Nutrition, Diet and Health Tips

As a nutritionist and any other medical practitioner involved in infant and child welfare, we advocate for exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months unless otherwise (a topic for discussion another day). However, after the 6 months of life, the baby’s nutrient demands (micro &macro) increase and as a health specialist, we need to encourage the mothers to source other feeding options to complement the breast milk. Sadly, all hell breaks loose at this point. Cases of malnutrition, both under and over nutrition, become rampant. We tend to wonder why despite the modernization of the 21st century that comes with accessibility to information from specialists, health bloggers, and writers all over the world the cases of malnutrition in infants are still there especially in developing countries, like Kenya. Am yet to understand that, but from the interactions I’ve heard with mothers, i blame the situation on ignorance, irresponsibility, increased number of women working thus leaving their babies with other care givers such as house helps and inadequate day care institutions that really don’t have the baby’s interests at heart.

Now the baby is at 6 months and needs to start feeding. What do you give as a mother?/ what do you advocate the baby to be given? Consider that the GIT is still not fully developed and needs a transition to feeds. fluid diet is recommended in the 6-7 month with a smooth transition to soft diets. From 7 months soft diets that are balanced, dense, adequate and safe for the baby recommended. As you introduce feeds, don’t forget to maintaing good hygiene levels and ensure the baby also gets enough water. As a mother feel free to ask the nutritionist on what to feed, report complications and allergies and work together with the whole health care team to ensure the wellness of the babies. Feel free to ask on common infant deficiency complications such as rickets, wasting, stunting, skeletal disorders among others. Lets try and reduce the increasing cases of SAM cases in Kenya as a country.