Nutrition and Growth

Supporting Information

In the early months, when the baby is most at risk, exclusive breastfeeding helps to protect against diarrhoea and other common infections. By about six months, a child needs other types of foods and drinks. Breastfeeding should continue into the second year.

If an infant under six months of age is not gaining weight, he or she may need to breastfeed more frequently.

• A breastfed infant under six months needs no other fluids, not even water.
• A breastfed infant who is not gaining weight may be ill, or may not be getting enough breastmilk. A health worker can check the infant's health and counsel the mother on how to increase the infant's intake of breastmilk.

Starting at about six months of age, infants need other foods, called complementary foods, in addition to breastmilk. The child's diet should include peeled, cooked and mashed vegetables, grains, pulses and fruit, some oil, as well as fish, eggs, chicken, meat or dairy products to provide vitamins and minerals. The greater the variety of foods, the better.

• Babies aged 6 to 12 months should be breastfed frequently and before being given other foods.
• After six months of age, the risk of infection increases as the child begins to eat other foods and starts to crawl. Both the child's hands and the child's food should be kept clean.
• Children aged 12 to 24 months should continue to breastfeed after meals and whenever they wish.