What to do if your eight-month-old baby has a picky eater

The birth of every baby means hope and future for a family. As parents, we always want to give the best to our children. Of course, various problems will be encountered during the baby's growth. So what should we do if our eight-month-old baby has picky eating habits? First of all, we should fully understand the whole situation, and then come up with appropriate solutions to solve each problem. Let’s take a look at it together.

Complementary food is an extremely important feeding concept. Regardless of breastfeeding or other feeding methods, complementary food should be added in time when the baby is 4 months old. Complementary foods refer to foods other than milk, such as baby rice cereal, fruits, vegetables, meat and other foods. Cereals fortified with various nutrients are ideal first solid complementary foods for infants.

Why should we add complementary foods to babies in time? Adding complementary foods in time can make up for the lack of nutrients in milk. Babies need more iron for their rapid growth and development. The iron that the baby brings from the mother's body is exhausted 3 to 4 months after birth, and the iron and vitamin D content in dairy products is low. Therefore, infants aged 4 to 6 months are prone to iron deficiency anemia and vitamin D deficiency rickets. If complementary foods are added in time, the deficiency of iron and vitamin D in milk can be supplemented to ensure the healthy growth of the baby.

Adding complementary foods in a timely manner can also exercise the baby's ability to chew and swallow food and gastrointestinal digestion, preparing for weaning. In order to complete this transition within the first year after birth, the baby's food properties (such as from liquid to semi-liquid, and then to solid food) and eating methods (from nipples, bottles to cups, bowls, spoons, chopsticks) must be gradually changed according to the baby's development (including feeding skills, digestive function, and kidney function). Through a gradual adaptation process, when weaning, the baby will not suffer psychological rejection or digestive disorders due to sudden changes in food properties or eating habits.

Nutrition experts specifically advise that children's food should not contain added salt, flavors, preservatives and excessive sugar, and should be natural in flavor and rich and balanced in nutrition. Some commercially available baby foods have very strong tastes or aromas, which may be due to the addition of seasonings such as salt or flavors (such as vanillin). Young parents must pay attention to the formula of the product when purchasing baby food.

In fact, although the natural flavor of some foods is lighter, they are still delicious for babies. The tastes preferred by adults may not be suitable for infants and young children. 4 Months Baby - Introduction of Complementary Foods After 4 months, babies will let parents know that they are ready for solid food. If you find that your baby is no longer gaining weight and seems to be craving for more after feeding, these are behavioral and physiological signals that your baby needs complementary food. Adding complementary foods at this stage can take your baby's growth to a new level, stimulating your baby to learn to move food in his mouth while being exposed to new textures and flavors.

What should I do if my eight-month-old baby is picky about food? This is not a very difficult problem to solve. As long as we adopt a scientific approach, this problem can be easily solved. Since eight-month-old babies have poor perceptual awareness, parents must be patient in dealing with their children's picky eating problems, which can solve the problem faster and better.