Hello would like to share a small problem with you. My baby is not gaining weight as now he is six months but only weighs five Kgs. His birth weight was 2.2kg. I breastfed him till four months and now I give him Cerelac. Please can you help me?

Hello would like to share a small problem with you. My baby is not gaining weight as now he is six months but only weighs five Kgs. His birth weight was 2.2kg. I breastfed him till four months and now I give him Cerelac. Please can you help me?

1 Answers

Your baby was a low birth weight baby and as such it sometimes takes a while for the baby to catch up, on the positive side, at the very least , your baby should have doubled his birth weight by six months which he has achieved so that is good. Has his height and head circumference increased? You can check this information on his clinic card as overall growth is checked in relation to height, weight and head circumference. However, since he is now 6 months, please aim to meet his high energy needs by giving him a wide variety of starches e.g. grains – maize, wimbi, rice, oats etc, potatoes, arrowroots, bananas, etc, fruits like avocado, apples, grapes and fry his food with oil as oil is a necessity for babies. Remember that proteins ensure growth of new cells and muscle so you can give chicken, fresh water fish, eggs etc, a wide variety of vegetables like courgettes, pumpkin and green leafy vegetables. Ensure also that he continues to get not less than 500ml of his usual milk; yoghurt is also good at this point.