When admitted to the emergency room, the 5-month-old girl had not urinated for 20 hours and was swollen all over her body, falling into a semi-comatose state.
The "Dangerous Weaning Tradition" in Remote Villages

When recalling the most memorable moment in his career, Dr. Tan Dao Xue, a pediatric surgeon at the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (China), couldn't forget the case of a 5-month-old girl he treated many years ago.
This girl, from a remote area in Sichuan, lived far from Chengdu. One early morning, while Dr. Tan was on night shift, he was awakened by the emergency department doctor to treat a critical case. Upon seeing the ultrasound image of the girl's kidneys, he was stunned to find that both of her renal ducts were blocked by kidney stones. How could such a young child have so many stones inside? It felt as though her parents had intentionally fed her stones.
Dr. Tan recalled, "When the child was brought to us, she hadn't urinated in 20 hours. Her body was swollen, and pressing on her skin left a noticeable indentation. This was clear kidney swelling, and she was in a semi-comatose state."
The child underwent an emergency surgery, and a large number of stones were removed from her stomach—more than what is typically seen in an adult. The operation was successful, and her urine output was restored. Gradually, the swelling subsided, and Dr. Tan let out a sigh of relief.
After the child’s condition stabilized, Dr. Tan spoke with the parents to understand the cause. To his shock, the girl's kidney stones were caused by improper feeding practices.
The girl's family lived in a remote area where many children start weaning as early as 2-3 months of age. However, the weaning food there is far from the traditional soft rice porridge or rice flour commonly recommended. Instead, babies are fed adult food directly. If the child enjoys it, they are given more, sometimes even replacing milk entirely.
At just 3 days old, the girl began eating adult food. This led to digestive issues and the formation of kidney stones. Over time, the stones increased, eventually causing complications that required hospitalization.
Dr. Tan shared his thoughts, “Parents in remote areas often lack basic knowledge about child-rearing. In this case, when the parents noticed something wrong with their child, they believed that some herbal medicines would suffice. The result was that the child suddenly stopped urinating, and her whole body became swollen.”
The parents were anxious. After taking the child to the local hospital and receiving no treatment, they were advised to transfer her to a higher-level hospital. This led them to the Pediatric Department of the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. Thankfully, it wasn’t too late, and the child's life was saved.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Weaning Babies
The story of the 5-month-old girl starting weaning at just 3 days old is an extremely rare case. However, many parents today are still unsure about proper child-rearing practices.
When it comes to weaning, parents should avoid the following 7 common mistakes:
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Introducing Solid Foods Too Early
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends starting solid foods when the baby is around 6 months old. By this time, the baby’s digestive system is sufficiently developed to handle more complex foods beyond breast milk. Starting solid foods too early can overload the digestive system and may even lead to kidney stones.
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Introducing Solid Foods Too Late
While starting solids too early is harmful, delaying weaning too long can also be detrimental. Some mothers, believing they have enough breast milk, may delay solids until the baby is 8-9 months old. This can miss the optimal window for introducing solids and may result in the child rejecting non-breast milk foods or even lead to malnutrition.
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Feeding Adult Food Too Early
Solid foods for babies under 1 year old should be specially prepared. Foods should be easy to digest, low in salt and fats, and finely mashed to make it easier for the baby to swallow. Feeding adult food too early, which is often too spicy or large in size, puts undue strain on the baby’s digestive system and is not suitable for their developmental stage.
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Assuming Rice Porridge is the Best Food for Weaning
Many people believe that rice porridge is the best food for babies because it’s easy to digest. However, rice porridge lacks protein and fat, which are essential for the baby’s growth. Therefore, babies should not just be fed rice porridge. A variety of foods should be introduced to ensure balanced nutrition.
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Overfeeding Babies During Weaning
Babies should be gradually introduced to solid foods, starting with small portions. Overfeeding can cause constipation and digestive issues.
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Introducing Too Many Different Foods Too Soon
It’s important to introduce only one new food at a time so that parents can monitor the baby for any allergic reactions. Feeding a variety of foods all at once can confuse the baby’s digestive system, making it difficult for doctors to identify any specific food causing issues.
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Not Giving Babies Milk While Weaning
Some parents mistakenly believe that by 7-8 months, babies can stop breastfeeding and be fine with solid foods alone. This is not correct. Solid foods should supplement the baby’s primary nutrition from milk, and breastfeeding should continue until at least one year old.
By avoiding these common mistakes, parents can ensure their child’s health and development are not compromised during the crucial weaning period.