Many mothers encounter difficulties when it comes to starting diversification in babies, especially if they are mothers for the first time. One of the alternatives to traditional diversification is baby led weaning or self-diversification.
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „Self-diversification is the process by which the child gets to know and starts eating solid food products. The World Health Organization recommends that we introduce solid foods to the baby after the age of 6 months.”
Unlike the classic diversification in which purees are predominantly offered, in self-diversification the child is offered whole pieces, properly cooked and of the right size. To start this process, you need to pay attention to some signs that determine the baby’s preparation.
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „The child sits well on his bottom, grabs the food from the adult’s plate with his hand, he tries to explore with his hands different objects, toys and tries to take them to his mouth.”
The self-diversification process does not have a strict scheme that must be followed categorically.
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „I would recommend parents to start this process by offering the child products in the form of sticks or strips, which they can grab and have a soft consistency.
Among the best products would be vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, being steamed or baked, then cut to the length of one finger and the thickness of two fingers.”
Researchers have determined that babies with self-diversification have a much healthier relationship with food and are less picky. But, as in the case of any process, there are also disadvantages.
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „A shortcoming would be the mess that is left after this process, but we can minimize it by offering a table chair as practical as possible, we have napkins at hand and we put it in a location further from the white walls. There would also be disadvantages, or even risks, the development of iron-deficiency anemia, because parents cannot always control the variety of food.””
Self-diversification presents the risk of drowning in food products. Thus, it is important to know how to provide first aid in case of suffocation and to follow the following rules:
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „First of all, parents should not leave the child alone with food. Secondly, it gives him long, bigger and soft pieces. We don’t offer him food that could harm him, i.e. seeds or small and hard products.”
In order to maintain the necessary intake of nutrients, parents must offer the child as varied a range of foods as possible.
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „Starting with fruits, vegetables, products rich in calcium, meat, liver, egg yolk, fish. What is categorically forbidden in feeding the baby would be processed products, foods that contain a lot of sugar, salt, that are fried, fatty or spicy.”
However, self-diversification may not be valid in certain cases.
Tatiana ALSALIEM, PEDIATRIST: „If the child up to 6 months had any diagnoses, or quite serious renal or gastrointestinal pathologies, if he has any delays in psycho-motor development, self-diversification will immediately be initiated only on the doctor’s recommendation.”
If you have decided that self-diversification is the perfect method for your child, then all that remains is to inform yourself properly and trust your baby.
2023-09-09 21:23:04
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