Is this the beginning of picky eating?
It is important not to confuse food rejection with the dislike of a
food. There are many reasons why babies may turn away from food;
often dislike has nothing to do with it. The information below is
designed to answer some of the questions about why babies may
refuse foods. Picky eating in the toddler and preschool years where
a child refuses to eat certain foods such as vegetables is a common
stage that most children grow out of in their own time. Beginning
and progressing through the introduction of complimentary foods can
be fun (hilarious at times), frustrating, confusing, exciting,
rewarding and sometimes terrifying. But it is also an important
aspect of developing your child's life-long skills in healthy
eating and socialisation. Your role is immense, but don't overlook
the power of a baby!
Why does a baby reject a food?
There may be many reasons why a baby is rejecting a food. The
appearance, smell, texture of the food in their mouths, and of
course the taste sensation - any one of these can be off-putting.
Other reasons could include feelings of sickness, teething, and
mechanical issues related to chewing, moving food around the mouth
and swallowing. The reasons can be varied.
Inherently, babies appear to have a preference for sweet and salty
foods. It is wise to avoid offering sweeter foods such as fruit
over more bitter foods such as vegetables. We suggest progressing
through vegetables and offering them as often as is practical each
day. Start on fruit only once baby has a good repertoire of
vegetables under his or her belt.
Many parents report fussiness with food texture, which is often as
a result of baby being offered smooth-textured food for too long as
an infant. It seems that progressing from soft foods to coarse,
textured and lumpy foods is really important when it comes to later
eating habits.
Why doesn't my baby like soilds?
Numbers mean a lot to us, how much does your baby weight, what
percentile is he or she one, how old are they, when did you start
and so on. While we know now that about six months is the ideal
time to try baby on solids, some babies just can't be tempted.
That's okay. Moving from a liquid diet to a textured diet of food
isn't always an easy one. Aside from the strange tastes and
textures mum is adamant you will enjoy, you also have to learn to
move the 'stuff' about your mouth and try swallowing it. Babies
need to develop the mechanisms in their mouths in order to adapt to
solids too.
So if your baby seems to be gagging excessively or just down right
uninterested in your lovingly made solids that is okay. You could
try baby with a baby feeding mesh (pop some avocado or banana in)
which are also fabulous for babies who are teething, or let baby
suck the food of the spoon as apposed to spooning it into babies
mouth. Try some different foods such as sweet potato, but be a
little mindful of babies preference for sweet and salty when it
comes to fruit early on. Also there is no harm in take a rain check
and trying baby again in a few days.
If things just don't get better and baby is about 7 months then
see a health professional for more advice.
Getting off to a good start
Consistency is one of the most important aspects of parenting. When
introducing a new food, try to ensure it is given in a familiar
place, saving old favourites for new or novel situations. So when
you are eating out, take a favourite food rather than attempt to
introduce a new one.
Don't confuse rejection with dislike, and being persistent is also
important. If a food is rejected, try it again (up to 10-15 times
in some cases). There can be many reasons why baby hasn't accepted
it first time around and allowing them to have another go (without
any fuss) is a sure way of improving the outcome. You can try
freezing and then taking out small amounts to offer a number of
times over the day or week, to save on time and cost.
Also keep in mind that babies can vary the amount of food they eat
from one meal to the next. Sometimes this is a consequence of the
energy density of a particular meal which has filled them up.
Sometimes too, a baby will wolf down a meal then reject it the next
day. Though confounding, this is all quite normal.
How babies learn to eat
Our understanding of what a baby can eat and when is not only based
on the development of their digestive and immune system but their
oral-motor development. The World Health Organisation defines four
phases in the introduction of 'complimentary foods' defined by
baby's motor development:
- Stage one is getting baby used to eating from a spoon, using
pureed foods once or twice a day.
- Stage two is becoming accustomed to texture because of improved
motor skills.
- Stage three is the introduction of lumpy texture and thick
consistencies and again improved motor skills allowing finger
foods.
- Stage four is self-feeding and nearing family meals.
A 6 month old begins to consciously suck from the breast or bottle.
Around 7 months, baby will be making chomping motions with their
mouths and even showing when they are ready for another mouthful
right down to when they show you they have had enough. By 8-9
months, baby will shortly start to chew food (even those babies
without teeth are adept at chewing). Around this time babies can
open their mouths and begin to use their upper lips to take food
from the spoon. At 10-12 months, baby will be gaining a great deal
more fluid from sipper cups and while their tongue may still
protrude on the bottom of the cup, this just helps their stability.
By one year they are able to maintain a good biting action
(depending on their teeth). By about a year and a half they are
quite adept at keeping food and drink well and truly in their
mouths.
The importance of introducing 'lumpy' foods
It has been found that babies who are not exposed to lumpy foods
may be more likely to develop fussy eating habits later on.
Therefore, it is important to give babies of between 6 to 9 months
a variety of foods. This helps prevent picky eating in later years.
Introduce mashed over pureed foods around 8 to 9 months, and then
at 9 months pieces of cooked (soft) vegetables and finger foods
(see also our fact sheet on starting solids).
Suggestions for coping with food rejection
Don't force or coerce a baby to eat a food they are rejecting. Try
to set up a good meal-time routine and also avoid snack-eating too
close to main meals, as main meals tend to be more
nutritious.
Remember that food rejection is a normal behaviour for almost all
toddlers and preschoolers. Meal times should always be
family-orientated and enjoyable. Do not overestimate the influence
of togetherness during meals for a child's overall development. It
is amazing how much a baby will be influenced by what is going on
around them. This includes distractions, and don't forget that they
are always learning from you so be sure to set a good example. Take
the plate away when they have finished without a fuss; they have
plenty of time to try it again.
Ways to reduce food rejection
Don't coax, beg or trick - it may backfire on you and cause more
strife. Take it gently, don't rush your child through their meal,
teach them to eat slowly. It takes up to 20 minutes for the brain
to tell the body that it has had enough; this will also avoid
overeating.
Whenever possible, ensure your child does not eat alone. Introduce
new foods in a positive family environment; we know that a relaxed,
communicative and happy atmosphere helps foster positive eating
habits. And eating in front of the TV is not advisable. We strongly
suggest you make the meal and people the centre of attention.
Just because a food has been rejected, it doesn't mean you
shouldn't try offering it again. As mentioned above, sometimes it
takes numerous attempts before your child becomes accustomed to -
and likes - new tastes and textures.
What do you class as an eating problem?
Occasionally a baby may have problems with eating. If any of the
following occur, or if you are concerned, seek professional
assistance.
- If baby vomits frequently, particularly if it is associated
with pain or discomfort. This does not include normal 'spitting
up'.
- Problems moving from soft textures to coarser, lumpier foods
and difficulty chewing. Doesn't include habits from the
over-reliance on commercially prepared foods which can be overly
soft.
- Where baby has ongoing problems swallowing food often with
choking and or gagging, particularly where this is have a negative
effect on baby's health and development.
- Excessive mouth-stuffing or storing of food in the mouth for
long periods (this does not include the overindulgent baby who just
likes to get in as much food at once). Instead look more for the
tendency to pass the food from the mouth to the throat.
- Recurring or upsetting reactions such as skin reactions which
may be a sign of an allergy or intolerance.
- Persistent diarrhoea as this is a major factor in the failure
to thrive in many infants and should be resolved as quickly as
possible.
- Persistent constipation which can cause a great deal of stress
and discomfort and should be investigated.
- Where you feel the issue is behavioural.
- Where any of the above are causing you anxiety or you feel
unable to cope.
Where do I go for help?
The first port of call is generally your local doctor who would in
many cases refer you to either a paediatrician or a testing unit in
a hospital (as in the case of a suspected allergy or
intolerance).
Much of today's guidelines on the introduction of foods are based
on oral-motor ability. In other words, is your baby able to move
certain types of food - such as coarse and finger foods - around
their mouth and prepare it for swallowing? This is why speech
pathologists are commonly called upon to help with feeding
problems. A speech pathologist can assess your baby and help you
and baby to progress through the stages of complimentary feeding.
Speech pathologists may also be able to help with things such as
drooling, problems with drinking from cups and straws, and where
babies are determined to jam food into their mouths.
The reality
Sometimes you can do everything right, textbook fashion, and still
end up with a fussy-eating toddler. Don't overlook a little one's
own personality and freedom of choice. Life is a mix of both our
inherent patterns, including personality and motivation, and our
environment. One we can control but the other we must work
with.
Remember it's up to parents and carers to offer nutritious food
for children to choose from!
This information has been provided by Leanne Cooper from Cadence
Health. Leanne is a qualified nutritionist and mother of two
very active boys.
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What do I Feed My Baby
eBook by Leanne Cooper
Guiding you and baby through solids to meals. |