	250 ml of milk
Adapted from "Feeding your baby in the first few years of life" (1993) Ministry of Health

I have a strong family history of allergy, are there any special precautions to take when weaning my child?

Yes , there are some special precautions to take. The important thing to take note is that foods most likely to cause allergies must be introduced LATER in a child's life so to reduce the risk of the child developing an allergy to that particular food.

Use the following chart as a guide as to what weaning foods to avoid until the child is old enough to handle that food.

Weaning Foods To Avoid In A Child With A Strong Family History Of Allergy
Foods which are least likely to cause an allergic reaction	Can be introduced from the 5th month	Rice Carrot Apple Prune
Foods which are usually well tolerated, but which occasionally can cause allergic reactions	Can be introduced from the 6th month	Barley , Oats, Wheat Beef , Pork, Lamb, Chicken Broccoli , Cabbage , Corn and Corn Oil , Potato , Spinach , Tomato , and Turnip Apricot , Banana , Cherry , Citrus Fruits and juices ( orange and grapefruit) , Peach and Plum
Foods which are most likely to cause allergic reactions	To introduce only after the 9th month	Egg yolk (must be fully cooked) Legumes (soybeans , peas, beans) Berries (strawberry , raspberry) Fish
Foods which are Highly Allergenic	To introduce only after the 12th month	Seafoods (prawns, crabs, dried and fresh scallops) Peanuts Egg white