When an infant is born the one food that is recommended is breast milk. The mother’s breast milk is the best he can get because it will provide them with the nutrition they need.
However, some infants do not latch on to the mother, but this is nothing to worry about. The mother can pump the milk and feed the infant.
The benefits of breastfeeding include the following:
- Lowers the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
- Decreases the chances of ear infections, colds, flu
- Decrease the chances of certain cancers
- Increases intelligence
- Lowers the risk of diabetes
- Decreases the risk of obesity
These are just a few of the benefits of breastfeeding. However, at times, some mothers are unable to produce breast milk. In this case, they will have to feed them formula milk. There are different brands and nowadays, they provide the nutrients the infant will need. The formulas have nutrients that are found in the mother’s breast milk, such as nucleotides, carotenoids and prebiotics. In addition to that, they have added Omega-3 and Omega-6 to help with the infant’s brain and eye development.
For the first few months of their lives, they will be fed milk, whether it’s breast milk or formula. Eventually, they will begin to eat baby food and there are different brands out there. They are basically fruits, vegetables and meats. These are pureed and will provide the infant with the nutrition they need. For those parents that are more particular, they can choose the organic foods that are provided.
Now, some will steer away from these products, in fear of feeding the infants foods that are not healthy enough and choose to prepare their own foods at home. This way there is no salt, sugar or preservatives in the foods. This is a much healthier choice and this way you know exactly what you’re feeding the baby.
As the infant grows, they become curious and when they see adults with foods, they will extend their little hands, begging for whatever they see the parents eat or drink. Be cautious what you give them, their digestive system will not be able to handle the foods we eat. No matter what, these foods should be avoided until they are one year old:
- Cow’s milk
- Peanut Butter
- Honey
- Hot Dogs
- Pea sized foods
- Salty foods
One more thing we should avoid giving our infants are sweets. This is one thing they will get used to fast and honestly it’s not healthy at all. The longer we can avoid them eating these types of foods, the better for them. The chances of them having a sweet tooth will be minimal. Right there alone, we have lowered the chance of the child having dental problems or diabetes.
The best thing a parent can do is speak with their pediatrician before making any changes to the infant’s diet. They will be able to give the parents a list of what can be given to the infant in order to avoid them from suffering from digestive problems or becoming ill.