Breastfeeding for the first two years has physical and psychological benefits. The baby should be well-fed through exclusive human milk for the first 6 months, then given complementary feeding (or 'start solids') while continuing to breastfeed until weaning after two years. Inadequate complementary feeding may lead to nutritional as well as developmental problems. Due to a lot of misinformation many parents are unaware of current recommendations on starting solids, and it is often a time when poor understanding of the baby’s nutritional needs leads to unnecessary concern about intake of solids and subsequent weaning. Education is crucial during this period, and it is important for health care providers to be up to date on the latest best practice guidelines and skilled at counselling parents to avoid unnecessary weaning and nutritional deficits.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the importance of maintaining direct breastfeeding after six months until two years of life while ensuring the baby's adequate nutrition.
2. Describe the recommended complementary feeding practice for breastfed babies 6-24 months and how to achieve adequate nutrition.
3. Explain common misinformation and difficulties in complementary feeding practice among breastfeeding mothers and how to counsel on current best practice guidelines.
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