How to Know the Nutritional Requirements for Your Baby

Parents want to give babies a great start with the best possible nutrition. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your baby gets the required nutrients.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Breast Pump
• Baby Food
• Infant Fluoride Supplements If Recommended By Your Pediatrician

1. Breast-feed until the baby is at least a year old and eat healthfully while breast-feeding.
2. Take the baby out for a little fun in the sun. Sunshine makes baby's skin produce vitamin D. Babies need just a few minutes of sun each day.
3. Check with your pediatrician about a fluoride supplement. It might be recommended if you live in an area without fluoridated water.
4. Wait until the baby is four to six months old before starting with solid foods. Nutritionally, all a baby needs is breast milk (or formula) until then.
5. Start the baby on solids with iron-fortified infant cereal. The stores of iron that babies have at birth start to run out at about six months.
6. Introduce proteins by 9 or 10 months. Most of the 14 grams of protein a baby needs is still coming from breast milk, but other sources are now needed. Start with some mashed tofu or pureed meats.

Tips & Warnings

• The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for infants 6 to 12 months are: protein, 14g; iron: 10mg; calcium, 270mg (the new DRI); vitamin A, 375mcg; vitamin C, 35mg; vitamin D, 5mcg (the new DRI).
• Contact a lactation consultant or your local La Leche League leader immediately if you are having breast-feeding problems.