Common diseases in children after weaning

When the baby is 6 months old, milk will not be enough to provide nutrients for the baby's development, from this age start giving the baby solid foods.

When to wean your baby?

Once the baby has started eating solid foods, continue to breastfeed and formula feed. The question is when to wean? There is no set time to wean a baby, but at a minimum, breastfeed until 12 months of age, preferably until 24 months of age, or even longer if possible.

Do not wean your baby when he is sick, has a poor appetite, is underweight, has rickets, is malnourished, etc. Wean only when your baby is healthy and ready for solid foods.

There are some cases where weaning is required, such as when the mother is sick, has mastitis, has an infectious disease that can spread the disease and endanger the baby, or the mother is required to take medication to treat an illness that affects breast milk and the baby...

Developmental characteristics of children in the post-weaning period

The weaning age of children is usually around 12 - 36 months, this is a stage of very strong physical, mental and intellectual development of children.

Physically, if well cared for, at 12 months old, a baby can reach a height of about 75cm and a weight of 9kg. From the second year onwards, the child develops more slowly, but is still in the rapid growth stage. At 36 months old, the baby can reach a height of about 95cm and a weight of 14kg.

The child's interaction with relatives and the environment has clearly developed. The child can laugh, worry, be afraid when meeting strangers, begin to understand and communicate with adults, such as asking for food, following other people's movements, etc. The cognitive process gradually develops, knowing how to remember animals, distinguish colors, know how to play games, and even know how to dance and sing.

Language also gradually forms in children, by about 14 months they can say simple sentences, like mom, grandma,... Vocabulary continues to increase, children can say more words, know how to say long and difficult sentences. When they are 36 months old, children speak clearly, know how to listen, know how to make requests, know how to ask for things they like,...

In terms of movement, there is also a remarkable development, many children can walk when they are 12 months old, walk or push a walker, the process of learning to walk continues to improve. After 24 months old, children can run fast, dance, swing, can coordinate hands, feet and eyes, many children can ride a bike, play ball,...

Common diseases in children after weaning

There is a great development in children physically and mentally, but this stage also has many potential risks of disease in children. Common diseases that can be contracted are:

- Digestive disorders:

After weaning, it is very easy to have digestive disorders, caused by infections from food, water, toys, surrounding environment, etc. Common symptoms include acute diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, bloating, indigestion, etc.

- Respiratory tract infections:

After weaning, children develop rapidly, are hyperactive, and are exposed to the outside environment a lot. This is the reason why children are susceptible to respiratory infections such as sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, etc.

- Malnutrition:

Many children after weaning fall into a state of anorexia, which causes slow growth, slow weight gain, slow height development, etc., which can lead to rickets, malnutrition, and not reaching maximum height in adulthood.

Children with malnutrition and rickets have weak resistance, which is also the cause of easy infection. Forming a vicious cycle: rickets, malnutrition, reduced resistance, infection, rickets, malnutrition.

Disease prevention in children after weaning

The post-weaning period is an important developmental stage, children are extremely active to explore the world, gradually perfecting their functions. Preventive measures to reduce the risk of disease in children:

- Breastfeeding:Breast milk is the best food for babies, breast milk contains soluble fiber, helps digestion, increases intestinal motility, this is the reason why babies who are exclusively breastfed rarely suffer from constipation. In addition, colostrum also contains antibodies from the mother, helping to protect babies against infectious agents in the first days of life, when the baby's immune system is not fully developed.

If the mother has enough milk, it is best to breastfeed the baby exclusively for the first 6 months, without the need to add any other milk, not even water. If the mother does not have enough milk or loses milk, she must feed the baby with formula milk. Any type of milk is fine, as long as it is suitable for the age and the baby.

-Environmental sanitation:Clean the surrounding environment, clean hands, feet, children's toys, etc. Remember to wash your hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

- Suitable diet:Provide children with adequate nutrition, balanced according to age. Children's food must have enough green vegetables, tubers, fruits, vitamins and necessary nutrients.

- Early treatment of diseases:If the child has an infection, such as a respiratory or digestive infection, he or she must be examined and treated early to avoid serious illness that affects the child's health and development.

- Treatment to increase resistance:In the post-weaning period, the child's body functions are not yet complete, and the immune system is not yet fully developed. To help children increase their resistance and development, it is necessary to supplement essential vitamins and nutrients, providing ingredients that help increase resistance and immunity for children.