Weaning facts for kids
Weaning is when a baby slowly stops drinking only milk and starts eating other foods. This process happens for all mammal babies, because only mammals drink milk from their mothers. When a baby no longer drinks breast milk or formula, it has been weaned.
Weaning in Humans
Human babies usually begin to eat small amounts of solid food around six months old. They still drink breast milk or formula at this time. Before six months, a baby's digestive system and kidneys are still developing. This means they are not ready for solid foods yet.
Since babies do not have teeth to chew, they eat soft, mashed foods. Examples include cooked mashed fruit or vegetables. Babies cannot digest some foods that adults eat. These include foods with nuts or too much gluten, salt, or sugar. Also, a baby's digestive system is very sensitive to bacteria. For this reason, babies should not eat honey, eggs, or shellfish. These foods can sometimes contain bacteria that might harm a baby.
Weaning Conflict
Sometimes, a mother wants her baby to stop breastfeeding, but the baby wants to continue. This is called weaning conflict. Some scientists who study evolution believe that mammal mothers need to wean their babies. This helps the mothers have more babies and pass on their genes.
However, mammal babies want to breastfeed for as long as possible. This helps them grow strong and get full care from their mothers. Weaning conflict happens in many mammal species. This includes primates like monkeys and canines like wolves.
Related pages
Images for kids
-
Baby being offered baby food
-
A shellfish diver prepares for her work as a toddler nurses. (Japan, circa 1806)
-
1938 drawing of a calf weaner nose ring. This was strapped to the calf's face and made the calf's attempts to suckle very uncomfortable for the dam.
-
The yellow nose ring prevents the calf from suckling, but does not interfere with grazing or social contact with its dam or other members of the herd.
,_c._1938,_NGA_24827.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Destete para niños
