Contents:
- Medical Video: How to freeze baby food
- What is MPASI?
- When can babies begin to be given MPASI?
- What foods are the best for MPASI?
- The best MPASI food
- Foods that need to be avoided as MPASI
Medical Video: How to freeze baby food
MPASI or complementary food for mother's milk usually starts to be given when the baby is 6 months old. After the baby is 6 months old, the baby's nutritional needs increase and breast milk alone is not enough to meet the baby's nutritional needs. However, breastfeeding is still needed by the baby after 6 months, WHO recommends up to 2 years.
What is MPASI?
MPASI or complementary food ASI is a food that is easily consumed and digested by infants and which provides additional nutrients to meet the nutritional needs of a growing baby, according to UNICEF. Although breast milk is the baby's best food, but after the age of 6 months, the baby needs more vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates. These high nutritional needs cannot only be obtained from breast milk, but also require additional supplements of breast milk.
All non-ASI foods or drinks given to babies during this period are called complementary foods. MPASI must be introduced to the baby at the right time, not too early and not too late. This will affect the diet and health of the baby.
When can babies begin to be given MPASI?
Generally, babies can be introduced to MPASI at the age of 6 months. However, sometimes baby's development varies between individuals. Some babies may be introduced to complementary feeding earlier before entering the age of 6 months, and some may be slower.
The following are signs that babies can be introduced to MPASI:
- Babies are interested in food, for example babies often pay attention to surrounding people who are eating, babies want to reach food, or babies open their mouths when food approaches.
- The baby can lift and hold his head properly
- Babies can sit without help
- The ability of the baby's mouth movement is good, meaning that the baby is able to chew and not vomit his food but swallow it (move food from the mouth to the throat).
- Babies already have good coordination. From starting to see food, then taking it, and putting it in their mouths, the baby can do it himself.
- Babies already weigh twice their birth weight or approach it
Babies who have been at least 4 months old and have shown signs as above the mark may be that the baby is ready to be introduced to the first MPASI. Babies who have been given solid food before the age of 4 months will have a higher risk of obesity. Meanwhile, other babies may be ready at 6 months or later, around the age of 8 months.
WHO recommends starting solid food at 6 months, this is the right time for most babies. By 6 months the baby has a stronger immune system and digestive system, so the introduction of new foods at this age can reduce a baby's risk of allergies or infections from food, especially in babies who have a family history of allergies or celiac disease (triggered by gluten and seeds).
At the beginning of giving, you can give solid food to babies as much as 2-3 times a day, between the ages of 6-8 months. Stepping on the age of 9-11 months, you can increase the frequency of solid foods for children 3-4 times a day. When children are 12-24 months old, you can add nutritious snacks as much as 1-2 times per day.
What foods are the best for MPASI?
You can gradually introduce foods other than breast milk to babies. Starting from foods with a mild to more thick consistency, then to foods that are somewhat textured until solid food.
Start with baby cereal fortified with iron as much as 1-2 tablespoons, you can mix it with breast milk to get the right thickness. Or, you can also provide iron-rich thick meat soup. Iron from food is needed by babies after 6 months because of high iron requirements for babies and breast milk alone is not enough to fulfill it.
The best MPASI food
Some of the foods that you can give when offering a baby food first are:
- Mashed vegetables (puree), such as carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes
- Mashed fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, papaya
- Gluten-free baby cereals enriched with iron, mix with breast milk
- Milk porridge or mashed biscuits
Remember, avoid adding salt, sugar, honey, or other sweeteners to your baby's food. Always include vegetables as your baby's food every day.
After the baby receives the first meal, you can increase the type of food you offer.
- Mashed meat
- Nuts grow
- Vegetables mixed with potatoes or pounded rice
- Mashed green vegetables, which contain peas, cabbage, spinach or broccoli
- Milk full cream, yogurt, cream cheese. But, try formula milk instead of being the baby's main drink until the baby is one year old. Breast milk remains the baby's main food.
If your baby is able to accept the food, try introducing your baby to a more textured food, such as a rather coarse-textured chopped food.
It's best to give the baby a meal after breastfeeding, not the other way around. This makes babies still want to breastfeed as their main food source. If the baby eats first and then breastfeedes, it is feared the baby will be full and not interested in breast milk anymore.
After the baby receives one meal, you can then offer the baby with other foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and soft meat. Wait a few days before you start introducing new foods to the baby to ensure your baby does not show an allergic reaction.
The foods below are the foods most likely to cause allergic reactions. It is best to give one by one to the baby to find out whether or not there is an allergic reaction and do not give the food before the baby is 6 months old.
- Milk or cow's milk products, such as cheese, yogurt, cream cheese
- Fish or seafood
- Soybeans
- Egg
- Orange
- Wheat or food made from wheat
- Nuts
Foods that need to be avoided as MPASI
It is best not to give the food below to infants under the age of 1 year.
- Salt
- Honey
- Sugar
- Artificial sweeteners
- Whole beans
- Certain fish have high mercury content
- Tea or coffee
- Foods with low fat content, usually in packaged foods
Also, limit the administration of juices to babies. Juice can make a baby full, so the baby is unable to eat other, more nutritious foods. In addition, juices also contribute to infant obesity, can cause diarrhea, and can increase the risk of babies experiencing cavities when the baby's teeth begin to grow.
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