Natural feeding and weaning.

1. Big picture

Natural feeding means feeding the infant with human breast milk, preferably directly from the mother’s breast. Weaning in pediatrics usually means the gradual introduction of complementary foods while breast milk or formula continues.

This topic is very exam-relevant because feeding errors are common causes of:

• Poor weight gain
• Dehydration
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Cow’s milk protein allergy symptoms
• Choking and aspiration
• Feeding refusal
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Excessive weight gain later in life

The core exam sentence:

Breast milk is the optimal nutrition for a healthy mature infant; exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for about the