About Complimentary Feeding

When breast milk is no longer enough to meet the nutritional needs of the infant, complementary foods should be added to the diet of the child. The transition from exclusive breastfeeding to family foods is referred to as complementary feeding and covers the period from 6 to 18-24 months of age, and is a very vulnerable period. It is also a time when the baby is introduced to the family’s feeding practices. You should not delay complementary feeding for too long because after 6 months, the baby’s dietary and nutritional needs increase and breast milk is unable to meet and this can lead to stunting of growth and malnutrition.

Complementary feeding should

be timely, meaning that all infants should start receiving foods in addition to breast milk from 6 months onwards.
be adequate, meaning that the complementary foods should be given in amounts, frequency, consistency and using a variety of foods to cover the nutritional needs of the growing child while maintaining breastfeeding..
be Responsive – feeding young infants requires active care and stimulation, where the caregiver is responsive to the child clues for hunger and also encourages the child to eat. This is also referred to as active or responsive feeding.