Giving Ragi Without Milk To 6 Month Old Baby, Cerelac, Less Milk. Diet Fine?
My daughter is 6 months and she weights 9.2kgs.we started giving her ragi kanji mixed with only water nd boil it for 10~15mins.she has been having this for.more than a month and love it.is it ok to give her in this way without adding milk?is it ok to give her more than a small cup if she wants?in the evening she has 2~3spoons of cerelac.now she rarely wamts milk.she has only 5~6 times milk a day at avg 3~4ounces per feed(mix of breast nd formula feeds alternatively).is her diet fine?also appreciate if you can let me know what other foods I can givemy baby.now she is almost in 7th month.also can u suggest me if nestle NAN or lactogen is good?from when can I start giving 3 times solids in a day
Thanks for the query
It is nice to know that Bangalorians still continue to use ragi. In fact, ragi is one of the cereals which are XXXXXXX in calcium, iron, fiber and zero cholesterol. You can definitely continue giving ragi kanji without milk, there is no harm in doing so and you can give around two cups per day.
Also, start giving boiled, mashed vegetables and pulses, fresh fruit juice, banana and semi-solid food. If you are a non-vegetarian you can give fish or chicken soup and yellow part of the boiled egg.
Give adequate water to drink, and continue breast feeding the child. Reduce artificial feeds as much as possible and encourage natural foods.
Doctors usually do not recommend lactogen at this age and artificial feeds. Solids can be started after 9th month, initially you can feed the child with idly, dosa, bread, biscuits and chappathi soaked in milk. There are no restrictions on types of food; you can give which ever food the child finds it tasty.
Hope this was informative; I will be available for the follow-up queries.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
Welcome back.
It would be better to give the solid food soaked in milk after the age of 9 months as the gut system of the child will be able to digest the solid food.
As of now, you can definitely give mashed vegetables and dhal starting with small quantities and gradually increasing the quantity so as to XXXXXXX the calorie requirement of the growing child. Giving food three times a day will not cause any harm, as you already started with ragi ganji, you continue with that gradually introducing other products as mentioned above.
Any type of biscuits which can dissolve easily in milk can be given. There is no harm in giving sugar and ghee for the children in small quantities but, this is best avoided up to the age of 1 year because the child needs to understand and recognize the original taste of foods without any taste amplifiers.
After the vegetables and cereals have been fed individually several times, you can try the combinations of potatoes and carrots, potatoes and XXXXXXX beans, and carrots and peas, etc.
One more thing I would like to suggest you is, not to over feed the child out of enthusiasm; it will lead to indigestion and can cause abdominal discomfort. Whatever you feel like giving, make a schedule and try out one by one keeping one dish as a constant one (such as kanji).
Wishing you good health.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
Answered by
Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty
Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist
Practicing since :2001
Answered : 2542 Questions