引入固體食物:用匙羮餵食?讓嬰兒自己吃?

近年來,英國、新西蘭和澳洲興起嬰兒主導的斷奶方式(BLW),為嬰兒引入固體食物。在香港亦有一些家長採用這個方法。

嬰兒主導的斷奶方式(BLW)

採用BLW的家長,從第一口開始便讓嬰兒自主進食固體食物,不用匙羮餵他們。家長把供給嬰兒的食物切成棒狀,以便他們可以撿起來吃。他們可吃不同種類的食物,包括水果、蔬菜、肉類、魚類、芝士、熟蛋、麵包和麵食。1

BLW方法的倡導者認為以這方式進食,飲食全由嬰兒自主控制,與吃母乳相似。這方法可能利於發展自我調節飲食分量的能力、健康飲食習慣和預防肥胖。1

關注BLW的安全性和營養素攝取

以BLW為開始引入固體食物的方法,很明顯不適合所有六個月大的嬰兒。嬰兒在發展上表現能夠自行進食的年紀有相當差異。一個英國的縱向研究顯示,56%的嬰兒在6個月大前能伸手接觸食物;到8個月大時,仍有6%的嬰兒沒有這個表現。2 另一個縱向研究顯示,嬰兒在4至14個月的年齡範圍內開始能夠自己拿著餅乾,而平均年齡為7.7個月。3醫護專業人員亦擔憂使用BLW方法引入固體食物補充餵養,嬰兒能否攝取足夠的能量和鐵質,會否增加鯁噎的風險。4
如果嬰兒的食物主要是低能量的「手指食物」如水果和蔬菜,這擔憂便更為確切。新西蘭一項關於補充食物的觀察性研究顯示,與傳統用匙羮餵食的嬰兒相比,全BLW的嬰兒較少進食添加鐵的嬰兒穀物和紅肉, BLW嬰兒的鐵、鋅和維生素B12攝入量也低於用匙羮餵食的嬰兒。5 6-12個月大的嬰兒對鐵的需求量很高(建議鐵攝入量為每天11毫克)。6鐵質攝入長期不足可能導致缺鐵和缺鐵性貧血,影響嬰兒的中樞神經系統和發育。

關於BLW的研究

有關BLW的研究為數很少。現有的小規模關聯研究,結果支持嬰兒主導方法對兒童健康飲食行為產生有利的影響。遵循這種方法的母親多認為它促進了嬰兒的正面飲食行為,嬰兒享受食物的程度較多,進食時的煩躁不安相對較少。7, 8 然而,這些結果主要基於家長自行報告,並非來自研究人員客觀的評估。「嬰兒主導引進固體研究」(BLISS)是一項隨機臨床試驗,旨在確定BLW是否可以預防肥胖。結果顯示,採用BLW方法的嬰兒24個月大的體質指數(BMI),不比以匙羹餵食的嬰兒更合乎健康標準。8

BLISS研究還分析嬰兒膳食和營養攝入的資料。結果顯示,改良BLW方法強調食物選擇,可以保障嬰兒的鐵和鋅攝取。干預組採用改良BLW方法,在常規兒童保健外,也在嬰兒5.5個月、7個月和9個月大進行3次會面,向母親提供順應餵養(responsive feeding)14, 15, 19的建議。此外,母親亦得到選擇食物的明確信息和資源,以減低鯁噎、缺鐵和因能量攝入不足而導致生長遲緩的風險。9, 10這改良方案建議父母在每餐中都給嬰兒提供鐵質豐富、能量豐富的食物各一,及一種水果或蔬菜,並避免高鯁噎風險的食物。(見下表)

表一 BLISS研究中列出的高鯁噎風險、含鐵豐富和能量豐富的食物例子10

高鯁噎風險食物的例子:

未煮的蔬菜(例如胡蘿蔔、芹菜、沙律菜葉); 未煮的蘋果;米餅、薯片、玉米片、整粒果仁、乾果(如葡萄乾、小紅莓); 櫻桃、葡萄、漿果、車厘茄;豌豆、玉米、糖果;肉腸、其他硬食品(不能用舌頭在硬顎上壓碎的食物)

含鐵食物的例子:

牛肉、豬肉、雞肉、魚、羊肉、肝臟、添加鐵的嬰兒米糊(塗在麵包上)、焗豆、扁豆、鷹嘴豆泥、鷹嘴豆

高能量食物的例子:

肉類、魚類、乳製品、穀物類食品;水果:牛油果和香蕉;蔬菜:南瓜,馬鈴薯和番薯

對照組只接受常規兒童保健服務。結果顯示干預組和對照組的嬰兒在7個月和12個月大的能量、鐵和鋅攝入量均沒有差異。兩組嬰兒12個月大時血液鋅質指數、缺鐵或缺鐵性貧血的患病率無顯著差異。11, 12 儘管改良BLW組的嬰兒在6個月時較多出現作嘔(gagged)反應,8個月大時兩組的作嘔反應和發生鯁噎事故的數字相差不大。13在兩組嬰兒中均未觀察到生長遲緩的情況8

BLISS研究結果顯示,遵循改良BLW方法選擇食物可以預防鯁噎和營養不足。

中庸之道

目前沒有足夠證據為BLW方法下結論。給嬰兒的食物若包含豐富鐵質及能量豐富,父母便可以根據嬰兒的發展、進食的能力和接受程度,選擇他們喜歡的餵養方法。

如果嬰兒在6個月之前可以伸手將食物放入口中,並避免如BLISS列舉的高鯁噎風險食物,採用BLW可以是安全的。除了「手指食物」,也可以同時把鐵質豐富的糊狀食物放在匙羹上;嬰兒會向前傾,張大嘴巴接受食物,或者會拿過匙羹吮吸上面的糊狀食物。

對於以糊狀食物開始的嬰兒,父母應逐漸引入搗碎和刴碎的食物。嬰兒表現準備就緒時,就要提供「手指食物」(最好從家庭飯餐中選取),再加上匙羹給他們自己餵食。

父母和照顧者應該讓嬰幼兒與家人一起進餐,信任他們自己可以調節飲食分量。 無論採用何種方法引入固體食物,只有在嬰兒表示餓時才應給他們食物。如果他們不願意吃,不應以手段施壓(強迫、分散注意、延長進食時間等)。 避免用食物、奶來安撫嬰幼兒。最後,同樣重要的是餵食時與嬰兒要靈活地互動,並在安全範圍內讓他們探索不同種類和質感的食物。16, 17,18

嬰幼兒餵食充滿挑戰,尤其是當嬰兒由全奶過渡至以固體作補充食物時。當家長遇到挑選嬰幼兒膳食或餵食的問題,從事兒童健康工作的人士可以主動提供適當指導。

家庭健康服務定期舉辦由營養師主講6-11個月大嬰兒飲食的公眾健康講座。 請點擊連結了解詳情。

http://www.fhs.gov.hk/tc_chi/main_ser/healthtalk_timetable.html

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