When
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Research Question:
a)
When is an infant's gastrointestinal tract capable
of handling complementary foods?
Conclusion:
The
normal, healthy infant's gastrointestinal tract is
mature enough to digest complementary foods by 3-4
months of age. By the time most nutrients in the baby's
diet come from table foods, the physiological capabilities
of the infant digestive tract are near adult proficiency. |
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Research Question:
b)
When is renal function sufficiently mature to allow
introduction of complementary foods? Conclusion:
Despite
some renal immaturity, most babies have no problems
maintaining water balance even if feedings provide
a relatively high potential renal solute load (above
33 mOsm/L). However, during acute illness, when fluid
intake may be limited and water losses considerable
(e.g. fever, diarrhea, emesis, and elevated environmental
temperatures), diets with a higher vs. lower potential
renal solute load may lead more rapidly to dehydration. |
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Research Question:
c)
When are nutrients needed from complementary foods?
Conclusion:
For
most infants, breast milk and/or formula provide all
required nutrients for about the first 6 months after
birth and significant but varying amounts thereafter. |
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Research Question:
d) When do oral, gross and fine motor skills
required for complementary feeding emerge?
Conclusion:
Developmental readiness for complementary
foods varies considerably among infants (see table
5). In most babies the developmental skills needed
to handle complementary foods are present after 4 months
of age. |
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Research
Question:
e)
When is it appropriate to introduce textures? Conclusion:
Readiness
for and acceptance of different food textures appears
to depend on both the child's developmental stage and
his or her prior experience with a particular texture.
Infants will learn to eat foods of varying textures
if they are exposed to them at appropriate developmental
stages. A gradual exposure to solid textures during
the sensitive period for learning to chew (from the
time complementary foods are introduced through 10
months of age) may decrease the risk of feeding problems
related to rejection of certain textures, refusing
to chew or vomiting. Evidence for any kind of order for introducing textures
is limited. |
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Research Question:
f) When should parents
encourage dietary variety and how? Conclusion:
Exclusively
breast fed infants are exposed to a variety of flavors
through the breast milk, suggesting the importance
of dietary variety from the beginning. Repeated exposures
to a particular food is usually necessary before it
is accepted by the infant or toddler. Studies show
that up to 10 to 15 exposures may be necessary before
a specific food is accepted. Introduction of a variety
of flavors in the first two years of life may lead
to acceptance of a wider variety of flavors in later
childhood and may increase the likelihood of children
trying new foods.
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