Infant Feeding

Infant feeding through breast milk of the mother is an unequaled way of providing ideal food for healthy growth and development of infants. It is also an important and sequential process in reproduction and it is important for health of mothers too. The sucking reflex ( a reflex process common in mammals present during child birth) in babies that enables them to suck and swallow milk. As a global heath recommendation world heath organization suggests to breast feed infants for a period of six months after birth to achieve optimal growth, health and development.

Infant feeding in first six months:
solid food is advisable only after a period of six months. Because breast feeding meets their generating nutritional requirements. Breast feeding uses an average of five hundred calories a day that helps the mother lose weight after child birth. Breast milk consists of right amount of fat, protein, sugar and water in it. Infant feeding can be continued for a period of about two years as a complementary food along with their solid food. Breast feeding can also be continued even longer than two years of time. Unrestricted breast feeding can also improve ample of milk production in mothers. Breast feeding in infants is permissible except in few medical conditions. Infant feeding is compulsory for a period of first six months. Especially for the period of first four months no other solid foods are permitted other than breast feeding. For the first four months solid foods are not recommended because the baby is not physically developed to take solid foods. Breast milk provides all the nutrients that is needed by the baby for first four months. Starting solid food habit very early can increase food allergy on the babies. Solid food in early days do not help babies sleep in nights.

Advantages of breast feeding:
Breast feeding can improve the immune system of the infants. They reduce the risk of obesity in children. Type 1 diabetes is less common among infants who are breast fed.

Infant feeding after six months:
Solid foods can be introduced during infant feeding from this period. It is also recommendable to introduce any one particular type of food at a time rather than mixing many kinds of food like fruits, meat, vegetables, cereals etc. increase the amount of solid food intake in every feed little by little. Cereals are to be first introduced as solid food and it can be later mixed up with vegetables, meats etc. in the further stages. Salt and sugar are to be avoided in making infant foods. Cow’s milk is not recommendable for infants until 12 months of age. It is said that cow’s milk does not meet the nutritional requirements of the infants. fat and cholesterol should not be restricted in infant’s food unless advised by the pediatrician. Kids need cholesterol, fat and calories for proper development their general physical growth and brain, nervous system development too. Healthy infants do not need excess water. They take very little water only. They take water in excess only in hot weather periods. Extra water is often needed only when solid food is fed for the first time.