Cebu City - “Breast-feed infants exclusively from birth to 6 months, and then, give appropriate foods while continuing breast-feeding.” A message in Kumainment No 2 that has been repeated, year after year. We all know the benefits of breastfeeding like, how it can reduce the mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Breastfeeding also helps the baby against some short- and long-term illnesses. The mother’s breastmilk shares antibodies from the mother with her baby wherein these antibodies will help her baby develop a strong immune system and protect them from diseases. Most importantly, breastfeeding is the best way for the babies to obtain optimal nutrition.
There are so much more benefits to breastfeeding and by the time the baby reaches the 6-month mark, it’s time to introduce to them actual food. The process to include actual food TOGETHER with continual breastfeeding is called complementary feeding.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), complementary feeding is 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.
The importance of complementary feeding is that it ensures healthy growth and development of children through the variety of nutritious food introduced in addition to breastmilk. Good health and nutrition, especially in the first 1000 days of life, are necessary to prevent children from becoming stunted or being too short for their age.
As the child grows, their demands and needs grow along with them. Feeding a colorful plate that filled with age-appropriate foods goes after the mother’s breastmilk. Introductory foods may include mashed vegetables and chopped meat, eggs, or fish. These should be added to the child’s diet as often as possible.
The combination of the mother’s breastmilk, in addition to the complementary foods is an example of excellent nutrition which will ultimately lead to the child’s optimal growth and development and a strong protection from various diseases. Give your child the best start in life. Love them. Play with them. Nurture them. Breastmilk is always the best for babies until 2 years. // ND II Mary Carmeli C. Garovillo, RND
