Baby Nutrition Care

I have come across a website which is selling fresh organic baby food online. The url of this website is pommebebe.com. It provides 3 types of fresh seasonal menu for baby and toddler. The menu includes :

1. Basics. This menu is for baby more than 6 months old. It basically provides pureed fruits and vegetables in different flavors such as apple and broccoli.
2. Blends. This menu is for baby more than 8 months old. It basically provides blended fruits and vegetables in different flavors such as apple-strawberry and couliflower-carrot.
3. Tots. This menu is for baby more than 12 months old. It basically provides special nutritious foods such as rice veggie balls and tofu stir fly.

They have also outlined the ingredients for each food and flavor. It is very convenient for the working mothers to order the foods as they may have no time to prepare some nutritious foods for their babies and toddlers.

Some pregnant women may be advised or choose to restrict milk consumption and may not take appropriate supplements. We hypothesized that maternal milk restriction during pregnancy, which can reduce intakes of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin D, might represent a health risk by lowering infant birth weight.

Milk is an important source of vitamin D, calcium, riboflavin, protein and energy during pregnancy, yet many women choose or are advised to avoid drinking milk for a variety of reasons, including the prevention of allergies in their children. Limiting milk intake compromises the quality of the maternal diet; women who avoid milk may not obtain adequate levels of vitamin D, calcium, protein or riboflavin. Milk restriction is a risk factor for pregnancy-associated hypertension. Low vitamin D intake is associated with neonatal rickets and decreased birth weight. Inadequate consumption of riboflavin is associated with decreases in weight, length and head circumference of babies at birth.

Although most nutrients in milk may be replaced from other foods or with supplements, vitamin D is found in few commonly consumed foods except for milk fortified with the vitamin. Dermal conversion of the precursor cholecalciferol to activated vitamin D is a seasonally unreliable source, particularly when the exposure of skin to sunlight is limited, and may not compensate for low nutritional intake. Under optimal conditions, 15 minutes of daily exposure of the hands and face to sun is required to produce adequate vitamin D, but this conversion is reduced by the prolonged winter season at more polar latitudes, by use of sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) above 8, and by ozone air pollution. People whose skin pigmentation is dark are more vulnerable than others to insufficient vitamin D conversion.

According to a study, women whose daily consumption of milk during pregnancy was 1 cup (250 mL) or less consumed less protein and vitamin D. As a result, they gave birth to smaller babies than did mothers who drank more milk. The conclusion is every 1-cup increase in daily milk consumption increased birth weight by 41 g; 0.000001g increase in daily vitamin D intake increased it by 11 g.

Clinicians should be alert to the effects of milk restriction and its associated reduction in vitamin D intake, and encourage pregnant women to maintain milk consumption. Adequate intake of vitamin D is especially important during winter months.

Toddlers should have 500 milligrams of calcium a day. This requirement is easily met if your child gets the recommended two servings of dairy foods every day. An important part of a toddler’s diet, milk provides calcium and vitamin D to help build strong bones. In addition, milk also contains carbohydrates, protein, fat, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, B2 and B12. Kids under age 2 should have whole milk to provide the dietary fats they need for normal growth and brain development. Offer cow’s milk in a cup after the child has begun the meal. If you are breastfeeding, only offer milk in a cup and avoid the bottle habit.

Most experts agree that kids can switch from infant formula or breast milk to whole cow’s milk when they reach 1 year of age. Before this age, cow’s milk is more likely to cause an allergic reaction and is tough for babies to digest. In addition, it is not the best source of iron.

Once you switch to cow’s milk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and other health experts advise parents to buy only pasteurized milk, which has been heated and processed to kill bacteria. Raw milk, they warn, may harbor contaminants and micro-organisms that can cause food-borne illness.

Some kids initially reject cow’s milk because it doesn’t taste like the familiar breast milk or formula. If your child is around 12 months and having this difficulty, mix whole milk with some formula or breast milk. Gradually adjust the mixture over time so it becomes 100% cow’s milk.

Some parents are anxious to wean their babies to cow’s milk, especially those who have been feeding formula since it can be a bit costly, but there are several good reasons to wait. Cow’s milk isn’t as rich in several nutrients, especially iron, as breast milk or formula, which is important for healthy first year development. Until the baby is eating a variety of iron-rich foods, feeding breast milk or commercially prepared formula ensures that the baby will get a sufficient amount of iron. Additionally, there is evidence suggesting that the early introduction of cow’s milk increases the chances of developing diabetes later in life. This is especially important in families with a history of the disease. Finally, children who switch to cow’s milk before their first birthday have higher incidences of allergies and eczema than those who wait.

When your baby is starting growing up, you might think that you should feed him/her some nutritious foods. However, some of these foods can cause allergic reactions to your babies. Furthermore, these foods can contain dangerous bacteria which can be harmful to your baby’s digestive system.

Mothers are encouraged to read more information from articles or books about what foods that cannot be fed to your baby. From what I observed, the foods listed below should not be fed to your baby.

1. It is suggested that babies should not be given cow’s milk until he/she is 1 year old. Mothers should aware that raw or unpasteurized milk contains pathogens and micro-organisms which can cause serious illness to the babies as their immune system is still very weak.
2. A lot of mothers are aware juice contains plenty of essential nutrition which is good for their babies. However, unpasteurized juice can contain bacteria such as bacterium E. Coli which is harmful to the babies.
3. Dairy products contain a lot of essential nutrition such as calcium. Nevertheless, soft cheeses such as feta and brie should not be fed to babies as soft cheeses can contain bacteria Listeria monocytogenes which is harmful to baby’s immune system.
4. Another nutritious food that mothers might feed their babies is honey. However, honey can contain the Clostridium botulinum bacteria which can cause botulism.
5. Egg always is the good source of protein for babies. Nevertheless, egg whites can cause allergic reactions to the babies. On the other hand, eggs also have to be cooked until yokes are firm so that bacteria can be killed thoroughly.
6. A lot of people are allergic to nuts and peanut butter. Try to avoid these foods for babies as these foods can cause allergic reactions to them. It is advisable to offer these foods until baby is older.
7. Mothers might think that fruits are the good nutritious food for babies. Nevertheless, citrus fruits such as oranges can cause allergic reactions to the babies.
8. Another food can cause allergic reactions to babies is wheat and wheat products. Do not feed these foods to your babies. It is advisable to offer these foods until baby is older.

Vegetables should be introduced after cereal and before fruit. Vegetables should be introduced as your baby can get the important nutrients he needs during his first year.

A typical daily serving of vegetables for a 6-8 month old baby is 3-4 tablespoons twice a day. You should start with strained pureed green vegetables and move on to strained yellow and other brightly colored varieties. Two great first choices are green peas or green beans. After the green vegetables you can introduce a more colorful choice such as carrots, yellow squash, or sweet potatoes. On top of that, you should introduce one vegetable at a time and wait 2-3 days before offering another variety. This gives your baby a chance to adapt to one flavor and gives you a chance to watch for allergic reactions. It is important that all vegetables you serve to your 6-8 month old baby need to be finely strained and pureed.

A typical daily serving of vegetables for an 8-10 month old baby can vary from 3-4 tablespoons four times a day to over a cup of vegetables daily. Your baby is an individual and servings will depend on the size of your baby and how your baby likes and tolerates vegetables. As your baby nears his first birthday continue to increase his serving size of vegetables to accommodate his appetite. If your baby is not having any trouble eating strained vegetables you can advance to junior strained (less pureed more mashed) and very tender vegetables from the family table.

Babies need great nutrient rich choices (made by you) to accommodate their metabolism and growth rate. For instance a baby requires more Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Calcium per pound of body weight than an adult male.

Luckily there are many power packed vegetables to choose from for your baby :

1. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, and carrots are full of vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is vital to healthy eyesight, normal cell development, immune defenses and more.
2. Nerve and muscle processes both rely heavily on thiamin and green peas are a good source.
3. Red sweet peppers, green peepers, and broccoli contain high amounts of vitamin C, an antioxidant which also assists in iron absorption.
4. Calcium is an integral part of bone structure and plays a major role in blood clotting, maintaining blood pressure and much more. Broccoli, lima beans, soybeans, and squash are healthy choices if you’re aiming for calcium.