Infant Nutrition | Nutrition for first year after birth

Infant Nutrition | Nutrition for first year after birth:
Infant age starts after the two months of birth. It is most important age for development and growth of child. In this article I will completely discuss about infant nutrition, Importance of nutrition during infancy, Exclusive feeding, complementary feeding, breast feeding and other most important things about health of your baby. This article is very important for health of your new born baby. This article will only focus on the infant nutrition instead of nutrition in other age of development and growth.
Importance of nutrition in infancy:
Infancy is very important age in the life of a person it starts after two months of birth to 1 year. Some important reasons for balance diet in infancy are given below:
It is age of development and growth
In this age energy for a new born baby is very important
Nutrition in infancy is important for proper mental growth and brain development
Balance diet for infant is important to develop immunity in body
It is most critical age for infant. Nutrition of this age decides upcoming health of baby.
Some important tips for proper feeding in fancy:
1st year after birth is classified into two phases:
Exclusive feeding
Complementary feeding
Exclusive feeding:
It starts from 1st day of birth to the 6th month after birth. It is most important and critical time period. Only breast feeding is recommended in this period.
Breast feeding:
Mother feeding from breast to baby is called breast feeding. It is most important for the nourishment of baby. Many mother does not practice mother feeding due to thread of change in physical shape. But it is wrong all dietician and health consultant strictly recommend breast feeding for at least 1 year after birth. Even it in the 1st hour after birth it is recommended that baby should be feed with breast milk.
Importance of breast feeding:
Some important benefits of breast feeding are given below:
Mother milk contains all enzymes, antibodies and antimicrobial factors that develop innate immunity in body.
It is most important for proper brain growth
It is also most important for the good health of infant. And increase resistance against many diseases.
Breast feeding is also involved in weight loss of mother and increase love and care for baby.
Breast milk contains all nutrients that are required by a baby.
Complimentary feeding:
It starts after exclusive feeding to next six months. In this stage only breast milk is not sufficient to full fill nutritional needs of an infant. In this stage we introduce solid mashed food with breast milk.
Introduction of Mashed solid food with breast milk:
In this stage for first 2 months after exclusive feeding (6th and 7th month) we should to introduce solid mashed food with breast feeding, Two to three times per day.
For example:
Mashed Vegetables: Such as potatoes and other soft solid mashed food. It is important to meet with nutritional requirement of infant. With this soft food 4 – 5 time breast feeding is also recommended.
High pretentious diet:
Diet which is excessive in protein is also recommended due to developing age of child. As we know that protein is not involved to provide energy actually it is involved in growth and development. This is important time for the development of child so we should also use high protein diet.
Small pieces of fruits:
These are also recommended in infancy after the age of exclusive feeding. Always remember remove peal from fruit. Because in this age digestive of infant is not developed and baby cannot digest peal.
Alternate formula feeding:
If mother cannot feed breast milk. Then you should to be used infant formula. It is also called bottle feeding. Powder milk is recommended that is authorized by FFDCA (Food Drug and Cosmetic act). It’s not a good practice.
Conclusion:
At the end according to above information we can say that infant nutrition is most important during infancy for proper growth and development. It is important for the mental health and strong immunity. There are two phases of infant nutrition. Exclusive feeding and complementary feeding, only breast milk is allowed in exclusive feeding.