New guidance helps parents to see the connection between developmental stages and feeding infants and young children
A brand new resource for parents combines the developmental stages of infants and young children and their relationship with food and feeding. This influence starts as early as in the womb.
The resource has been launched by an independent group of leading experts in infant and child nutrition and development, the Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF). This is a practical guide to help parents and carers recognise and understand how growing infants and young children develop skills related to food and feeding – including taste, texture and food preferences – and how these impacts on the types of foods they are willing to eat both now and in future life.
The guidance also provides tips on responsive feeding – how to recognise an infant or toddlers’ cues that indicate when they are hungry and when they have had enough to eat or drink. Allowing an infant or toddler to respond to natural feelings of fullness and regulating appetite may help to prevent obesity in later life.
This guide builds on the resource released last year for healthcare professionals, and is evidence based. The information is split into five easy to follow age group sections, giving in-depth and illustrated advice on feeding babies and young children.
Gillian Harris, Developmental and Clinical Psychologist and a member of the ITF comments:
“Feeding babies and young children can be an intense and emotional (positive and negative) experience for both parent and child. During the early years, a child’s relationship with food and feeding, including the introduction of complementary foods and the transition to family foods, can be critical for his or her health and development, and have long term consequences on dietary range.”
“Parents often ask when their child will develop feeding and drinking related skills and acquire preferences for particular foods. This guidance aims to provide parents with that knowledge to help them be better informed on their child’s developmental milestones. It is a great resource.”
The guidance is supported by other useful resources for parents, including Portion Sizes and Ten Steps for Healthy Toddlers, as well as information on common problems such food refusal and allergies.
The Developmental Stages in Infant and Toddler Feeding resource is available now.