Is Golden Morn Safe For Weaning In Babies?

Transitioning your child from breastfeeding to solid foods can be difficult. Adding soft cooked foods, soft veggies, and cereals is highly recommended to help your baby transition from regular breast milk or formula milk to solid foods.

Golden morn is a popular cereal in Nigeria. We'll discuss if golden morn is good weaning food and when you should start weaning your child with golden morn.

What is weaning?

Weaning involves shifting an infant's diet from breast milk or formula to solid foods and fluids. It requires time and patience and depends on several factors, such as your choice, infant health, and readiness.

Recommended age to start weaning your baby

Weaning your child is a personal decision, although other factors may influence it. However, what age is best to start weaning your baby? You should breastfeed your baby from birth to about four months. The frequency of feedings may decrease as your child gets older.

From 6 months and above, you can introduce your baby to solid foods while slowly stopping formula feeding or breastfeeding. It is important to ensure you feed them nutrient-fortified cereals and introduce new cereals once weekly to prevent allergies.

What is golden morn?

Golden morn cereal is nutritious, delicious, and contains locally sourced whole grains. Each bag of golden morn contains more than 50% whole grains and is fortified with vitamins A and iron.

It is a popular breakfast cereal in many parts of West Africa, including Ghana and Nigeria, and is usually combined with milk and water to make a filling cereal.

Nutritional components of golden morn

The nutritional components of golden morn include:

Calcium
Sodium
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1(Thiamin)
Vitamin B5(Pantothenate)
Vitamin C
Potassium
Iron
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fibre
Fats and saturated fats.

Is golden morn an infant cereal?

Golden morn is not an infant cereal and is not suitable for infants. Infant cereals are especially iron-fortified, specifically formulated for infants due to their dynamics that may be routinely mixed with breast milk.

Can I wean my baby with golden morn?

You cannot wean your baby with golden morn. Golden morn is specifically made for children 4 years old and above and should not be given to babies.

Differences between infant cereal and other cereals

Typically, infant cereal is a mixture of grains and other processed ingredients meant for baby ingestion. Infant cereals specifically meet the nutritional requirements of babies just beginning meals.

A primary distinction between baby cereal and other varieties is the hydrolysis process. While hydrolysis plays a crucial role in the majority of infant cereals, it is not required for other family cereals. Your baby's internal organs are still developing and cannot fully process some foods. Hydrolysis facilitates the easy digestion of infant foods.

The scientific evidence provided is that babies usually produce a minimal amount of the salivary enzyme needed to digest the grains due to their underdeveloped organs. Therefore, when you feed your baby cereals that haven't already undergone hydrolysis, they cannot digest such complicated substances quickly. This incapability can lead to food allergies, intestinal tract issues, and other detrimental health disorders.

What age can I give my child golden morn?

The golden morn pack describes it as suitable for children older than 3 years of age. So, you should introduce your child to golden morn when they are 4 years of age or older. Do not give your baby golden morn no matter what "milk" you may wish to supplement it.

Golden morn is a nutritious breakfast cereal for older children. Therefore, it's advisable to wait until your child is 4 years old before using it.