Baby is not eating solids. Help! Learn what to do and when to seek

 Baby is not eating solids and you are getting concerned. Initially, you were excited to introduce solids, however, Baby is showing little interest. Feeding challenges are quite common. Often, small adjustments will improve the situation. This post is about helping parents understand the reasons behind Baby’s food refusals. It gives tips on how to improve the situation and clarifies when to seek professional help.  Feeding difficulties may compound over the years. Early intervention based on the principles of Responsive Feeding is a good idea.




Misconceptions about the place of solids

You may hear that “food under 1 year of age is for fun”. Perhaps it is not the best way to put it. Introducing solids has specific objectives. They suffer when feeding is problematic. Here’s why a successful introduction of solids matters:

  • nutrition, so babies get additional nutrients, find out more about these important nutrients here,
  • chewing skills. Children start developing chewing skills. First with foods that are pureed or squishy. By age 3 children have mature chewing,
  • allergy testing, food allergens are introduced before age 1,
  • transition to eating mostly solids by age 1,
  • Introduction of many different foods as possible before age 2 so children are comfortable with a wide range of foods.

Baby is not eating solids, is she ready?

Baby’s readiness matters. Starting solids when Baby is not ready may put both of you in early difficulties. The WHO recommends starting feeding solids when babies are around 6 months of age and show signs of readiness. GPs may advise some families to start  solids around 4 months, particularly if there are allergies or coeliac antecedents in the family. Here I wrote about readiness in this kiddipedia article. What you are looking for is that Baby:

  • has reduced tongue thrust ,
  • follows food with her eyes, or reaches out for it.
  • sits upright with her head held steady,  (before 6 months baby can sit slightly reclined to eat purees).
  • opens her mouth and closes it around the spoon. Learn more

Source: https://fussyeater.com.au/baby-is-not-eating-solids



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