COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING, COMPLEMENTARY FOOD, IMPORTANCE OF COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING, TIME TO START COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING, ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE OF EARLY AND DELAYED FEEDING.

1. Complementary
feeding
Md . Sajib Al Reza
Lecturer
Nutrition and Dietetics
College of Nursing Science Dinajpur
Dinajpur, Bangladesh
Email: sajib.ftns2010@gmail.com

2. Complementary feeding and complementary feeding
period. . . .
• Complementary feeding:
Complementary feeding or weaning is the process of giving an infant other foods and
liquids along with breast milk after the age of 6 months as breast milk alone is no
longer sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of growing baby. It is the
process by which the infant gradually becomes accustomed to adult diet.
• Complementary feeding period:
The period during which other foods or liquids are provided along with breast milk.
©Sajib

3. Complementary foods … …
• Complementary foods:
“Any nutrient containing foods or liquids other than breast milk given to young
children during the period of complementary feeding”.
• After six month and as long as breastfeeding continues, the child needs more
vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates than are generally available from
breastmilk alone. Any non-breastmilk foods or nutritive liquids that are given to
young children during this period are defined as complementary foods, and
complementary feeding is the process of introducing these foods.
• Complementary foods include infant cereal, vegetables, fruits, meat, and other
protein-rich foods modified to a texture appropriate (e.g., strained, pureed, chopped,
etc.)
©Sajib

4. Complementary food is important for infant because:
 Appropriate complementary foods that are introduced and consumed by a young
baby at 6 months old provide energy, protein, fat and vitamins and minerals.
 These help meet the growing child's needs in addition to breast milk and formula.
 According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition is responsible, directly or
indirectly, for over half of all childhood deaths. Complementary feeding prevents
malnutrition.
 Crucial for the development of the baby's brain.
 Provide extra energy and nutrients when breast milk or infant formula no longer
supplies them in sufficient amounts to sustain normal growth and optimal health and
development.
 Provide infants the opportunity to learn to like new tastes and textures, based on
family foods, at a time when they are receptive to them.
©Sajib

5. Continue … … …
 Promote growth.
 It prevents deficiency diseases. E.g. anemia
 Milk is a poor source of iron. So, complementary food is needed to get the iron.
 Need certain nutrients: essential fatty acid and vitamin for brain and visual
development.
The introduction of transitional foods also exposes the infant to a variety of textures
and consistencies, thus encouraging the development of vital motor abilities such as
chewing.
 Infants do not have the physiological maturity to progress from exclusive
breastfeeding directly to family foods. Specially adapted family foods (transitional
foods) are therefore necessary to bridge this gap.
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6. Starting complementary feeding too soon has its dangers
because … …
• breast-milk can be displaced by complementary foods, leading to reduced production
of breast-milk and thereby the risk of insufficient energy and nutrient intake by the
infant;
• infants are exposed to microbial pathogens present in foods and fluids, which are
potentially contaminated and thereby increase the risk of diarrhoeal disease and
consequently malnutrition;
• the risks of diarrhoeal disease and food allergies are increased because of intestinal
immaturity, and these increase the risk of malnutrition; and
• mothers become fertile more quickly, because decreased suckling reduces the period
during which ovulation is suppressed.
©Sajib

7. There will also be problems if complementary foods are
introduced too late because:
• inadequate provision of energy and nutrients from breast-milk alone may lead to
growth faltering and malnutrition;
• micronutrient deficiencies, especially of iron and zinc, may develop owing to the
inability of breast-milk to meet requirements; and
• the optimal development of motor skills such as chewing, and the infant’s acceptance
of new tastes and textures, may not be ensured.
It is therefore necessary to introduce complementary foods at the appropriate
developmental stages. There is almost universal agreement that complementary
feeding should not be started before the age of 4 months and should not be delayed
beyond the age of 6 months. Resolutions from the World Health Assembly in 1990
and 1992 advise “4–6 months”, while a 1994 resolution recommends “about 6
months”.
©Sajib

8. Characteristics of appropriate complementary feeding …
…
Appropriate complementary feeding is … … …
♣ Timely: meaning that foods are introduced when the need for energy and nutrients
exceeds what can be provided through exclusive and frequent breastfeeding;
♣ Adequate: meaning that foods provide sufficient energy, protein, and micronutrients
to meet a growing child are nutritional needs;
♣ Safe: meaning that foods are hygienically stored and prepared, and fed with clean
hands using clean utensils and not bottles and teats;
♣ Properly fed: meaning that foods are given consistent with a child’s signals of
appetite and satiety, and that meal frequency and feeding method are suitable for
age.
©Sajib

9. ©Sajib

10. Types of food that can be consumed at different ages
Age (months) Reflexes/skills
(present)
Types of food that
can be consumeda
Examples of foods
0–6 Suckling/sucking and
swallowing
Liquids Breast-milk
4–7 Appearance of early
“munching” Increased
strength of suck Movement
of gag reflex from mid to
posterior third of tongue
Puréed foods Vegetable (e.g. carrot) or fruit (e.g.
banana) purées; mashed potato; gluten-
free cereals (e.g. rice); well cooked
puréed liver and meat
7–12 Clearing spoon with lips
Biting and chewing Lateral
movements of tongue and
movement of food to teeth.
Mashed or chopped foods
and finger foods
Well cooked minced liver and meat;
mashed cooked vegetables and fruit;
chopped raw fruit and vegetables (e.g.
banana, melon, tomato); cereals (e.g.
wheat, oats) and bread
12–24 Rotary chewing movements
Jaw stability
Family foods Solid food
©Sajib

11. Thank you
©Sajib