Question
I have a six-month-old baby who started introducing complementary foods, including egg yolks, rice porridge, and formula milk, from five months old. However, feeding has been extremely difficult; the baby tightly closes its mouth, and when other foods are picked up, it puts them in its mouth but does not eat them. Now, the baby still refuses to eat. Previous treatment and its effects show that the baby has visited a maternal and child health care center and taken pediatric anorexia pills, Bao Le An, andJianpi San medicine (tonic herbs), but the effects were not significant. Even now, when feeding with a spoon, the baby’s mouth does not open at all, which is very worrying. I hope to receive some advice: Please provide some suggestions for me on what to do?
Answer
A six-month-old male baby is experiencing difficulty with the introduction of complementary foods without any apparent cause, and the medical history is unclear. This is a transitional period where most children find it hard to accept food other than breast milk. You can gradually introduce complementary foods according to the principles of starting with small amounts, thin consistency, fine texture, and one type at a time, and provide them when the child is healthy and has good absorption function, or when the child is hungry and appropriate reductions in breast milk intake can be made.