WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO START?
As a guideline babies that are breast-fed are ready for their first solids at around 6 months; if, instead, you give your baby artificial milk, then you can already start weaning at around 4 months. It is not wise to start before 4 months because a baby’s digestive system is still unprepared for receiving food other than milk, and furthermore, a too early intake of solid food can easily provoke allergies. Another reason why it is not worth bringing weaning forward too much is that babies of less than 4 months are generally not yet able to coordinate their mouth and tongue movements well, and could have difficulty swallowing solid foods.
•QUESTION: Everybody has told me that it is best to start weaning as soon as possible –is this true?
•No, it is not true. Many mothers and fathers cannot wait to start, convinced that a diet of solids is more nutritious and substantial. In actual fact, breast milk is a very rich food and the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months, after which milk, in any case, still remains the essential component of the child’s diet for several months.
•USEFUL ADVISE: Use of the teaspoon
•Initially, mealtimes act more as “training” for learning to eat and swallow in a new way, than as nourishment. It is hard work for little ones and your help is precious! Do not insert the teaspoon, full of food, far into the baby’s mouth, but do not just place it on the tip of his/her tongue either. The correct way to feed babies with a teaspoon is to place the spoon delicately in between their lips, leaving them to take the food by themselves, and in the right quantity, so that they have no problems in swallowing it