subject: Starting Baby On Solids - 2 Reasons To Delay [print this page] Starting Baby On Solids - 2 Reasons To Delay
It seems these days people are in a rush to move their children along the developmental milestone chart. It seems as though parents don't want to hang about getting their babies onto solids and potty trained. This obsessive desire to get their kids as young as possible to move on doesn't sit right but is there. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, there are many reasons why starting solids too early is a bad idea.
First of all the World Health Organisation recommends that babies are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months of their life. They believe it is best to wait until 6 months to start offering them. This is something that many health organisations agree with due to the research that has been done on it.
Generally, most babies will become physiologically and developmentally ready to handle solids between 6-9 months. So if your child shows no interest as soon as they hit the 6 month mark don't worry about it. In some cases it may even be better to delay introducing solids until a baby is at least 12 months old. This is often recommended for families where there is a history of allergies.
Below are 2 reasons why you should delay giving solid food to your baby.
1. Delaying Solids Gives A Baby's Digestive System The Time It Needs To Mature
If a baby's digestive system isn't ready to handle solids but still a baby is fed them, it will result in poorly digested food. This can be unpleasant for a baby and a huge drain on their digestive system and it struggles to do its best immaturely. A baby may experience gas, digestive upset and constipation. The ability to digest fat and protein is incomplete before 6 months. Waiting a few months more is a good thing for the comfort of your baby.
2. Delaying Solids Gives Babies Better Immunity Against Illness
Although everyone knows that breastmilk is a great source of immunity, it is an even greater source when it is the sole provider of nutrients for a baby. The longer the baby is breastfed exclusively, without the inclusion of solids, the better it is for their immunity. This is why it is stressed that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. A few decades ago it wasn't uncommon for mothers to breastfeed exclusively until their child was 1 year old! Breastmilk has been shown to contain over 50 immune factors at the very least.
There are many other reasons why you should delay solids too. Try not to let yourself get suckered into giving solids early because it will be to the detriment of your child. If you still want to despite what research says, why not try to find out why you are so adamant to get your child onto them? Maybe there is a bigger issue to address here.
