HESI Maternity Test Bank Related

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A new mother calls the nurse stating that she wants to start feeding her 6-month-old child something besides breast milk, but is concerned that the infant is too young to start eating solid foods. How should the nurse respond?

  • A. Advise the mother to wait at least another month before starting any solid foods.
  • B. Instruct the mother to offer a few spoons of 2 or 3 pureed fruits at each meal.
  • C. Reassure the mother that the infant is old enough to eat iron-fortified cereal.
  • D. Encourage the mother to schedule a developmental assessment of the infant.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: At 6 months, infants are generally ready to start eating iron-fortified cereals as their iron stores begin to deplete. Introducing iron-fortified cereals at this age helps meet the infant's nutritional needs, particularly for iron, which becomes deficient as the infant's iron reserves diminish. It is a safe and appropriate first food to introduce to infants around 6 months of age, along with continued breastfeeding or formula feeding.