Author(s): Mandaloju Pooja and Verma Anisha

Abstract:
The introduction to solid feeding and the gradual replacement of milk by solid food as the main source of nutrition is the process known as weaning. Weaning practices and the problems of weaning foods are low nutrient density and high bulk of the weaning foods, early introduction of solid foods, and unhygienic practices predispose infants to malnutrition, growth retardation, infection, and high mortality. Multi-approach strategies, involving the development of improved recipes and processing, nutrition education, access to safe water, good sanitation, economic empowerment of women, reduction in workload, and promotion of breastfeeding, are recommended solutions to the problems. The WHO 2001 global recommendation is a one size fits all approach to weaning, an approach which may not take sufficient account of the special needs of some infants and fails to allow for the different problems encountered in the industrialised nations compared with economically developing countries. Introducing solid food to these infants earlier than this is weak. Infants should be managed individually according to their needs. The period in a child’s life when he shifts progressively from exclusive breastfeeding to a mixed type of food, ultimately to the adult type, is a crucial one. This transitional period of the weaning period, has been recognized as being potentially dangerous in several cultures. The process of weaning is perhaps of minor importance in populations and communities with good nutrition and good standards of infant feeding, but is of major concern in communities where incomes are low, knowledge about weaning practices is not always correct and where environmental sanitation and standards of personal hygiene are far from satisfactory. Depending upon the culture, this crucial period lies between the 4th and 24th months of life.