THE NATURAL COURSE OF INFANT NUTRITION - FROM MAMMA TO PAPA

It is not only the development of the gastro-intestinal tract but rath er the overall development of the child, which plays the essential rol e in the successive nutritional phases. From the age of 4-5 months, fo od supplements are indicated because mother's milk can no longer meet the high energy needs. At the same time, neuromotor development, for e xample weakening of the suction reflex, head control, etc., makes info rmal spoon feeding possible. The tendency of babies to put everything in their mouth's that they can get hold of, from about the age of 6 mo nths, is a sign of the child's awakened interest in the smell, taste a nd consistency of food. This and the increasing number of teeth in the subsequent months are nature's way of indicating that solid food has to be introduced. In parallel with the development of the ability to e at, the first stages of individualization and independence and enlarge ment of the group of persons to whom the infant relates start at aroun d 4 months. During this phase, the feeding of mashed food, which is kn own as ''papa'' in several languages (= food given by the father), giv es the father the opportunity to build up the father-child relationshi p in a physiological way. The double meaning of the terms ''mamma'' an d ''papa'' points to the connections between infant nutrition and ling uistic and cultural developments and is a further sign of the many dif ferent viewpoints from which the feeding of infants and babies can be considered.