Babies should only be introduced to foods other than breast milk from six months onwards because only then has the baby's gut matured enough to properly digest food. Babies feeding before 6 months should only be breastfed, or formula fed if that's what the pediatrician recommended. However, what happens when a foolish parent feeds their baby porridge (lugaw) when they're barely two months old?
Video of baby eating porridge goes viral on social media
In September, social media has been abuzz in response to a video of a newborn baby being fed porridge. The video became viral, garnering numerous comments after being shared by Erlina L on Facebook.
In the video, the mom can be seen feeding solids to her baby. The infant, just two months old, was fed with packaged baby porridge (lugaw) suitable for babies over 6 months old. Making the whole situation even more dangerous, the little one is lying on his back while being fed with porridge.
In the video, we can hear a man explaining and commenting on what the mom was doing—like a tutorial. "This is how a two-month-old baby reacts. We've fed him. He's very hungry, and just sucks everything up. Are you hungry, little one?" says the man, who is the baby's dad.
But, it gets even worse: the baby's hands were tied up while being fed.
"For new moms who have children out there, this is the right method to feed a 2-month-old baby. Tie his hands up using this. Then, don't forget to dilute the food with some water. Otherwise, without any water, we risk choking the child with food. Do try your best to feed the child first before bathing him," explains the dad.
"For young moms out there who have just given birth to their first child like me, here is my first child. Try to tie his hands up so he won't move or throw a tantrum, but don't tie it too tightly - it's dangerous. Do also try to provide a pillow so that your little one won't choke," continued the foolish father.
Watch the full video here:
Netizens strike back with protests
Of course, the video showing the baby being fed porridge was met with lots of complaints and criticism from netizens. The original Facebook post has been flooded with comments.
"I can't stand watching further, I pity the baby..." wrote Shinta Evriant Hafidh.
"The child wants to sleep—you should've breastfed him, not fed him food. How will this mom parent..." wrote Farid Yuhu's.
"Do some research first on the internet on when babies should be fed complementary food. How annoying—really, how can you feed a 2-month-old baby food?! "
"The baby's stomach is still as big as an egg - they gave so much food. Even babies who are only breastfed regurgitate due to fullness."
"It's still a baby—it'll eat anything you give them. These stupid parents have endangered their child's life so that he can become full faster. That's the main cause of digestive issues. It's so sad to even watch... ".
We hope the parents of the newborn now know that their method is not just wrong, but could kill their little one. Remember the case of the newborn who was fed banana porridge by his grandmother?
When to start solids, according to WHO guidelines
Based on WHO guidelines, infants should only be introduced to solids to complement breastfeeding after they are six months old. Because at this time, babies are better able to digest food and are ready to be fed foods other than breast milk. However, ideally, you should still continue breastfeeding if the child still wants it.
Babies feeding before 6 months should ONLY be given breast milk or infant formula
Babies feeding before 6 months old only need to be breastfed. This will meet all newborn baby food intake and nutritional needs. Only after they reach 6 months old, should you try to give them solid foods.
If you cannot breastfeed for whatever reason, the only other suitable food for babies feeding before 6 months old is formula milk (one that is formulated for infants).
An exclusively breastfed baby will not even need water. And whether on breast milk or formula, babies feeding before 6 months old do not need solid foods until they are 6 months or older.
Why feeding before 6 months is bad for baby
There are important reasons why moms MUST wait until the baby is six months old before introducing solid foods. Solid foods:
- are difficult to swallow and digest for babies feeding before 6 months. The baby’s digestive system has not developed fully. Therefore, they can’t effectively digest solid foods, even if they are pureed.
- are not as nutritious as breast milk. Solid foods are lower in the specific nutrients an infant needs to grow and thrive.
- introduced too early can lead to several health problems, such as allergies and eczema. Researchers have also found an association between introducing solid foods early with chronic diseases such as diabetes and celiac disease (indigestion due to gluten consumption) as children grow older.
Remember, parents. Do NOT recklessly feed your baby solid foods because you think your baby is hungry. At the same time, it is important to educate other caregivers of your baby (especially if they are elderly) on the specifics of newborn baby food intake and requirements.
Original Author: Aulia Trisna
This article about how to give birth easily was translated by Kevin Wijaya Oey and republished with the permission of the theAsianparent Indonesia
References: Facebook, Cleveland Clinic
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Baby Food 101: Mga kailangan mong malaman sa pagpapakain kay baby
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