Did You Know?
All Purity Nutrition products are free from preservatives, colours or artificial flavours. Our jars remain shelf stable for 2 years because the product is cooked in the jar to keep the goodness sealed in. Purity cereals are also the only locally produced baby cereals to provide more than 50% of the daily iron requirements of a baby aged 6 - 12 months in one serving. The Purity range does not contain added salt and only the jarred dessert range contains a small amount of sugar. |
Introducing Solids
Food Allergies
How is Purity made?
Feeding Problems
INTRODUCING SOLIDS
When should solids be introduced?
Health professionals recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months.
Certain Physical & Intellectual Milestones need to be reached before your baby can be introduced to solids:
• When lying on stomach, can lift head and can place weight on forearms
• Has doubled birth weight
• Can hold head steady, when sitting fully supported
• Is interested in surroundings and can focus for a period of time
How should I give solids, and at which feed must I start?
Mix a few teaspoons of Purity Rice Cereal with your baby’s milk to make a smooth paste. Offer a taste after the milk feed in the morning or at lunchtime. Choose a quiet time when you won’t be rushed or interrupted.
Your baby must learn to use her lips to remove the food from the spoon. This takes time and patience and at first not much food is eaten and more ends up on the table, floor, baby and you. As she learns to control the food in her mouth you can increase the quantity and consistency of the food.
What other solid Foods are suitable in the first year?
Meat is important from seven months onwards for its iron and protein content.
Increase the variety of fruits and vegetables, and offer mixed grain baby
cereals such as Purity Mixed Cereal. It is wise to choose a baby cereal
fortified with iron.
What varieties can I give my baby if she does not like the Purity meat and vegetables?
It is important that your baby has a balanced diet. She needs cereals, meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy products. Avoid giving your baby the sweet varieties only. Should your baby prefer fruit to vegetables, add a little fruit to the vegetables.
What solids should I give first?
An easy digestable, single grain, iron fortified cereal is best. Purity Rice Cereal is an excellent starter food because it won't upset delicate stomachs and won't cause an allergic reaction. Purity Maize Cereal is a good alternative starter cereal, which offers slightly more carbohydrates and is not as bland as the Rice Cereal. Start with a single grain cereal, rather than a cereal with two or more grains.
How much should a baby have at each meal and how do I introduce other foods?
Gradually build up the number of teaspoonfuls your baby has at each meal, letting yourself be guided by your baby's appetite. Once your baby has become used to cereal in a week or two, you can start single variety vegetables and fruits. Cooked, finely pureed vegetables such as carrots, Butternut and sweet potato can be offered. Finely pureed, cooked apples, pears and peaches are suitable fruits to give next.
Give only one new food a day and continue with it for at least three days before introducing another new food. This way you can see it agrees with your baby.
Are there any foodstuffs that should be avoided when feeding a baby?
Preservatives, high salt and sugar content, strong spices, artificial flavourants and colourants are bad for babies. It is best to give foods that are specially prepared for them. It is best to avoid highly allergenic foodstuffs like cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, fish, soya, wheat and gluten if your baby is likely to develop allergies.
FOOD ALLERGIES
How common is food allergy, and how will I know if my baby has an allergy to a particular food?
Symptoms include vomiting, loose stools, stomach cramps, itchy rashes and blood in the stools. Swelling and itching in and around the mouth are more serious reactions. Food allergy is not very common and these symptoms can also be a sign of illness due to other causes. If the cause is a food allergy the child will become ill every time the food is eaten.
Can babies be allergic to breast milk?
No. Intolerance to the natural milk sugars lactose and galactose is possible if there is a lack of digestive enzymes that process these sugars, but this condition is very rare. Occasionally foods the mother has eaten such as milk, chocolate or eggs can affect the baby.
Which foods are most likely to cause an allergic reaction?
Cow's milk, soya, wheat, egg white, nuts and seafood. While not a true allergy,
sensitivity to food preservatives, colourants and flavourants is possible. Read
labels carefully.
What's the best prevention and treatment for food allergy?
Breast feed without the addition of solids for as long as possible and avoid
allergy triggers in the mother's diet. Introduce suitable foods into that baby's
diet with care and start introducing these foods by 6 months of age. Avoidance
of food that has caused an allergic reaction is the best treatment. Get
professional advice to ensure a balanced diet.
HOW'S PURITY MADE?
Is the nutrient content of Purity lost during cooking?
The food is cooked in the sealed jar to minimize nutrient losses.
What is modified maize starch and why is it added?
Modified maize starch is corn flour, which has been slightly changed to suit its
use in baby foods. It is a natural food ingredient, and less than half a
teaspoon per 100g is used to provide uniform consistency in a few varieties.
Is salt and sugar used in Purity?
There is no
added salt in Purity jarred foods. All Purity fruit jarred foods do not contain
any added sugar and only a small amount of sugar is added to Purity dessert jarred foods.
Why are the Purity jars not re-used?
New Purity jars have to pass very strict quality tests before filling. Used jars would be weakened in transit and would not meet these high standards. By depositing your used Purity jars in recycling bins, they can be used to manufacture other glass containers.
FEEDING PROBLEMS
My baby of 8 months won’t go to bed without a bottle? Will this cause tooth decay?
Letting your baby fall asleep with a bottle( no matter what it’s filled with – fruit juice, breastmilk, or formula) can promote tooth decay. Infants are susceptible to tooth decay even before they show their teeth.
It's helpful if, you can:
• Take the bottle away from your baby before she falls asleep.
• Use a cup,as young as possible to replace the bottle and
• Try to wean your baby from the bottle by her first birthday
• Don’t dip the dummy in sugar or honey
• Clean your baby’s teeth and gums with a clean soft washcloth or baby’s
toothbrush
My baby is “oopsing” up her formula; should I change formula?
Many normal , healthy babies have episodes of spitting up or spitting out their food. This may become a problem if the amounts of formula or breast milk lost are large. This may cause poor weight gain.
If your baby is loosing large amounts of formula or breast milk, or has other symptoms in addition to spitting up, take your baby to the doctor/nurse for examination.
Among formula-fed infants, some will spit up less with one type of formula than another. However, there is no consistently “better” formula. Changing from one standard formula to another in a healthy baby can be done with little stress, but, remember, such changes usually do not cure the “oopsing” problem. He /she will grow out of it.
When can I expect my child to stop waking up at night for a feeding?
The number of hours an infant sleeps at night increases with age. A majority of babies sleep 6 consecutive hours by 3 months, and 8 consecutive hours by 5months. However, this does not mean that all babies will be sleeping through the night by 5 months. As many as one- third will still be having fewer than 6 consecutive hours of sleep at this age.
How can I wean my baby from the bedtime bottle?
Avoid putting your baby to bed with a bottle. Give your baby her night time feed while you hold her, and then put the baby in her cot. If you wish to discontinue this bottle, or are trying to stop an established habit of feeding the baby in bed, substitute a pleasurable experience for this type of feeding. This may be a quiet period of mom-baby interaction (eg. rocking, singing or a bedtime story). By avoiding bottles in bed, tooth decay from nursing bottle can also be prevented.
Should I give my baby formula or milk while he has a cold?
There is a common feeling that milk or formula will make mucus worse. There are no scientific facts to back up this belief. Baby should be allowed to drink whatever he wants during a cold. It is important to maintain good nutrition and hydration during an illness. Even during diarrhea, baby should be fed normally.
Should I Feed my baby right away when he cries?
That depends on the circumstances. If your baby begins to cry 3 to 5 hours after the last feeding, offering formula/milk first may be the logical choice. However, if the crying occurs before you anticipate the next feeding, check for other causes. Is his nappy dirty? Is he too hot or cold? Does he stop if you hold him? In this way, you will learn to identify the signals your baby gives you. Through trial and error you will find out which responses best meet your baby’s needs.
What is the right number of stools for a breastfed baby?
Stool frequency in breastfed babies is highly variable. Some infants may have a stool with each feeding; whereas others have one stool every 7 to 8 days. Stool patterns often change over the first few months of life. If your baby is only breastfed and is growing well, don’t worry about this.
How do I know if my baby is getting enough food/milk?
Your baby’s growth will indicate whether he is getting enough to eat. Your baby’s weight , length and head circumference should be measured at each clinic visit. These are plotted on growth curves.
Most babies will establish a growth pattern that fits within a particular growth path. A sudden change in this pattern may indicate a feeding or other health problem. If you are concerned about your baby’s growth or diet, ask your sister to explain the health card & growth chart to you.
Should I be concerned about giving my child too much formula?
Generally speaking, your baby will regulate intake and not gain too much weight. One should never try to force-feed your baby so watch for his signals; for when he shows disinterest in his bottle. Problems of overfeeding can include spitting and vomiting. If formulas are not mixed properly with too much powder, he generally will have loose, diarrhoea-like stools
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