What kind of nutrition do babies need after breastfeeding?

The combined use of breast milk and the four essential complementary food groups for children plays an important role in helping children develop healthily and fully, especially in the first months of life.

Breast milk - The all-powerful food for the first 6 months of a child's life

According to Dr. Ha Thi Viet Hoa - Nutrition Clinic 70 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Hanoi, "Breast milk contains all the most important nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals along with trace elements necessary for children to develop healthily and comprehensively in the first years of life". However, according to the reality of nutritional examination and consultation at Nutrition Clinic 70 Nguyen Chi Thanh, not all mothers understand this.

Breast milk contains “bifidogenic” which includes beneficial bacteria, oligosaccharides, high levels of pure protein and lactose… which will combine with healthy bacteria in the baby’s intestines to become factors that help develop a healthy immune system.

In addition, breast milk also helps prevent common diseases in young children such as gastrointestinal infections, ear infections and respiratory infections.

In addition, breast milk protects babies from allergies as well as prevents cardiovascular metabolic diseases including obesity, high blood pressure, high blood lipids and type 2 diabetes.

Along with nutritional benefits, breastfeeding helps create a bond between mother and baby. The mother has more time to naturally bond with her baby - which is an important factor in the harmonious development of the child. Therefore, mothers should trust and breastfeed their children exclusively for the first 6 months of life, without worrying too much about problems such as lack of water, lack of nutrients, etc.

Is breast milk enough for babies after the first 6 months of life?

With increased energy needs, after the first 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, children need to be supplemented with food to meet their energy and nutritional needs. Therefore, supplementary food during this period is extremely necessary. As the child develops, the amount of food in the weaning diet also needs to be increased (increased in quantity and density). This period will greatly determine the balanced development of the child, because if the number of meals and the amount of food in a meal are not ensured, the child will be stunted and develop slowly.

Doctor Ha Thi Viet Hoa - Nutrition Clinic, 70 Nguyen Chi Thanh also added: "To develop best, when starting to eat solid foods, children still need to continue to breastfeed at least 3-4 times a day and eat 2 meals of rice porridge/day and gradually increase to 3-4 meals of rice porridge/day when they are nearly 1 year old. Mothers need to pay attention to the nutritional regimen for children right from the first days of eating solid foods, which must include 4 important food groups."

Powdered sugar supplier group

Mothers can use white rice, new jasmine rice, should not mix with sticky rice (makes it thick, difficult to eat), should not mix with barley seeds, lotus seeds, green beans which can easily cause loss of appetite and slow digestion for children. For children over 1 year old, the weaning menu should be varied to avoid children being picky eaters due to eating porridge for too long.

Protein group

Lean meat (pork, chicken), egg yolks are foods rich in easily digestible protein, recommended for children when they first start eating solid foods. Then, feed your child beef, fish, shrimp, crab when they are 7 months old. Children over 1 year old should eat whole eggs (both yolk and white). For children who do not have high blood cholesterol problems, they should eat eggs every day if they like to eat them to take advantage of a delicious, nutritious, and cheap source of animal protein.

Fat providing group

Children need to eat both vegetable oil and animal fat (chicken fat, pork fat), with the best ratio being 1:1, so they should alternate meals of oil and fat. Vegetable oils should be eaten in a variety of ways (soybean, sesame, olive, salmon oil, etc.), but gac oil should not be eaten every day, but only 1-2 times a week to avoid jaundice due to excess vitamin A.

Group providing fiber and vitamins

This group provides almost no energy, so do not add too much to your child's porridge meal, as this will slow down their weight gain. If your child is constipated, you can add more, but not too much. On the contrary, for children who are overweight or obese, it is recommended to add more of this group to limit energy.

To ensure adequate nutrition for children in the early stages of life, mothers should seek advice from experts and nutritionists on appropriate nutrition for their children.

According to Dantri - NT