Principles of planning menus for Infancy (0-12 Months)

Principles of planning menus for 

INFANCY (0-12 MONTHS)

Breast milk is not only the best but it is a must for the infant, only breast milk should be given to the infant upto the age of 6 months.

The advantages of breast-feeding are as follows.

Breast milk protects the baby against several diseases like diphtheria, poliomyelitis, influenza and other bacterial diseases.

The composition of human milk is best suited to the infants, aiding in easy digestibility.

Breast feeding is associated with reduced need for hospitalization and improved child survival.

An infant derives a sense of security and belonging in being held.

It is economical to breast feed an infant.

Breast feeding is an important birth control method.

Breast feeding enables the mother to shed extra weight accumulated during pregnancy and the uterus comes back to normal size faster when the mother breastfeeds the infant.

Human milk is always fresh and at the right temperature.

Low danger of incorrect formula and overfeeding.

There is evidence to suggest that breast fed babies have better IQ scores later in life and their mental ability is improved.

World Alliance for Breast feeding Action (WABA) has designated August 1^st - 7 ^th as the World Breast Feeding Week.

Weaning

Weaning begins from the moment supplementary food is started and continues till the child is taken off the breast completely. The types of supplementary foods include liquid supplements (fresh fruit juices, soup from green leafy vegetables), solid supplements mashed well (cereal and starchy gruels) and solid supplements unmashed (cooked cereals, pulses and vegetables).