Question
Should a four-month-old baby introduce complementary foods? Which foods are beneficial for them? Additional Question: Thank you. I also want to ask about how to prepare egg yolk. Are there any other complementary foods? Can you list some for me? For example, can the baby eat fruit? Which fruits can they eat? How much is appropriate? How should the feeding schedule for complementary foods be arranged daily?
Answer
Hello:
- Allow the baby to gradually adapt. Initially, introduce the child to the taste of soups, juices, etc., to spark their interest. You can dilute adult soup 2-3 times to a temperature similar to body temperature and feed it before breastfeeding. Juice can be fed directly with water or mixed with powdered milk.
- Gradually increase the quantity and variety of the baby’s complementary foods. When introducing a new type of complementary food, do so progressively, starting with a small amount and gradually increasing it. Being too hasty can lead to failure. A 4-month-old baby can introduce egg yolk, starting with 1/4 of an egg yolk. If the appetite and digestion are normal after one week, it can be increased to 1/2, and then gradually to a whole egg yolk. By 6 months, the baby can eat whole eggs. Do not introduce two or more new foods at the same time. Introduce one new type of complementary food that the baby has never eaten before, and after the baby adapts, introduce another new type.
- From thin to thick, start soft then hard. Babies aged 1-3 months can drink rice porridge, vegetable soup, and juice, etc., and as they grow older, gradually introduce thin congee, soft noodles, biscuits, etc.