We always want to give the best for our babies, and it starts by giving them good nutrition. The first 1000 days of life are very critical for them as this period is considered as the "golden window of opportunity" wherein good nutrition must be given to mother and child to ensure the child’s proper growth and development. Breastmilk is the best food for babies in the first year of life. It helps them grow healthy and strong and protects them from infections and illness. Generally, at six months of age, a baby's need for energy and nutrients starts to exceed what is provided by breastmilk, and complementary foods are necessary to meet those needs. An infant of this age is also developmentally ready for other foods. This transition is referred to as “Complementary Feeding”. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as “a process starting when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of infants, and therefore other foods and liquids are needed, along with breast milk”
According to the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), there is low adherence to infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practice recommendations for Filipino infants and young children ages 6-23 months old. The 2019 ENNS reported that although seven out of 10 Filipino infants and young children aged 6-23 months old received a timely introduction to complementary foods when they turned six months, 8 out of 10 did not meet the minimum dietary diversity. Nine (9) out of 10 Filipino infants and young children 6-23 months old are not receiving appropriate complementary feeding, suggesting poor quality and quantity of complementary foods.
Minimum dietary diversity (MDD) is a proxy or a “substitute” indicator of micronutrient intake of infants and young children. The MDD is met when infants and young children age 6-23 months old receive foods from at least four of the following seven food groups: 1) grains, roots, and tubers, 2) legumes and nuts, 3) dairy products, 4) flesh meat, 5) eggs, 6) vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, and 7) other fruits and vegetables.
WHO recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at 6 months of age in addition to breastmilk. Initially, they should receive complementary foods 2–3 times a day between 6–8 months and increase to 3–4 times daily between 9–11 months and 12–24 months. Additional nutritious snacks should also be offered 1–2 times per day for ages 12–24 months, as desired. To ensure that infants' nutritional needs are met, the complementary foods should be:
1. Timely – meaning that they are introduced when the need for energy and nutrients exceeds what can be provided through exclusive breastfeeding.
2. Adequate – meaning that they provide sufficient energy, protein, and micronutrients to meet a growing child’s nutritional needs.
3. Safe – it means that they are hygienically stored and prepared and fed with clean hands using clean utensils and not bottles and teats.
4. Properly fed – it simply means that they are given consistently with a child’s signals of appetite and satiety, and that meal frequency and feeding are suitable for age.
While breastmilk cannot provide all the nutritional needs of your growing baby starting at six months, continued breastfeeding must still be continued along with giving complementary foods up to 2 years and beyond. The best way to ensure that your baby will grow healthy and strong is to give exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months and on-time initiation of complementary feeding at 6 months. Remember, you have the power to make a great impact to your child’s future. Start it with the right nutrition along with the other elements of nurturing care.
- PNFP Rowence F. Zorilla, RND
References:
1. Feeding practices for infants and young children below standard — dost-fnri
https://www.dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/news/72-2021-news/2365-feeding-practices-for-infants-and-young-children-below-standard-dost-fnri.html
2. Complementary Feeding
https://www.who.int/health-topics/complementary-feeding#tab=tab_1
