A child develops himself. However, parents play an important role in this development. They provide development opportunities for their child that he will seize the time comes. A prime example is learning to walk. The only child decides when he will stand up and learn to walk. This week can make the process of interest and he begins to assimilate the principles of walking without his parents realizing it. Then one day the child walks. Meanwhile he will be down moultes once and will be raised each time, motivated by his desire to walk.
Learning to eat will be held in the same way. He will take time for the child to master his technique. The first few months, the child does not focus on 'learning how to eat'. He claims the breast and shows his need to drink or just to suck. In short the child eats. Around the fifth month the baby begins to show interest in what those around him and thus to what he eats. It's been weeks he carries his toys and other objects in his mouth. The child observes and, consequently learns. He wants to imitate the actions of others and when the opportunity arises and a piece of food will be located within reach, the child will carry it to his mouth. What he can not reach or is not able to grasp because the stage of development of motor skills remain on the table or on his plate.
Is it hunger that drives him? A child who is fed on demand (or bottle-fed) was a priori not hungry. And yet he wants to eat exactly what you saw eating. It has nothing to do with hunger, it is a stage in its development. At birth, the child proved he could feed himself, now he will begin the next stage of development vis-a-vis the food: he will seize the food, taste, lick them, sniff them to bite, tear off small pieces, chew and finally swallowing. The baby has to learn to do these things, whereas before her relationship with food was so simple: he was only drinking milk!
And these stages of development are only part of the iceberg. They go hand in hand with other internal developments such as the development of the immune system, oral functions and digestion system. These developments have been the subject of scientific research, as studies by Naylor and Morrow.
During the first six months of life, the infant has to do that type of food: milk. This is easy not only for himself but for his mother. The immune system, which was not yet completed at the birth of the child, has had an opportunity to evolve during this period. Enzymes present in breast milk, factors pre- and probiotics, have also contributed to this development. Around the sixth month, the immune system is firmly established in the intestinal flora and therefore ready to protect the body of the child. Its development is now sufficient to accommodate foods other than breast milk.
The digestion system will also be developed during the first six months. The intestinal wall is less porous and the intestinal flora is also ready to play a role in food digestion.
As for oral physical functions, after months to train the muscles in his jaw while drinking within or bottle feeding, the child is ready for the next step: chew, swallow.
It is interesting to note that these three stages of infant development takes place almost simultaneously, around the sixth month.
Let us sum up what we've covered so far. Around the sixth month, the baby grows more slowly than he has done since birth. He became interested in what happens around him, including that eat other. He wants to be seized even if he does not necessarily hungry. It is very likely that he begins to ask again in the night as he has been too distracted during the day to drink efficiently and concentrated. He has so much to discover!
Because a five month old baby is not capable of carrying food to his mouth himself, we conclude that he is not yet able to eat solids. If the parents still want to feed him anything other than milk, it will have to be given the form of puree.
A six month old baby is entering the second half of his first year. He can usually sit alone for short periods several times a day. He will train every day to grab food and put it in his mouth. It is possible that this would take a month or two to tame technology but it's going to happen is for sure.
If you decide to give your child the chance to train himself to eat, you will quickly find that he is capable and does not need to be fed purees and sauces served on the spoon.
A child is ready for solid foods at six months because:
- his immune system is sufficiently developed;
- his digestive system is more sophisticated than at his birth;
- his oral motor is driven after months to breastfeed or bottle;
- his hand-eye coordination is ready;
- address is sufficient gesture.