7 months old baby: Nutrition and oral care

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Children 7 months old can be given solid foods, but still have to maintain breastfeeding. At 7 months old, babies need to have a weight of 6.8 - 8.7kg and a height of 65 - 70cm (for girls), and from 7.5 - 9.3kg, and height from 67 - 71.5cm (for girls). with boys).

Breast milk plays an important role in the development of infants and young children. However, children from 6 months old can be introduced to solid foods to get used to eating as well as complementary foods to help them develop more comprehensively.

Passing the 7-month-old milestone, the baby's weaning diet changes from 1 to 2 meals a day. The necessary nutrition for a 7-month-old baby should ensure the following groups of substances:
Starch: It is necessary to provide the child with 50-80g of starch (mainly from rice) per day. However, the mother can also feed the child according to the child's need, which means that the child will probably eat more. Protein: When children are 7 months old, the food group that provides protein (also known as protein) for children needs to be more abundant. Need to provide children with protein nutrients from meat, fish (should choose river fish, field fish, about 10-15g), chicken (chicken breast), egg (egg yolk), tofu (about 30-40g) ) and dairy products (50 - 70g). In addition, it is necessary to combine a variety of foods, but it is necessary to estimate the nutritional composition of the appropriate groups of substances. Vitamins and minerals: To supplement the group of fiber and vitamins and minerals, children should be provided with 20 - 30g of vegetables and fruits per day.

When preparing food for 7-month-old babies, mothers need to ensure a balance between 3 groups of nutrients: protein, starch and vitamins. From the age of 7 months, children can already eat the following processed foods:
Starch: Porridge, bread soup, flour, soft cooked noodles, cereals such as green beans, ... Protein: Fish white meat, minced chicken breast, cooked egg yolk, tofu... Vitamins and minerals: Minced collard greens, carrot puree, mashed banana, mashed pumpkin, papaya, orange juice, .. .

Mothers can refer to the schedule below:
5-6 o'clock: Wake up, breastfeed or drink milk. 8 - 9 am: Weaning at 10 o'clock: Breastfeeding and sleeping 11 o'clock: Wake up at 13 o'clock: Breastfeed and nap 15 o'clock: Wake up, breastfeed at 17 o'clock: Weaning 20 hrs: Breastfeed and then sleep

For 7-month-old babies, mothers should note the following information:
Should practice feeding babies at a fixed time to help children build biological clocks for eating, when hungry, children will eat better and eat better. get more. Baby's two solid meals should be spaced at least 4 hours apart. Avoid forcing children to eat because it can cause psychological anorexia in children. It is necessary to regularly change the menu, the dishes and the way of processing to increase the taste and help the children to avoid boredom. In processing, do not forget the group of fats for children. After giving the baby eggs, the mother needs to observe and monitor whether the child is allergic to eggs or has any abnormalities. If the 7-month-old baby is constipated, the mother can add vegetables and give the child more food or juice to increase fiber. It is necessary to maintain breastfeeding and ensure the minimum amount of milk from 600-800ml/day for the baby. Take advantage of the natural flavors and colors of food to help your child perceive the taste of food better. If the mother wants to introduce a new food to a 7-month-old baby, she should let her taste it at the first meal of the day with a small amount (1 scoop). Recommended video
Role of vitamin A in children's health

At this stage, children have developed chewing and swallowing skills. Your baby is already able to move his tongue up and down and back and forth to grind food before swallowing. To ensure and take care of children's teeth, mothers need to pay attention to the softness of food when processing, food should be moderately soft like tofu so that children can easily use their tongue and palate to crush food. eat. When feeding and fertilizing the child, the mother should slowly feed and observe whether the child has swallowed. Avoid feeding too quickly, it will create a habit of swallowing without chewing, and children will not feel the taste of food. While feeding a 7-month-old baby with solid foods, the mother needs to monitor whether the child is chewing, and at the same time talk to the child, create a happy atmosphere for the meal, and stimulate the child to eat to feel the taste of the food. In particular, avoid giving your child foods that are too hard because they cannot use their tongue well to grind food, so they may spit out or swallow whole pieces. This is both dangerous because it can cause children to choke, choke, and is not good for their teeth as well as their future eating habits. Children 7 months old need to be properly maintained oral hygiene. After finishing each meal, the mother can give the child some water to help them clean their teeth. Mothers can also practice giving children water from a cup to avoid affecting the development of the child's teeth.

In addition, parents should also apply some methods of changing habits and improving nutrition to support the child's teeth to develop better.
Besides, parents also need to supplement their children with essential micro-minerals such as zinc, lysine, chromium, selenium, vitamin B1, ... to fully meet the nutritional needs of children. The addition of these essential vitamins also supports digestion, enhances nutrient absorption, improves anorexia, and helps children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. The combination of many types of functional foods at the same time or continuously changing many types in a short time can cause the baby's digestive system not to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.