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Is It Safe To Give More Solid Food Than Formula Or Breast Milk To A 5 Month Old?

Posted on Tue, 18 Dec 2012

Question: Hi Doctor,

My baby will complete 5 months on Dec 3rd. My wife is working. Her office time is from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Before she leaves to office, she breast-feeds baby 2 to 3 times in the morning and once in the evening. After she leaves baby is fed with Ragi(once) and first bite(twice).We have tried givng her Lactogen but she is hesitant to take.

My question is;Is it Ok to give more solid food than Formula or breast milk.Will it give sufficient nutrition to my baby?

Answered by Dr. Uma Rajah Ananth (21 minutes later)

Hi XXXXXXX
Welcome to HCM!

Yes ,it is OK!
Then she should compensate by giving breast milk whenever she is at home.
You can supplement with one juice in between.(apple or orange)
Ragi is very good for the baby.

Another alternative is instead of lactogen you can try other formula brands like Enfamil.. careful cup and spoon feeding can also be tried.

Next alternative is if mother has too much milk she can express her milk and store for later use.
If these two methods do not work out then what you are doing is OK!

All the best
Good luck
Dr Uma

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Uma Rajah Ananth (13 minutes later)

Thanks for your kind reply doctor.

One more concern I have,

When we started giving Ragi/First Byte/Lactogen, her bowel movement has been changed. She is having motion 5 to 6 times daily, and sometimes in slight black color after we fed her with Raagi. The motion is a bit watery, and it is not like loose motion. Does this mean that her digestion is not good? What can we do for this ? Will it subside by itself?

Regards,
XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Uma Rajah Ananth (1 hour later)

Hello XXXXXXX

Yes when breast milk is decreased and other food items are introduced ,stool will change in colour and consistency.
Anything Containing iron will cause black stool.
Always introduce new food one by one with a gap of at least oneweek between 2 new items!
This will help you to find out intolerance of any food.
Raagi is good but little difficult to digest.
So gradually increase the quantity.
Loose stools are common in infants-so always watch out!

Good luck
Dr Uma

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Uma Rajah Ananth (25 hours later)

Hi Doctor,

Thanks for the last two kind replies. Since she has 5 to 6 motions daily, her buttocks area got some red patches. What can we do for that? Should we apply some cream on that ? Right now, we are applying some cream on her body for rashes prescribed by dermatologist, the name is Fucibet & Desowen. Can we apply the same on buttocks area also ? Please reply.

Thanks in Advance
XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Uma Rajah Ananth (18 minutes later)

Hi XXXXXXX
Both contain steroids!!.
Use some simple emollient cream like delivers(aloe Vera) PR some baby oil .
Keep exposed daily for some time.
Do not wipe vigorously after stool. Only gentle cotton wipes!
This is because of acidic stools and frequent cleaning.
Will improve once diarrhoea stops.

Good luck
Dr Uma

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar