Question
My child is eight months old and I want to wean him, but he won’t drink formula milk and doesn’t eat other complementary foods much. He is a premature baby who weighed only 1555 grams at birth and now still has iron deficiency anemia. What should I do?
Answer
It’s advisable not to rush the weaning process and to wait until the baby is at least six months old before completely weaning. Some babies may show early interest in complementary foods. When a baby can accept solid food, he will give you a clear signal. It’s recommended to start introducing rice cereal porridge as it doesn’t contain gluten and is less likely to cause allergic reactions compared to other foods. You can first breastfeed the baby, then mix the rice cereal with enough formula milk or breast milk to create a semi-liquid paste, and then give the baby a spoonful or two of the rice cereal paste. Don’t wean abruptly but gradually reduce the amount of breast milk or formula milk, allowing the baby to adapt to the new dietary habits.