Feeding your sick child older than 6 months

Note: the white background food image represents a meal and the yellow background represents a snack.

• Babies older than 6 months need more breastmilk, other fluids and extra food during illness.
• Since babies often lose their appetite during illness, be patient, but encourage your baby to breastfeed and eat. Increase breastfeeding during diarrhoea and continue to offer your baby’s favourite soft, healthy foods in small quantities.
• Children who are recovering from being sick need extra food more often. They should be breastfed more frequently to help them regain the strength and weight that they lost during their illness. During recovery, offer more food than usual more frequently. This will help replenish the energy and nutrients lost during illness and help your baby regain any weight lost during sickness.
• Take advantage of the two-week period right after your child recovers from an illness, when his or her appetite is back, to breastfeed more and to feed more food. 
• Offer the young child simple foods, even if she or he does not express interest in eating, and avoid spicy or fatty foods.
• Animal milks may increase diarrhoea. Breastmilk, however, does NOT cause or increase diarrhoea. It is important to continue breastfeeding.
• If your child has diarrhoea, avoid giving animal milks but give more fluids and water. Oral rehydration solution (or ORS) can be given if prescribed by the health care worker.

Responsive care and feeding practices

• Recognize and respond to any signs of childhood illness.
• If your child’s appetite is decreased, encourage your baby to eat small frequent meals, but do not force your baby or young child to eat.
• During illness, give the baby or young child small frequent meals and more fluids, including breastmilk or other liquids.