Table Of Content

Family and Consumer Sciences FSFCS153 Adventures in Grandparenting Feeding Infants and Toddlers LaVona Traywick During the first year, babies develop and change rapidly and their Assistant Professor food and feeding patterns must change with their development. Gerontology Each baby develops and changes at his/her own rate. In order to know when to change feeding routines, you have to watch for James P. Marshall physical clues from each individual baby. Assistant Professor Family Life How Do I Know What to Feed and When? Age Developmental Signs How/What to Feed Birth Swallows liquids but pushes solid Serve liquids only (breast through objects out of mouth milk or formula) 3 months Poor control of head, neck and upper body Begins to bring hand to mouth 4 through Sits with support Serve breast milk or 6 months Good head control f ormula and add semisolid Uses whole hand to grasp objects foods in this order: Displays up-and-down munching – infant cereal with iron movement – strained vegetables Can take in and swallow a spoonful – strained fruit of pureed food without choking Draws in upper or lower lip as spoon is removed Drinks small amounts from cup when held by another person 5 through Begins to control the position of Serve breast milk or 9 months food in the mouth f ormula and add mashed Positions food in between jaws for foods chewing Begins to sit alone unsupported Follows food with eyes Begins to use thumb and index fin ger to pick up food and feed self with hands Teething Arkansas Is Our Campus (continued) Visit our web site at: http://www.uaex.edu University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating How Do I Know What to Feed and When? (continued) Age Developmental Signs How/What to Feed 8 through Begins to curve in lips around rim of cup Serve breast milk or formula in a cup and 11 months Begins to chew in a circular pattern serve finely chopped food, small pieces of Sits alone easily soft food, strained meat, cottage cheese, Experiments with spoon but prefers to feed self yogurt or cheese strips, pieces of soft with hands bread and crackers. 10 through Begins to put spoon in mouth and hold cup Serve breast milk or formula from a cup 12 months Circular chewing continues and chopped food, small pieces of soft Good eye-hand-mouth coordination cooked table foods. How to Store and Handle • Do not save and reuse breast milk left Breast Milk over from bottles. • Carry bottles of fresh or frozen breast Most grandparents raising grandchildren milk to the facility in a cooler with full time will not have the opportunity to feed an ice pack to keep the milk at a cold breast milk. However, many grandparents temperature. will have access to expressed breast milk for • To prevent spoiling, do not allow their grandchildren and need to know how to bottles of breast milk to stand at room keep it safe. temperature. • • Use refrigerated bottles of fresh breast Breast milk should be stored in the milk within 48 hours from the time they freezer or refrigerator as soon as it were collected. is collected. • • Breast milk can be stored in a freezer Bottles of breast milk should be labeled for up to 3 months from the date it with the baby’s name and the date and was collected. time the breast milk was collected. Do • Rotate frozen breast milk, using the not use unlabeled bottles that have been oldest milk first. accidentally accepted. • Thaw frozen breast milk in the • Store the breast milk in hard plastic refrigerator or hold it under cold bottles. running water. Do not thaw it at • Fill the bottles with the amount of room temperature, on a stove or in breast milk the baby usually drinks at a microwave. one feeding. • Once thawed, do not refreeze breast milk. • For babies who prefer a warm bottle, hold the bottle under warm running water. Do not warm it in the microwave. • Shake the bottle of breast milk before the feeding. Bottle-Feeding an Infant • Wash your hands well with soap and water before feeding. • Gently and slowly calm and position the infant for feeding. • Cradle the baby in your arms holding A baby having an allergic reaction to his him or her partially upright. The baby’s or her food may have one of these symptoms: head should be a little higher than the • diarrhea rest of his/her body. This prevents milk • vomiting from backing up into the inner ear and • coughing and wheezing also prevents choking. • congestion or stuffiness • Hold the bottle during feeding. Do not • ear infection prop the bottle. Propping bottles can • stomach pain cause choking and suffocation, ear infec • hives tions, tooth decay and deprive the baby • skin rash of important human contact. • extreme irritability • Feed in a smooth and continuous • severe reactions like shock or difficulty f ashion, f ollowing the baby’s lead on breathing when to feed, how long to feed and how much to feed. Avoid disrupting the feed If a baby has a severe reaction to a food, ing with unnecessary burping, wiping, contact Emergency Services immediately. j uggling and arranging. If you have a baby that is developmen • Make sure that if you hold the bottle tally delayed, you must follow the feeding upside down, falling drops from the instructions from the baby’s doctor. n ipple hole follow each other closely but do not make a Feeding solid foods before babies are stream. ready will not help them sleep through the • Do not allow a baby night or make them eat fewer times in a day. to carry a bottle around. Babies who Introducing New Foods to a Baby carry a bottle Whatʼs First? around can develop c avities, may drink Iron-fortified infant cereal is a good first too much liquid and solid food because it is easy to digest. It is may share their bot also the least likely food to cause an allergic tles with other reaction, and its consistency can be changed babies. to meet the baby’s developmental needs. • Do not offer the bot tle in bed at nap or Infant cereal can be prepared with breast sleep time. Allowing babies to sleep with milk, f ormula, water or juice. Use juice bottle can lead to choking, ear infections, only if the baby is 6 months or older and the cavities and problems with speech. baby has already tried the juice and had no • Wait for the baby to stop drinking before reaction to it. burping. Do not be surprised if the baby Other cereals: does not burp. • Start with rice cereal. To make it easier to identify a possible • Oat and barley infant cereal can be food allergy or intolerance when introducing added at 1-week intervals after rice new foods, it is recommended to: cereal. • Introduce new foods one at a time. • Wait to serve wheat cereal until babies are • Introduce foods gradually (wait at least 8 months old because wheat is the grain 1 week between each new food). most likely to cause a reaction in babies. • Introduce a small amount (about 1 to The risk of intolerance decreases by age 2 teaspoons) of a new food at first. 8-9 months. • Use single-ingredient foods at first to • Serve mixed grain cereals only after the e asily see how the baby reacts to each baby has been introduced to each grain new food. separately. Whatʼs Next? can have a llergic reactions to fish. Do not feed any shellfish (includes shrimp, lobster, Vegetables and fruits may be introduced crab, crawfish, scallops, oysters and clams) when the baby readily accepts 2 to 3 table to babies less than 1 year of age – these spoons of infant cereal at each meal. types of seafood can cause severe allergic Babies often start on vegetables and fruits reactions in some babies. Avoid feeding around 6 months of age. Remember to wait babies the following foods because they are 1 week after introducing a new food before high in fat and low in protein: hot dogs, you introduce another new food. Babies sausage, bacon, bologna, salami, luncheon between 6 and 12 months old may be served meats, other cured meats, fried meats and soft-cooked the fat and skin trimmed from meats. Egg v egetables and fruit yolk may be introduced to infants at, or as long as the tex after, 8 months of age. Do not introduce egg ture of the food is whites and whole egg to children younger appropriately than 1 year. Egg whites contain substances m odified. As a baby’s that may cause an allergic reaction. mouth skills progress, gradually Cheese and yogurt may be introduced to increase the thick infants who are 8 months or older. Small, ness and lumpiness thin slices of cheese are easier for them to of vegetables and handle and are safer. Do not serve chunks of progress from cheese or processed cheese food. Commer pureed to ground to cially prepared plain yogurt, made from low- fork-mashed and fat or whole milk, may be served in eventually to diced. small amounts. Since cheese and yogurt are made from cow’s milk, be sure to watch Due to the risk of choking, do not feed closely for allergic reactions. babies the following vegetables and fruits: • Any cooked dried beans and dry peas, raw vegetables (including green peas, such as k idney beans, lima beans, pinto string beans, celery, carrot, etc.) • beans or chick peas, may be served to cooked or raw whole corn kernels • babies 8 months or older. Serve small whole pieces of canned fruit • quantities (1 to 2 teaspoons) of mashed or hard pieces of raw fruit such as apple, pureed cooked beans or peas at first. If pear or melon • canned beans are used, drain the salty whole grapes, berries, cherries, melon water and rinse the beans with clean water balls or cherry and grape tomatoes • before using. uncooked dried fruit (including raisins) Bread or crackers may be served at the Whatʼs After That? snack or with meals throughout the course Meat and meat alternatives are generally of the day. At 8 or 9 months, babies enjoy introduced by 8 months of age. It is not nec having finger foods so they can practice essary to add oil, butter, margarine, lard, picking up the foods. Also at that age, a cream, salt or seasonings to these foods. baby’s risk of having a reaction to Peanut butter and other nut butters should wheat decreases. not be fed to babies. Examples of bread and cereal foods to Examples of good lean meats and poultry serve babies include: are strained or pureed well-cooked lean beef, • pork, lamb, chicken, turkey and liver and strips or small pieces of dry bread or boneless fin fish. Observe a baby closely toast or crackers • when introducing fish because some babies plain crackers, preferably low in salt • small pieces of soft tortilla or soft they won’t get enough protein. For example, pita bread it only takes 16 ounces of milk plus one • teething biscuits. ounce of meat to provide enough protein for children up to three years old. Never feed babies these foods, due to choking: If a child doesn’t want to drink milk, that is okay. It is better not to force them or talk • snack potato or corn chips, pretzels or about it because this may actually cause cheese twists them to believe they don’t like milk, and • cookies or granola bars they will never try it again. If you leave • crackers or breads with seeds, nut pieces them alone, a toddler will probably drink or whole grain kernels milk again, because they haven’t been • whole kernels of cooked rice, barley or reminded that “they don’t like milk.” wheat • raw vegetables (including green peas, Gradually change from whole milk to string beans, celery, carrot, etc.) lower-fat milk so that a child is drinking 1% • whole pieces of canned fruit or fat-free milk by age 5. • hard pieces of raw fruit such as apple, Catering to Likes and Dislikes pear or melon • whole grapes, berries, cherries, melon With a toddler, it is good to plan meals balls or cherry and grape tomatoes (cut that include at least one food they like. these foods into quarters, with pits removed, before feeding to older babies) • uncooked dried fruit (including raisins) Never feed a baby under 12 months these foods, due to allergic reaction risk: • shrimp • lobster • crab • crawfish • scallops • oysters • clams H owever, a toddler may really like a food at • egg whites one meal, and won’t touch the same food at another meal. Don’t do short order Toddlers: Food for Thought c ooking. If a toddler refuses to eat any thing, Feeding the Right Kind of Food ignore his or her whining. Don’t give her the idea you are upset or concerned about In managing toddler eating, remember her complaining. who is responsible for what. Adults are responsible for deciding what the child is Toddlers will eat better if their food is offered to eat, where it is offered and when easy to eat. Here are some strategies for it is presented. The child is responsible for p resenting food in a form they can eat: how much she eats. • Cut foods in bite-size pieces, preferably Feed child-size portions from the 5 Food before he gets there. Toddlers cannot use Groups. A toddler-size serving is about two- knives but may have a tantrum about thirds of the adult portion. Although tod not being allowed to try. dlers are not good about eating meat and • Make some foods soft and moist. other protein sources, it is not likely that • Allow him to eat his food at room The table below lists the sugar content of temperature. some common foods. It is best to offer high • Give salads without dressing and serve sugar, low n utrient-dense foods only occa them as finger food. sionally and not allow free access to these • Either make soups thin enough to drink foods. It is perfectly alright to use sugar from a cup or thick enough to eat from a to flavor nutritious foods, especially if it spoon easily. makes it more acceptable to the toddler. • Put a little extra color in foods. Children Some desserts can be nutritious as well, are interested in a little parsley in the such as custards, puddings, oatmeal or hot dish or some carrot grated into the peanut butter cookies and pumpkin pie. coleslaw. • Cater to their preferences on shapes. Teaspoons of Children may insist on having their Food Sugar sandwiches quartered or prefer carrot candy bar (1 ounce) 7 rounds to sticks. Orange wedges with the cookies, 1 to 3 inch 1-2 skins attached are often eaten better than sections. brownies, 2 inch square 1-2 Don’t regularly provide cute foods frosted cake, two layer, 1/16 7 because this tends to help them confuse fruit pie, 1/7 of 9 inch pie 6-9 food with playthings. Food should look like pumpkin pie, 1/7 of 9 inch pie 3-5 food, not like toys. ice cream, ½ cup 3 Sugar chocolate milk, 1 cup 3 A child does not need any added sugar in milkshake, 10 ounces 9 her diet. It is best to serve foods high in added sugar with a heavy meal and not as sweetened soda pop, 12 ounces 6-9 a snack in order to avoid the child getting Kool-Aid, 8 ounces 6 tired and irritable when the sugar wears off. When making healthy food choices, stick to Adults should not use dessert as a whole grains, milk, lower fat meat sources, reward for f inishing a meal or withhold it vegetables and fruit without added sugar. as a p unishment for not finishing a meal. This teaches a child to overeat in order to get the dessert, and it also teaches them that dessert is the only desirable part of the meal. It is important to remember that sugar, added or naturally occurring, promotes tooth decay. Therefore, adults should not allow children to sip pop or fruit juice for a very long time. Use water to quench thirst. Beware of sticky foods such as caramels and raisins because they stick to the teeth, which can lead to tooth decay. Developmental Skills Babyʼs Age Mouth Patterns Hand and Body Skills Feeding Skills or Abilities Birth through • Suck/swallow reflex • Poor control of head, • Swallows liquids but 5 months • Tongue thrust reflex neck, trunk pushes most solid objects • Gag reflex • Brings hands to mouth from the mouth around 3 months 5 months • Draws in upper or lower • Sits with support • Takes in a spoonful of through lip as spoon is removed • Good head control pureed or strained food 9 months from the mouth • Uses whole hand to and swallows it without • Up-and-down grasp objects (palmer choking munching movement grasp) • Can transfer food from front to back of tongue to swallow • Tongue thrust and rooting reflexes begin to disappear • Gag reflex diminishes • Opens mouth when sees spoon approaching 8 months • Begins to control the • Begins to sit alone • Begins to eat mashed through position of food in the u nsupported foods 11 months mouth • Follows food with eyes • Eats from a spoon easily • Up-and-down munching • Begins to use thumb and • Drinks from a cup with movement index finger to pick up some spilling • Positions food between objects (pincer grasp) • Begins to feed self with jaws for chewing • Sits alone easily hands • Moves food from side to • Transfers objects from side in mouth hand to mouth • Begins to curve lips around rim of cup • Begins to chew in rotary pattern 10 months • Rotary chewing (diagonal • Begins to put spoon in • Eats chopped food and through movement of the jaw as mouth small pieces of soft, cooked 12 months food is moved to the side • Begins to hold cup table food or center of the mouth) • Good eye-hand-mouth • Begins self-spoon feeding coordination with help What to Feed the Baby Babyʼs Age When Babies Can: How/What to Feed Birth through • Only suck and swallow LIQUIDS ONLY: 3 months • Breast milk • Infant formula with iron 4 months • Draw in upper or lower lip as spoon is ADD SEMI-SOLID FOODS through removed from mouth • Infant cereal with iron 7 months • Move tongue up and down • Strained vegetables* • Sit up with support • Strained fruit* • Swallow semisolid foods without choking *May be started later in the age range • Open the mouth when they see food • Drink from a regular cup with help, with spilling 8 months • Move tongue from side to side ADD MODIFIED TABLE through • Begin spoon feeding themselves • Mashed or diced soft fruit 11 months with help • Mashed or soft-cooked vegetables • Begin to chew and have some teeth • Mashed egg yolk • Begin to hold food and use their fingers • Strained meat/poultry to feed themselves • Mashed cooked beans or peas • Drink from a cup with help, with less • Cottage cheese, yogurt or cheese strips spilling • Pieces of soft bread • Crackers • Breast milk, iron-fortified formula or fruit juice in a cup References Feeding Infants: A Guide for Use in the Child Nutrition Programs, United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, FNS-258. Satter, Ellyn, R.D., M.S.. Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense. Ball Publishing Company, 1986. Acknowledgment is given to Sherry Jones, RD, former Child Care Program Technician, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, as the original author of this material. Printed by University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Printing Services. LAVONA TRAYWICK, Ph.D., is assistant professor - gerontology and Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and JAMES P. MARSHALL, Ph.D., is assistant professor - family life with June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture in Little Rock. Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas. 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