Patient's question:
My baby is now 4.5 months old and has been exclusively formula-fed. At 4 months, I started introducing solid foods for her. Previously, she could consume about 750ml of formula daily, in addition to one bowl of rice porridge and one serving of fruit in the morning and afternoon. However, recently she has suddenly refused to drink formula, only consuming around 500-600ml per day, and she refuses no matter what. She, on the other hand, loves fruits. At 4.5 months, the baby should still primarily rely on milk, which has made us very concerned about her nutrition. Could you please ask the experts how we can get our baby to enjoy drinking milk again?Additionally, I use milk to mix her rice porridge. Should this milk be included in her total milk intake?
Doctor's answer:
It might be that the baby just started eating complementary foods and is more interested in foods with various flavors. Actually, there's no need to force it, as long as the complementary foods are nutritionally balanced and well-combined. I think nutrition shouldn't be a problem, as long as morning and evening milk intake is ensured. It's recommended to have the child tested for trace elements. Children who are deficient in zinc may have poor appetite and easily wake up during sleep. Now is a good time to start adding complementary foods to the child's diet. It's suggested to change the brand and flavor of the formula, as the child's taste buds are still developing and they can be quite picky about the taste of formula.