Feeding an infant or young child

Tips and information

• If you need help with breastfeeding, ask others for advice, such as asking a trained health worker or other experienced women
• Feed a baby only with breast milk for the first six months
• Give the baby no fluids other than breast milk
• Give small amounts of easy to digest food at 6 months and continue to breastfeed up to 2 years of age or beyond
• Give a variety of foods that need chewing as the infant gets older daily, or as often as possible (such as meat, poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables or eggs)
• Give food to infants directly using a spoon and feed slowly and patiently
• Encourage children to eat but do not force them
• Talk to children while they eat, with eye to eye contact
• Help children to learn to feed themselves