Question

A 7-month-old baby hasn’t grown any teeth yet. How should I introduce complementary foods? What should I do if the baby has constipation?

Answer

Babies typically start growing lower incisors between 4 and 8 months, but it’s normal for them to start teething within 12 months. The rate of teething can be influenced by factors such as genetics, calcium deficiency, and overall health. For a 7-month-old, in addition to rice cereal, you can introduce complementary foods such as egg yolks, fish puree, meat puree, vegetable puree, fruit puree, thin porridge, and soft noodles. For constipation issues, you can take the following measures:

  1. Increase fluid intake by adding milk powder to the milk once a day.
  2. Perform two abdominal clockwise massages daily for 5 to 10 minutes each time.
  3. If the baby hasn’t had a bowel movement for several days, you can use pediatric glycerin suppositories or soap sticks, but avoid long-term use.
  4. For formula-fed babies, give warm water between feedings. When constipated, you can dilute the formula milk appropriately.
  5. Feed the baby more fresh vegetable and fruit juices.