Baby Nutrition Care

Babies needs iron for proper growth and development of their entire bodies, in particular their rapidly growing brains. When babies are anemic, they may show delays in normal development. In this case, a baby is at a critical stage in intellectual and psychomotor development between nine and 24 months and it is very important to avoid iron deficiency at this critical stage. The long-term effects of iron deficiency are still being studied, but evidence indicates that the nutrient is important for developing a healthy brain. A lack of iron could lead to emotional and behavioral problems and lower IQs.

Iron is a mineral that makes up an important part of hemoglobin, the substance in blood that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron also carries oxygen in muscles, helping them function properly. Without an adequate amount of iron, the hemoglobin cannot carry enough oxygen to body tissues. The result is iron deficiency anemia with symptoms of tiredness and weakness. Infants who do not get enough iron can develop iron deficiency anaemia. This can cause a very serious illness called infant botulism.

Breast milk is the best source of iron for baby. There are sufficient quantities of iron in breast milk so that generally no supplementation of iron is necessary. However, at 4-6 months, the baby’s iron stores become depleted and the iron in breast milk will no longer be sufficient to prevent anemia.

In this case, iron fortified cereals provides the necessary iron levels in order to meet nutritional needs for baby aged six months and up. Most rice cereals provide the recommended daily amount of iron for your baby. According to a research, the low rates of iron deficiency anaemia in Canada and the USA are thought to be partly a result of the wide-spread use of commercially available iron fortified cereals

On the other hand, if you are not breastfeeding, provide your baby with iron-fortified formula milk. Your baby needs iron-fortified formula milk until his first birthday. Babies do not need solid foods until they are 6 months old.

From 6 months, iron-containing pulses (peas, beans, lentils), green leafy vegetables, meat, poultry and eggs can be introduced. Adding these foods daily will help babies get their necessary iron. The green leafy vegetables are also rich in vitamin C, in combination with a good iron source will help your baby’s body absorb more iron.

You can introduce rice cereal into your baby’s diet any time between the age of 4 and 6 months. Rice cereal is a nutritional baby food that can provide essential nutrition such as protein and iron to your baby besides breast milk and infant formula milk. There are many flavors in the market.

You can start with rice cereal mixed with breast milk, infant formula milk or cool boiled water. Mix it until it is quite watery. Make the mixture quite runny to help you baby swallow it. Let your baby try it. He or she will tell you if he or she is ready for solid food or not.

Rice cereal provides the necessary iron levels when mixed with breast milk or iron rich infant formula milk in order to meet nutritional needs for baby aged six months and up. Most rice cereals provide the recommended daily amount of iron for your baby. The Maize Cereal and the Nestum are cereals that need to be mixed with either expressed breast milk or infant formula milk. The Cerelac is the cereal that is mixed with cooled boiled water.

The mixture of wholegrain and white rice in rice cereal contains all essential nutrients that your baby’s body needs for a slow and steady source of energy. The protein content in rice cereal helps in the stages of growth of your baby. The iron is added to rice cereal to avoid your baby suffered from iron-deficiency anemia.

For the first 12 months of life, there are only two types of milk that you should use to feed your baby, breast milk or infant formula milk (unless you are recommended otherwise by a doctor). Any other type of milk, such as cow’s milk, or goat’s milk, will not satisfy your baby’s nutritional needs, and should not be given to babies under one year of age

In this case, breast milk or infant formula milk supplies all the nutrition an infant needs in the first few months. Infant formula milk also contains the lipids DHA and ARA, nutrients found naturally in mother’s milk that supports infant mental and visual development.

Nowadays, the quality of infant formula milk has been improved by adding substances beneficial to the infant health, such as nucleotides, calcium, iron and vitamins. Addition of such substances in infant milk seems to promote a beneficial intestinal microflora to newborns by lowering the buffering capacity of the milk. Requirements for vitamins depend on the intake of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and amino acids. Iron-fortified infant formulas have actually been credited for the declining incidence of anemia in infants.

Many breastfeeding mothers are anxious as to whether or not her baby is getting enough milk. Mothers who give their child infant formula milk don’t have this concern. Therefore, many mothers choose a combination of breastfeeding and feeding with infant formula milk.

Breastfeeding is the best choice for the mothers. Nevertheless, infant formula milk which has been added the essential nutrition is an only alternative way for the mothers who do not have enough breast milk to feed her baby.

Are you aware breastfeeding newborn baby is the best nutrition there is? Does your doctor tell you what are the benefits of breastfeeding? In the United States, the frequency of breastfeeding has risen sharply in the past 25 years. Its advantages include nutritional, immunologic and psychological benefits.

Here are a few good reasons to breastfeed your newborn baby.

1. The high fat content in breast milk helps the baby to gain weight quickly and is not bad for babies like a high-fat diet might be for an adult. The fat also provides essential vitamin A, D & E to your baby.
2. The higher cholesterol levels in breast milk may help protect against high cholesterol issues later in life.
3. The proteins and fats in whole cow’s milk are more difficult for an infant to digest and absorb than the ones in breast milk.
4. Whole cow’s milk also contains excessive amounts of protein, sodium and potassium which may put a strain on an infant’s immature kidneys. In this case, breast milk contains water soluble vitamins and proteins which are good for your baby.
5. Mothers produce antibodies to whatever disease is present in their environment, making their milk custom-designed to fight the diseases their babies are exposed to as well. Breastfed babies are healthier as the milk contains antibodies which can reduce the ear infections and respiratory illnesses. Approximately eighty percent of the cells in breast milk contain macrophages, a special type of cell that kills bacteria, fungi and viruses.
6. One of the main benefits of breast milk is its high content of whey protein. Whey protein is an easily digestible energy source. It can provide the necessary energy required by a baby.
7. In addition to missing out on the immunological benefits of breast milk, formula fed infants are at higher risk for SIDS and developing chronic health problems like allergies, obesity and diabetes later on.
8. Your body burns about 500 calories a day when making breastfeeding. In this case, breastfeeding uses up those calories, making it easier to lose the weight you put on during pregnancy.
9. Breast milk is completely free and readily available. This helps you to reduce your family expenses for buying infant formula milk.
10. The bond between baby and you can also be strengthened during breastfeeding. Interestingly, at birth a baby can only focus on things between 12 and 18 inches away – precisely the distance between your face and your baby’s eyes during breast feeding.

What is DHA? Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is an omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid derived from alpha-linolenic acid. It is a nutrient that has been studied for its role in heart, brain and eye health. Although it is found in most tissues throughout the body, the highest concentrations of DHA are in the brain, nervous system and the retina of the eye, and it helps support normal development in these areas. According to a research, high concentrations of DHA are found in the cerebral cortex of the brain. The brain is 60% fat, and DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, comprising 25-35%. DHA is found in even greater concentrations in the retina, i.e. 50-60%.

DHA plays an important role in cerebral development, especially during the crucial period of fetal development and infancy. Pregnant mothers transfer DHA directly to the fetus to support rapid brain and retina development of the infant. Studies have shown that DHA plays a major role in the mental development of infants and supports the mental function of children and adults throughout life. Low DHA levels have been linked to low brain serotonin levels which again are connected to an increased tendency to depression, suicide, and violence.

The best source of DHA for a baby is breast milk. A recent study found that breast fed children performed significantly better in cognitive and academic tests compared to children who were not breast fed. In fact, DHA is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in breast milk.

Maternal diet influences the level of DHA in breast milk. A study by the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas found that DHA supplements of 200 mg daily double the DHA content of nursing mothers’ milk relative to those who received placebo. The newborn baby must also continue to get enough DHA in breast milk or milk formula immediately after birth. Concentrations of DHA in breast milk have decreased by 50 percent in Canada and Australia over the past 15 years, according to studies.

An intake of approximately 300 mg DHA/day during lactation is considered as a reasonable target for ensuring the elevation of DHA in breast milk to at least 0.35% of total fatty acids. After the baby is born, if the mother is breastfeeding, the amount of DHA in breast milk will depend again on her dietary intake of this nutrient. DHA is found in the diet in high amounts in fatty fish (like tuna, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, herring, sardines) and in flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, canola oil, fish oil, and walnut oil.

A study concluded that the presence of DHA in breast milk explains why breast fed babies have a cognitive advantage over babies fed with infant formula containing no DHA. The study found that the breast fed children demonstrated an 8 point intellectual advantage when they were administered standard IQ tests.