Can a 9-month-old child eat rice?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Resident Doctor Ho Thi Hong Tho - Neonatologist - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital
From time immemorial, rice has been considered a popular cereal choice as the first weaning food for young children. However, making rice into rice requires a suitable way to become a healthy solid food for babies. So when should a baby eat crushed rice, can a 9-month-old child eat rice, how cooked rice is safe for children... are the things that parents often wonder about.

1. When can baby eat rice?

Before parents want to introduce any solid food to their baby, including mashed cooked rice, the baby needs to meet certain criteria. Accordingly, a baby who is ready to receive solid foods will have the following minimum abilities:
Able to sit upright without support. There is a reflex to stick out the tongue to bring food into the mouth. Know how to reach for food and put it in the mouth. Be ready to chew food before swallowing. In general, characteristics such as the above will be achieved by about 6 months of age for most normal infants. However, when to give your baby crushed rice depends on each child. For babies born prematurely, born with low birth weight or with congenital diseases, when to give rice to children should be delayed more.
Because breast milk or formula is the only nutrition a baby needs until 6 months, but it will no longer provide all the essential nutrients a baby needs like solid foods . However, before starting to try rice, from 4-6 months of age, parents should start giving babies soft solid foods such as cereals, oatmeal, barley and specialized purees. feed babies. These cereals are mixed with baby formula or breast milk to create the perfect consistency. Manufacturers often add vitamins and minerals needed for a child's growth and development. What's more, these starters will help your baby learn to eat and help him adapt to new flavors and textures, helping his digestive system prepare for a more varied diet.

2. Can a 9-month-old child eat rice?

After 6 months of age, in addition to breast milk or formula, babies need iron-rich food sources, because their iron stores from birth need to be replenished.
This is especially the case if the baby has the umbilical cord clamped immediately at birth. An estimated one-third of a baby's blood is in the placenta. Cutting the umbilical cord too soon means that this blood (and its stores of iron) cannot be received by the baby. Therefore, the time to start weaning for children can be considered earlier.
So, if a 9-month-old baby can eat rice, the answer is yes, but it requires appropriate processing such as pureed soup or porridge. However, if possible, try other nutritious foods first, those specifically made for babies just starting to eat solids.

3. The first nutritious foods that need to be included in the weaning diet

The important nutrients that should be included in the weaning diet that babies should have early access to are natural sources of iron and zinc, which are both essential for the body's very fast growth rate and easy to absorb. Protein from animals, such as meat, fish, and eggs, will play a certain role in this need, instead of simply thinking about giving children rice and rice. In addition, milk, including breast milk or formula, will continue to be the primary food source until the baby is 12 months old.
Besides, avocado or salmon are foods that should be used to prepare baby meals. These are great foods because they are packed with nutrients as well as healthy fats for brain development.
In addition, vegetables or fruits rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber are also necessary for young children when properly prepared into bite-sized pieces. This will make the baby's self-directed weaning experience more enjoyable and exciting.

4. Risk of choking rice in young children

As a parent, introducing new foods to your baby's solids can be stressful. Especially when hearing so many stories of young children choking or choking on foreign bodies because of food.
Accordingly, as long as the baby is about 6 months old and has the characteristics of developing ready for solid foods, rice still does not pose a greater risk than other solid foods. However, to do so, the way to prepare rice for children must be according to each level, depending on the child's receptive ability. When just starting to learn to eat, parents can give their 9-month-old baby porridge from rice. Next, baby rice can simply be cooked soft, mashed with a spoon for the child to pick up, and then can experience the whole grain rice sticking to their fingers - this is also a form of self-directed weaning. Huy.
In addition, parents also need to remember to always be with their children at all times during the child's meal. Moreover, parents also need to recognize early when children have trouble and calmly perform first aid skills when children choke on foreign objects.

5. Is white rice good for children?

White rice is a very popular food around the world but is it really good for children?
White rice is not really a healthy option for children (or adults) because it contains very little nutrition and is high in starch, not to mention arsenic. There are many other foods that can replace white rice that will provide nutrition and help your baby grow well without spikes in blood sugar.
Since babies just transitioning to solid foods are still drinking mostly milk and eating very little in a solid food fashion, it's important to consider their choices of solid foods. As mentioned, foods rich in iron and zinc are key. They are more important for brain development and red blood cell production as well as for many bodily functions than for babies to eat solid rice.
In short, rice is a staple food of many ethnic groups, including the Vietnamese. However, when it comes to making the best decisions about your child's health and nutrition, the above things need to be kept in mind when making rice into a meal for your child. Moreover, children also need to diversify their food choices, both to help their digestive system have interesting experiences and to ensure adequate nutrition for children at each stage of development.
In addition to a reasonable diet, your baby should also be supplemented with necessary micronutrients such as: Zinc, selenium, chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, Ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C), ... to improve taste, eat well, reach the correct height and weight, and have a good immune system, strengthen the resistance to get sick less often and have less digestive problems.
The improvement of symptoms can take place for a long time, so it is recommended that parents be calm and persistent when supplementing with nutrients for children, even through eating or functional foods. In particular, the use of functional foods should choose those of natural origin that are easily absorbed, do not allow simultaneous use of many types or continuously change the types of functional foods.
To have more knowledge about taking care of children by age, you should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, Pediatricians - Nutritionists when you need advice.