Life of an Infant

The life of an infant

During the first year of a child's life, the rate of growth and development is more rapid than any other time in their life. They will double their weight during the first 4-5 months and maybe triple their weight by the end of their first year. The most important thing though for infants is what we might call "a little Tender Loving Care." Without TLC, an infant's growth and development could have some serious consequences, even if they're receiving all the nutrients they need. In this paper I will discuss meeting infants nutritional needs, preparation of formulas, what to do and not do at feeding time, the developmental and physiological readiness of a child when introduced to semi-solid foods, and some feeding concerns.

The Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child textbook mentions that infants nutritional needs during the first year are high, while the volume capacity of an infant's stomach is small. According to the textbook, new born needs 45-55 calories/pound daily, but by 6 months they only need 40-45. Prenatal care also needs to be considered when discussing nutritional needs of an infant. The book mentions that infants at high risk for Low Birth Weight and problems tend to come from teenage mothers. They mention Women Infant Child (WIC), which is a program that provides food supplies for pregnant mothers, infants, and children up to the age of 5. The program was designed to reduce prenatal problems, and seems to be achieving their goal. The last thing that the textbook mentions in nutritional needs of an infant is the preparation of the formula. The first thing they say to do is to sanitize the bottles by using aseptic procedures, so that there won't be any serious illnesses that might result from bacteria introduced into the formula. Secondly, they say that the formulas should be accurately measures and mixed. If there is too much water added to the formula it could dilute the formula, and if too little, it could "over rich" the formula which may cause digestive problems.

Feeding times usually depend on the parents, infant, and/or the health care provider. The way a bottle should be prepared was one thing that was mentioned in this section of the textbook. They state that infants formulas in bottles should not be heated in the microwave, because the inside can be hot, but the outside can feel cool. This method has severely burned some infants, and is very hazardous. Formulas should not be too warm or too cold. The book gives one method of testing the heat of the bottle, which was using the inside of your wrist and if it is slightly warm then it is okay to give to the child. According to the textbook, infants who have at least six wet diapers a day are receiving enough formula. According to a website that I went to called, verybestbaby.com, an infant will have a wet diaper almost hourly until they are about 3 months old. The textbook along with the two websites, Gerber and Verybestbaby, mention that feeding times should be relaxed and enjoyable for both the caregiver and infant. They all state that there should be a few minutes of talking and playing with the infant. The book says that the nipple of the bottle should be kept full of formula so the baby doesn't swallow air, which can cause gas and enlargement of the digestive organs. Feeding should never be rushed, and the caregiver should stop 2-3 times during each feeding and after to burp the baby. Another thing that the book mentioned was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and how infants that are placed on their stomach for sleeping have higher risks of SIDS. Bottles also should never be propped and the baby left unattended to, because it can increase the risk of bottle-mouth syndrome which decays the child's teeth and gives ear infections. The book suggests that babies need more than just formulas or breast milk; they also need an adequate amount of water. Unflavored water should be offered to an infant if they appear hungry shortly after their feeding. According to Verybest baby though, water, juice, and other foods are not necessary for the baby's first six months, because they state that the baby should be getting all the nutritional needs from breast milk, or iron-fortified formula.

The last section in the textbook talked about developmental and physiological readiness of a child when being introduced to semi-solid foods. The book states that at about 5 months an infant is able to move food to the back of their mouth and swallow without initial sucking action. Gerber went into detail about the methods of eating, and what to expect from a baby when they have food in their mouth. All of the sources said that new foods should be introduced slowly, with few spoonfuls offered, and instead of introducing mixtures of foods the caregiver should only offer individual foods. They say that