Mothers share healthy alternatives to baby food products

For most Indian households Cerelac is what Gen Z now refers to as a lsquocore memoryrsquo on social media This ubiquitous brand of baby food is commonly recommended as a nutritious supplement to breast milk for children between six months and two years of age But as a recent report by Public Eye a Swiss investigative organisation revealed the formula does Indian infants far more harm than good As per the report Cerelac sold in India contained 27 gms of added sugar and honey per serving mdash a stark contrast to the UK and German versions that have no added sugar Although the manufacturer Nestleacute has claimed to have reduced the amount of added sugars by up to 30 per cent over the past few years the discrepancy has sparked conversations about if and how baby formula can be safely used by concerned parents to cater to their childrenrsquos nutritional needsStaying arsquobreastrsquoldquoBreast milk is always the first choice for infants under the age of six months It should ideally be their only source of nourishment However some new mothers struggle with lactation in which case we refer them to lactation specialists who can guide them about the necessary steps they should take to begin breastfeeding Medication is also available and should be sought as needed However if the mother is unable to produce enough breast milk or has a health condition that mandates medication which prevents her from breastfeeding she may be recommended baby formula whose sugar content is equivalent to breast milk While many mothers opt for cowrsquos milk often diluting it to make it palatable to infants it is not recommended as cowrsquos milk lacks the folic acid needed to meet a babyrsquos nutritional requirementsrdquo shares Dr Jayashree Deshpande a paediatrician and president of Palghar Academy Of PaediatricsGradually introduce the baby to boiled and pureacuteed vegetables or fruit in the first year REPRESENTATION PICSDr Gauravi WartyLokegaonkar a dentist and mother to a fouryearold adds that what makes the use of baby formula concerning is that new mothers are taught to indiscriminately reach for it without first being educated about the merits of breastfeeding ldquoBreastfeeding has innumerable benefits for both mother and child However in my own experience my child was fed formula soon after his birth without any consultation with me And this was despite my willingness to take the necessary steps to breastfeed my child from his very first mealrdquo When questioned about her distrust of baby formulas she explains that the high sugar content higher than breast milk makes it easier for children to get hooked to the taste and shun breast milk for formulaFrom left Gauravi WartyLokegaonkar and Neha Rajadhyaksha with their childrenldquoBreastfed babies are known to have fewer instances of infections and hospitalisation episodes due to the antibodies passed down from the mother These nutrients are also absorbed better While I am not opposed to the use of formula I believe it should be restricted to very limited scenarios and only in the absence of other alternativesrdquo she clarifiesBoth WartyLokegaonkar and Deshpande emphasise on the need to create and refer new mothers to breast milk banks WartyLokegaonkar further laments the lack of education and preparation offered to new mothers who may be struggling with the mechanics of breastfeeding as well as the availability of safe public spaces to breastfeed atRead nutrition labels on the packaging beforehandFor entrepreneur Neha Rajadhyaksha being diagnosed with a viral infection meant that she had to feed her baby formula while in recovery ldquoHowever once I checked the contents I was quite alarmed and decided against it I would highly recommend that new mothers learn to read and decode labels instead of picking up baby foods that are popularrdquo she notesDiversify the young paletteKajal BhathenaOnce the weaning process begins infants can be introduced to homemade foods in a phased manner advises Kajal Bathena a nutritionist at Health and You ldquoWhen your baby is six to seven months old start with steamed or boiled mashed or pureacuteed vegetables and fruits such as beetroot potato pumpkin tomato spinach and apples as well as uncooked firm fruit such as papaya banana and chikoo You can feed these to your baby twice a day and fill the gap with breast milk For the next two months you can introduce ragi porridge dal pani or rice kanji for lunch and dinner with vegetables and fruit as a prelunch and evening snack continue with breast milk for breakfastDr Jayashree DeshpandeBy the childrsquos 10th month feed himher soft foods such as khichdi oats dosa and chilla You can also introduce animal protein in the form of soup once or twice a week However avoid adding sugar or salt to your babyrsquos meals until the child is a year oldrdquo she elaborates For parents who prefer to eschew packaged baby food altogether Rajadhyaksha suggests homemade khimti a preparation of ground rice moong dal ajwain and methi for babies who are six months and older while Deshpande advises a wholesome homemade ragi porridge