Breast milk is the safest thing to give, unless the mother is advised against it by a health care professional. Honey also must be avoided because there is a high risk of botulism. Water is acceptable only for mixing infant formula. These substitutes, such as milk, juice, and water do not possess what the infant needs to grow and develop, cannot be digested correctly, and have a high risk of being contaminated. Fluids besides human breast milk or iron-enriched infant formula are not recommended. Excessive intake of extra fluids or supplements can have harmful effects. For example, whether breast- or bottle-fed, infants do not need additional fluids during the first four months of life. It is important to know that some foods are restricted for infants. If a child has a lactose intolerance, they may turn to soy based formulas or lactose-free formulas. Infant formula may be used instead of or in addition to breast milk due to lifestyle choices, low milk supply, or other issues that prevent breastfeeding. Exclusively breastfed infants will also require an iron supplement after four months, because the iron is not enough at this point from the breast milk. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests all infants, breastfed or not, take a vitamin D supplement within the first days of life to prevent vitamin D deficiency or rickets. However, vitamins D and B12 may be needed if the breastfeeding mother does not have a proper intake of these vitamins. An infant that receives exclusively breast milk for the first six months rarely needs additional vitamins or minerals. If the baby is being fed infant formula, it must be iron-enriched. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization currently recommend feeding infants only breast milk for the first six months of life. Optimal nutrition can be achieved by the expectant mother making the decision to breastfeed or bottle-feed the infant before birth and preparing for chosen decision. Proper infant nutrition demands providing essential substances that support normal growth, functioning, development, and resistance to infections and diseases. Infant nutrition requirements Formula (left bottle) and pumped breastmilk (right bottle) Clinicians can be consulted to determine what the best source of infant nutrition is for each baby. Breastfeeding is rarely contraindicated, but is not recommended for mothers being treated for cancer, those with active tuberculosis, HIV, substance abuse, or leukemia. Historically, breastfeeding infants was the only option for nutrition otherwise the infant would perish. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively feeding an infant breast milk for the first six months of life and continuing for one year or longer as desired by infant and mother, and states that formula is an "acceptable substitute". īreastfeeding aids in preventing anemia, obesity, and sudden infant death syndrome and it promotes digestive health, immunity, intelligence, and dental development. Infants are usually introduced to solid foods at around four to six months of age. Breast milk provides the best nutrition when compared to infant formula. You can also read about this work in the Twitter thread below.Infant feeding is the practice of feeding infants. Our scientific opinion is available today and we have prepared a 'plain-language summary' to help non-specialists find the key information quickly. The European Commission asked us for this scientific advice to help them determine an age that can be used for the labelling of cereal-based and other processed baby food, commercially available in the EU. Competent organisations in Member StatesĪt what age is it safe for infants to start eating pureed and finger foods in addition to breastmilk or formula? We have just completed a comprehensive evaluation of the scientific evidence on this topic, covering infant health, nutritional needs and development.
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