This presentation briefly explain about weaning of Infants.

1. Weaning Diet or Complementary
Feeding
Presented By: MS. Rashmi Bharadwaj
Tutor(Child Health Nursing Department)
HCN, SRHU

2. OBJECTIVES
At the end of lecture students will be able to :
• Define weaning or Complementary Diet.
• Explain the reason to start Complementary diet at age of 6 month.
• Enumerate the sign of baby to start weaning or Complementary
diet.
• Enlist the Principles of weaning or Complementary diet.
• Enlist the problems faced by baby during weaning or
Complementary diet.

3. INTRODUCTION
• Breast feeding alone is adequate to maintain
growth and development up to 6 months. And
complementary feeding should be given to
maintain their growth and development
according to age. So it is necessary to introduce
more concentrated energy riched nutritional
supplements by this age.

4. • Complementary feeding or weaning is the
process of giving an infant other foods &
liquids along with breast milk after the age of
6 month, as breast milk alone is no longer
sufficient to meet the nutritional
requirements of growing baby.
Definition

5. • Infant’s intestinal tract develops
immunologically with defense mechanisms
to protect the infant from foreign proteins.
• The infant’s ability to digest and absorb
proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, other than
those in breast milk increases rapidly.
Why to start weaning at the age of 6
month?

6. • The infant’s kidneys develop the ability to
excrete the waste products.
• The infant develops the neuromuscular
mechanisms needed for recognizing and
accepting variation n the taste and color of
foods.
Why to start weaning at the age of 6
month?

7. Sign that Baby is ready for
Complementary Diet
• Hold his/her head straight when sitting
down.
• Opens his/her mouth when others eat
• Is interested in foods when others eat.
Receives frequent breast feed but appear
hungry soon after.
Is not gaining weight adequately.

8. Principles for complementary Feeding
• Practice exclusive breast feeding upto 6 month
of age and introduce complementary food
after 6 month of age along with breast
feeding.
• Continue frequent on demand breast feeding
until 2 years of age or beyond.

9. • Practice responsive feeding applying the
principles of psychosocial care. Feed infants
slowly and patiently and encourage them to
eat but do not force them. Minimize
distractions during meals.
Principles for complementary FeedingPrinciples for complementary Feeding

10. • Practice good hygiene and proper food
handling to reduce risk of diarrhea.
• Start at 6 month of age with small amounts of
food and increase the quantity as the child
gets older, while maintaining breast feeding.
Principles for complementary FeedingPrinciples for complementary Feeding

11. • Gradually increase food consistency and
variety as the infant grows older, adapting to
the infant’s requirements and abilities.
• Increase the number of times the child is fed
complementary food, as the child gets older.
Principles for complementary FeedingPrinciples for complementary Feeding

12. • Feed variety of nutrient rich foods to ensure
that all nutrients are met.
• Give micronutrient rich complementary foods
or vitamins and mineral supplements to the
infant as needed.
Principles for complementary FeedingPrinciples for complementary Feeding

13. • It is advisable to start one or two teaspoons of
new food at first which should be given when
baby is hungry, just before regular feeding
during day time.
Principles for complementary FeedingPrinciples for complementary Feeding

14. Preparation for Weaning Diet
• Wash hands.
• Keep food in clean utensils.
• Separate raw and cooked food.
• Cook food thoroughly.
• Keep food at safe temperatures.
• Use safe water and raw material.
• Give freshly prepared food.
• Keep the cooked food covered

15. Quantity and Frequency of Weaning
Diet
AGE ENERGY
NEEDED IN
ADDITION
TO MILK
CONSISTENCY FREQUENCY AMOUNT AT
EACH MEAL
6 – 8 Month 200 Kcal/day Start with liquid 2 – 3 times Start with 2 -
andproceed per day 3 table
foods spoons per
feed and
increase to
about 125 ml

16. AGE ENERGY
NEEDED IN
ADDITION
TO MILK
CONSISTENCY FREQUENCY AMOUNT AT
EACH MEAL
9 – 11 300 Kcal/day Finely 3 –4 times a Half cup of
months chopped or day 250 ml cup.
mashed
foods.
12 – 23 550 Kcal/day Solid family 3 –4 times a 1/4 th to full
months foods, day 250ml cup
chopped or
mashed.
Quantity and Frequency of Weaning
Diet

17. Problems During Weaning
• If on starting weaning, breast feeding is
stopped suddenly, it can have adverse
psychological effect on the child.
• Weaning food, if prepared unhygienically or
not digested properly can cause diarrhea.

18. • If weaning food are not nutrient rich, the child
can develop malnutrition.
• Children may develop indigestion, abdominal
pain, diarrhea or rashes if they are allergic to
certain foods.
Problems During Weaning

19. Summary
• Complementary feeding should be given to
maintain their growth and development
according to age .Infant also need iron
containing food supplements to prevent iron
deficiency anaemia.

20. REFRENCES
• Essentials of Pediatrics Nursing – By Rimple
Sharma
• Textbook of Pediatric Nursing, - By Dorothy . R
Marlow