Can babies eat complementary foods at 3 months old? National Health Administration refutes rumors and clarifies

The idea that "breast milk is the best baby food" has been gradually accepted by the public in recent years. However, a TV program recently discussed some incorrect ideas about breastfeeding, including that babies can eat complementary foods at 3 months old, newborns should drink more water, and babies fed with breast milk do not need to be fed after 10 months. The National Health Administration took the initiative to clarify these remarks on the evening of the 14th.

There is strong evidence and is confirmed by the medical community that exclusive breastfeeding (only breast milk, no formula, water, or pacifiers) in the first few months after a baby is born is the best practice for both the baby and the mother.

The National Health Bureau pointed out that according to public feedback, the program mentioned that babies can eat complementary foods at 3 months old. However, according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), infants and young children should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months, after which appropriate complementary foods can be added. Breastfeeding can be continued until 2 years old or older, which is beneficial to the health of mother and baby and parent-child interaction. It is especially important to add complementary foods after the baby is 6 months old, as this is better for the baby's resistance to infectious diseases and the mother's own recovery.

As for whether it is possible to give complementary foods to babies between 4 and 6 months? The National Health Bureau pointed out that if the following conditions really exist, you can consider adding complementary foods as early as after 4 months, including if exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is really difficult, the mother's milk supply has obviously decreased, the baby does not seem full, or the baby actively asks for other foods, such as being very interested in watching adults eat other foods, reaching out to grab them, and putting them in his mouth.

Also, do babies need to drink water when they are breastfed? The World Health Organization also recommends that there is no need to give babies water when exclusively breastfeeding, as breast milk itself is already at a concentration suitable for babies. Regardless of whether the baby can be breastfed for a full 6 months, or whether there are difficulties and the baby is fed with breast milk in advance at 4 months, the mother should at least breastfeed exclusively for at least 4 months.

The National Health Administration has been promoting the certification of mother-child friendly medical institutions for 11 years. In addition to professionally trained medical staff who can provide mothers with correct breastfeeding knowledge and skills, allowing mothers to have skin-to-skin contact with their children as soon as possible after delivery, stimulating prolactin, allowing milk to be secreted early, allowing mothers to successfully breastfeed, and providing medical staff with counseling and educational training to strengthen their correct knowledge and skills of breastfeeding. The National Health Administration calls on hospitals and clinics that have not yet joined to join as soon as possible.

The department has provided a lot of breastfeeding information in the Maternal Health Handbook. It has also printed a "Successful Breastfeeding Training Manual" which the public is welcome to obtain. It has also set up a toll-free breastfeeding hotline 0800-870-870 (Taiwanese homonym: Mama feed you! Mama feed you!) and a website where the public can search for breastfeeding-related information online: http://www.bhp.doh.gov.tw/breastfeeding.