New concepts of complementary feeding in infants and toddlers
Infants go through a transition period before fully adapting to a diversified balanced diet after being breastfed,during which foods introduced other than milk,aimed at supplementing energy and nutrients,are referred to as complementary foods.The process of introducing complementary foods is called complementary feeding(CF).The purpose and significance of adding complementary foods include not only supplementing energy and nutrients,but also promoting the development of eating skills and fine motor functions,establishing healthy eating and food-related psychological behaviors,preventing food allergies and other allergic diseases,and materializing diversity of children's gut flora.The feeding suggestions of introducing red meat paste first other than iron-fortified baby rice flour at the age of 6 months,and rapidly achieving diversified food exposure,is comply with the above principles.This article analyzes the purpose of infant CF,reviews the historical development of CF,and interprets relevant feeding recommendations based on new concepts of CF.
complementary foodcomplementary feedinginfants and toddlers