Food milestones for babies

• Best Foods
• Foods to Avoid
• Calorie Needs
• Sample Menu
• Quick Ideas
• Tips

Even though your 9 month old is already eating food, his main source of nutrition should continue to come from either breast milk or formula. Any extra food can be considered extra until your child is 1 year old.

Some parents prefer to start with pureed foods when first introducing solid foods. At the same time, others may opt for a child-led weaning approach, which involves offering foods in solid form with an emphasis on allowing the child to self-feed.

If your baby is eating mashed potatoes, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that you start offering textured foods and some harder foods that help your baby learn to chew around 8 months of age.

Some great foods to offer your 9 month old include:

• Fruits: bananas, soft pears, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries.
• Vegetables: soft cooked broccoli, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes
• Protein: eggs, soft cooked or ground meats, tofu, ground beans, low mercury fish.
• Healthy fats: avocado, fish, olive oil, nut oil
• Iron foods: iron-fortified eggs, meat, fish, iron-fortified cereals, whole grain bread or pasta

Key nutrients for your baby healthy growth and development.

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Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health and may help build strong immune systems in infants, although more research is needed on the latter.

Infant formula is usually fortified with vitamin D. However, it is often recommended that breastfed infants take a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D daily during their first year of life.

Because babies experience such rapid growth in their first year, they are at high risk of iron deficiency, which can lead to serious health consequences.

Iron supplements may be needed after the first 6 months. However, it may not be necessary if your baby regularly gets enough iron-rich food sources or drinks formula that is usually fortified with iron.

Healthy fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, are also important for babies and young children. They contribute to the development and functioning of the brain, eyes and immune health.

General Information: By providing your baby with a variety of foods, you will provide him with various important nutrients, but remember that at this age, the main source of nutrition for him should still be breast milk or formula.

Foods to avoid

Although most foods can be given to babies if prepared and cut properly, some foods should be avoided in the first year of life. Some foods can cause food poisoning in toddlers, while others are considered choking hazards.

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Here are some important foods you should not feed your 9-month-old baby:

• honey
• raw or undercooked meat, fish, or eggs
• fish high in mercury such as shark, swordfish and marlin
• added sugars
• salt and high sodium foods
• unpasteurized foods
• potential choking hazards such as whole grapes, whole nuts, raw fruits and vegetables

You may have heard that babies under 1 should not drink cow's milk. They still need to drink formula or breast milk to meet their nutritional needs.

They can mix milk into products like oatmeal or smoothies, but you can also use breast milk or formula.

Babies should not be given added sugar as a substitute for more nutritious options. Also, too much sodium can harm their developing kidneys, so it's best to limit your salt intake.

General Information: It is important to avoid certain foods in the first year of life because they can cause food poisoning or choking, or may not be the best choice for their developing body.

How many calories does a 9-month-old baby need per day?

A 9-month-old baby needs 750-900 calories a day and about 400-500 should continue to come from breast milk or formula.

You don't need to track your child's calorie intake, but you may be wondering how much to offer at each meal and snack.

Babies will eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full, so you can let them decide how much they want to eat.

Your child is likely to show signs of feeling full, such as turning his head away from you or pushing food away, as well as signs that he is hungry, such as opening his mouth to eat or becoming aroused.

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General Information: A 9-month-old baby needs about 750-900 calories a day. Be sure to support regular feedings of formula or breast milk to help him meet his needs, and let your baby decide for himself when he is full at mealtimes.

It's normal for your baby's appetite to change from day to day. Remember that breast milk or formula should remain the main source of nutrition during the first year of life, and babies should get about 24 ounces (720 ml) of both daily.

At this age, you should also offer water with meals to encourage proper hydration and help flush out solid foods. At this age, babies should be getting about 4-8 ounces (0.5-1 cup) of water daily.

For other drinks, the AAP recommends sticking to water and breast milk or formula at this age and avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks and other beverages before age 2. Cow's milk or soy milk can be introduced after 12 months.

Here is a sample menu for a 9-month-old baby that includes three meals, snacks, and breast milk or formula:

Breast milk or formula

6 oz (177.4 ml)

Breakfast

• 2-4 oz (59.1-118.3 ml) iron-enriched ready-made cereal
• banana or other fruit (you can try cutting or mashing it and mix it into the cereal too)
• about one teaspoon of peanut butter, mixed cereal

Snack (optional)

One of the following:

• soft (or cooked) fruit
• curdled milk, whole milk yogurt
• teething biscuits

Breast milk or formula

6 oz.

Snack (optional)

One of the following options:

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• diced cheese
• Whole milk cottage cheese
• soft (or cooked) fruit

breast milk or formula

6 oz. peas

Breast milk or formula

6 oz (177. 4 ml)

General Information: Above is a sample menu for a 9 month old baby. Remember that babies will let you know when they are full and may not eat everything offered. It is important to continue offering at least 24 ounces (720 ml) of breast milk or formula daily.

Quick Meal & Snack Ideas

Feeding your baby may seem daunting, but there are ways to simplify the process so you don't have to spend a lot of time preparing and preparing food.

Here are some fast food and snack ideas for your 9 month old:

Quick and easy breakfast ideas

• scrambled eggs or veggie omelet with soft fruit and whole wheat toast with avocado.
• French toast made with one egg and sprinkled with cinnamon, plain whole milk yogurt and applesauce with no added sugar.
• curdled milk, whole milk yoghurt or whole milk curd mixed with soft fruits and chirios
• Fixed flakes mixed with nut oil and fragmented fruits

Fast and light ideas for lunch or dinner

Quick and easy snack ideas

• soft cooked vegetable finger foods such as asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots or potatoes with tomato crackers avocado
• soft or cooked fruits such as bananas, ripe peaches, strawberries or boiled pears
• diced cheese
• plain whole milk yogurt
• Whole milk cottage cheese
• hard boiled eggs

General information: Feeding your 9 month old baby can be overwhelming and time consuming. Having a few ideas for quick and easy meals in your back pocket is a good idea.

Feeding tips for your 9 month old

Cooking

Cooking is a great way to save time and set yourself up for an easier week. If you can, try planning some meals and preparing them ahead of time so you can reheat them during the week instead of cooking every day.

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By the time your baby is 9 months old, he will be able to eat a lot of what you eat. When you're preparing food for yourself or the rest of the family, see what you can do to make it convenient for your child. Here are a few tips:

• Don't add salt until you've split the serving into your baby's first servings.
• Cut food into safe sizes for your baby to consume.
• If you are using a spicy or high sodium seasoning, save some baby food before adding it.
• Check the texture of the food yourself to make sure it's soft enough for your baby. Pinch the food between your fingers - this is a great way to see if he can flatten it with his gums.

To reduce the risk of choking, cut food small enough for them to grab and bite, but not so small that they can swallow it whole. Some raw fruits and vegetables, such as apples and carrots, are also a choking hazard because they are too hard to crack.

Food safety

It is important to prepare your baby's food using safe cooking methods to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Wash hands and change cutting boards when handling raw meat to avoid cross contamination. Cook meat, fish and eggs to a safe temperature of 145-165°F (62.8-73.9°C) depending on the type of food.

Be sure to refrigerate food soon after cooking to preserve it. It's also good practice to date leftover food so you know when to throw it away. Most products keep for several days in the refrigerator or 1-2 months in the freezer.

Allergens

By the time your child reaches this age, you may already be introducing some common allergens such as peanut butter, eggs and fish. If you haven't, now is the time, as introducing these foods early can help prevent allergies.

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It's a good idea to administer allergens one at a time and wait a few days in between so you can watch your child for a possible reaction.

Signs of an allergic reaction include:

• wheezing or cough
• edema of the lips or throat
• Handy
• Itching of the skin or rash
• diarrhea, vomiting or other signs of stomach disorders

Call the pediatrician, if you notice the features a mild allergic reaction such as a rash or upset stomach. Call 911 if symptoms are more severe, such as if you suspect anaphylaxis, which usually includes wheezing, hives, drooling, and drowsiness.

Packaged foods

Offering packaged foods to your baby can be a convenient way to feed him when you're short on time. We recommend offering a variety of whole foods whenever possible, but having some packaged foods in your pantry can come in handy.

When shopping for packaged baby foods, look for foods that are low in sodium, added sugars, additives, and preservatives. Also, make sure they don't contain foods that should be avoided in the first year of life, such as honey.

Finally, remember that mealtime should be a fun, stress-free experience. Try not to force your child to eat more if he shows signs of satiety. If he refuses food, you can try offering him another time.

Re-experiencing new foods and maintaining a stress-free environment encourages babies to eat.

General Information: Proper handling, preparation and storage of foods for your child will help prevent choking and possible foodborne illness. Do your best to make mealtime fun and easy, and let your child decide how much to eat.

Resume

With so many exciting changes and challenges that come with raising kids, thinking about and preparing healthy meals and snacks for your 9-month-old baby can seem like a daunting task.

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By planning and having a few meal ideas, you can create healthy, balanced meals for your baby in less time.

Preparing some foods ahead of time and creating your own child-friendly meals can save you the time and stress of preparing more than one meal.

While 9-month-olds can eat most of the foods you eat, some foods should be avoided, including honey, salt, added sugars, and undercooked or unpasteurized foods.

Proper handling, preparation and storage of your baby's food will significantly reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Be sure to cut your baby's food into safe-shaped pieces and offer appropriate textures to reduce the risk of choking.

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all about growth spurts in a child — ON Clinic Medical Center blog

A situation familiar to every parent: a week ago, children's clothes were just right, and today they are treacherously small. Well, most likely the child had a growth spurt, and it's good that you noticed it only after the fact.

After all, sometimes during such periods, the behavior of children changes dramatically ... How to determine when a growth spurt occurs and help the child cope with it calmly, the doctors of the children's departments of the ON Clinic network of medical centers will tell.

What are growth spurts?

From infancy to adolescence, children experience regular growth. Each baby is unique and grows at its own pace until they reach full physical maturity at 15-20 years of age. However, as children grow older, they experience what are known as growth spurts—a rapid increase in height and weight over a short period of time.

Tatyana Syrbu, pediatrician at ON Clinic Kharkiv Medical Center, will tell you more about the causes of such phenomena:

“Due to the nutrients that a child receives from food, his bones, muscles and joints actively grow. Moreover, this does not always happen evenly, and often parents notice rapid changes when they put on clothes for a child that were still in size last week, but today they have already become small. The growth rate, the intensity of the jumps and how quickly the baby reaches its maximum height is determined by the genes inherited from the parents.

Do not confuse growth spurts and development milestones! Yes, they often coincide in time, but they are completely different concepts. The fact is that growth spurts in infants and older children are periods of intensive growth associated only with physical development.

But milestones (or leaps) in development are actions and skills that a child masters at a certain stage of his development. Development milestones focus on how your child thinks (cognitive and language skills), plays (social and emotional skills), and moves (motor skills). They are often associated with age-related crises in children, which just occur against the background of active mental development.

When do growth spurts occur?

Growth spurts occur at different stages depending on the age of the child:

1. Infancy. In the first two years, the child will noticeably gain weight and grow by an average of 25 cm. Moreover, growth spurts in children under one year old will be the most intense: they occur at about 1-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, six months and 9 months. Growth spurts after a year are less common, but are also accompanied by rapid physical development.
2. Childhood. From preschool to puberty, a child's diet and eating habits change greatly, making growth slow and steady. Usually by the age of 3.5 years, the child doubles its height from birth. Thereafter, adulthood is followed by a regular and approximately uniform increase in height and weight each year until adolescence.
3. Adolescence. Growth spurt in adolescents occurs at about the same time as puberty: for girls - at 9-15 years old, for boys - at 12-17 years old. During this period, they grow by about 9-10 cm.

Of course, these age limits are only approximate, and the development of each child is individual. You can not adjust the development of the child under a certain schedule of growth spurts. If your child is eating normally, feels good, but his development does not correspond to the monthly growth tables, this is not a reason to panic. But if you are still worried, you can contact your pediatrician.

Signs of a growth spurt in a child

Is it possible to understand from the child's behavior that he or she has experienced a growth spurt? Yes and no. The answer largely depends on the age of your child: the older the children, the less pronounced their behavioral changes.

However, growth spurts in infants and preschool children can often be identified. Natalia Ovcharenko, pediatrician at the ON Clinic Mykolaiv medical center, will tell about their characteristic features:

the child is more likely to wake up at night to snack on milk or formula from a bottle. Toddlers and preschoolers during such periods become more capricious and picky about food, often they can ask to eat only certain foods. Growth spurts usually go away with no visible change in behavior as adults."

As you can see, all signs of a growth spurt of 3 months and all subsequent ones are closely related to each other. But still fundamental among them is increased appetite, since sleep problems and whims can be associated with anything from overexcitement to colds and other diseases.

Growing pains in children

Alas, signs of growth spurts in children are not always limited to behavioral changes. It happens that during this period there are so-called growing pains. Olga Chvertka, pediatrician at ON Clinic Poltava Medical Center, will tell you more about them:

“During periods of active growth, the child may feel dull pain in the legs, especially in the calves, knees and front of the thighs. This symptom is called growing pains, although it is quite controversial from the point of view of medicine. These sensations are not directly related to the growth process, however, growing muscles and bones are more “tired” after prolonged activity, which is why pain occurs. Often they are reported by children aged 2-3 years and adolescents.

Dull pain in the legs may be associated with active play and high load on growing limbs, but if it persists for several days, it is worth contacting a pediatrician. He will examine the child and prescribe additional examinations to rule out the development of juvenile arthritis, rheumatological diseases, infections, fractures and other orthopedic problems.

How to help a child during growth spurts?

When a child is disturbed by something, parents have an understandable desire to alleviate their condition. But whatever one may say, growth spurts are part of physical development that you just need to experience. However, you can do everything in your power to keep your child comfortable:

• babies and toddlers.

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