Misconception 1: Neglecting the addition of pureed food
Experts' analysis: At 4-6 months, exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of infants. It is necessary to add pureed food that contains a large amount of nutrients needed for growth and can be digested by infants as "complementary food". However, parents have insufficient awareness of its importance. Some breastfed babies have not developed the habit of eating pureed food by 8-9 months. Failure to eat pureed food in a timely manner not only prevents babies from receiving comprehensive nutrition, but also delays the development of chewing function and taste development, which are crucial during the 4-6 month period. Delaying the addition of pureed food can lead to difficulties in feeding, resulting in delayed language development, poor cognition, and lower operational intelligence.
Therefore, we encourage the addition of pureed food to infants aged 4-6 months, preferably nutrient-enriched rice cereal that contains multiple vitamins and minerals. It should be fed with a small spoon. As long as it is done every day, babies can learn to eat rice cereal after about 10 times. At the same time, it is important to ensure the quality of pureed food and gradually add different colors, flavors, and textures of food, such as egg yolk, vegetable puree, fruit puree, fish puree, liver puree, meat puree, etc., to stimulate the baby's taste buds and meet their growth and development needs.
Misconception 2: Insufficient intake of hemoglobin iron
Experts' analysis: Iron deficiency anemia is a common disease during infancy, mainly caused by iron deficiency. In infants and young children, iron sources largely depend on food. There are two sources of iron in food: heme iron, which comes from animal protein-rich foods such as lean meat, animal liver, animal blood, and fish. These foods not only have high iron content, but are also not affected by other foods in the diet during absorption; the other source is non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods such as vegetables, grains, adzuki beans, etc.
Currently, parents prefer to feed their babies with fish and shrimp (which have lower iron content) because they believe that meat is difficult to cook, babies cannot chew it, and it is difficult to digest. They also believe that the liver is a detoxifying organ that contains many "toxins" and rarely give it to babies, which results in insufficient intake of heme iron and also reduces the absorption of non-heme iron. In order to prevent iron deficiency anemia, it is important to encourage breastfeeding (breast milk has a high iron absorption rate) and use formula milk when breast milk is insufficient. After 4 months, fortified rice cereal should be added, and after 6 months, liver puree and meat puree should be gradually added to increase heme iron intake. In addition, vegetables and fruits should also be supplemented, and fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, kiwis, and strawberries are best eaten immediately after meals to promote iron absorption.
Misconception 3: Food variety is too monotonous
Experts' analysis: Many parents do not pay enough attention to the variety of infant foods and cooking methods. They give their babies too monotonous food, such as feeding them vegetables, fish, and egg yolks every day. Some parents mix vegetable powder, fish powder, and liver powder in rice cereal every day, making it difficult for babies to distinguish the taste and texture of different foods. Over time, babies not only fail to receive comprehensive nutrition, but also refuse to accept new foods, and may even develop food refusal and picky eating habits. There is no single natural food in the world that contains all the nutrients required by the body. Only by eating a variety of foods can comprehensive nutrition be obtained. Mothers can vary their cooking methods and cultivate their babies' habit of eating a variety of foods.
Currently, we recommend that children over 1 year old should consume at least 10 different types of food every day, and gradually increase it to 30. Many types of food can be combined together, such as "stir-fried diced vegetables": cut potatoes, carrots, peas, mushrooms, and pork into small dices and stir-fry them. Another example is minestrone soup, which can include onions, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and beef. These dishes have a wide variety of food types, bright colors, and comprehensive nutritional components, making them highly recommended.
Misconception 4: Not giving targeted dietary supplements to babies
Experts' analysis: Many parents worry that the nutrients in their diet are not sufficient and cannot meet their babies' growth and development needs, so they buy nutritional supplements or supplements such as ginseng, white fungus, longan, royal jelly, etc. They believe that these foods are supplements that promote the growth and development of children. However, the nutritional value of these supplements is not high, and some of them may even contain hormones, which may lead to early puberty in children. Some parents are always worried that their babies lack certain nutrients and try to "overcompensate" by giving them fish liver oil, multiple vitamins, calcium powder, and mineral supplements. This can lead to excessive intake of certain nutrients or imbalance between nutrients, which is very detrimental to the child's physical development.
Therefore, before taking any dietary supplements, it is important to understand the baby's physical condition first, such as through venous blood tests to determine the mineral status in the body. Only when there is a deficiency in a certain element should supplementation be considered, and it should be done under the guidance of a doctor. In fact, food is better than supplements! As long as a balanced diet is maintained, basic nutritional balance can be ensured. Moreover, the various nutrients obtained through food, even if consumed in excess, can be balanced through the body's regulation and rarely cause poisoning.
