1. Sugar in the
First Year of
Life
References
1.AAPCOMMITTEEANDFETUSANDNEWBORNandSECTIONONANESTHESIOLOGYANDPAINMEDICINE.Preven-
tionandManagementofProceduralPainintheNeonate:AnUpdate.Pediatrics.2016;137(2):e20154271.doi:10.1542/eds.2015-4271.
2.WalkerRW,GoranMI.LaboratoryDeterminedSugarContentandCompositionofCommercialInfantFormulas,BabyFoodsand
CommonGroceryItemsTargetedtoChildren.JournalofNutrients.2015;7,5850-5867.doi:10.3390/nu7075254
3.PanL,LiR,ParkS,GaluskaDA,SherryB,FreemanDS.ALongitudinalAnalysisofSugarSweetenedBeverageIntakeininfancy
andobesityat6years.Pediatrics.2014;134(1):S29-S35.Doi:10.1542/peds.2014-0646F
4.HallRW.AnandK.Painmanagementinnewborns.ClinPerinatol.2014;41(4):895-924.doi:10.1016/j.clp.2014.08.010
5.FiguringOutFoodLabels.KidsHealthfromNemoursWebsite.http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/food-labels.html.Updatedin2016.
AccessedonApril16,2016.
6.RelativeSweetnessofSugar.CanadianInstituteofSugarWebsite.http://sugar.ca/Nutrition-Information-Service/Consumers/Cooking
with-Sugar/Sweetness-of-Sugar.aspx.Published2016.AccessedMarch5,2016.
7.WeisenbergerJ.HowToMakeHomemadeBabyFood.KidsEatRightWebsite.http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and
prep/snack-and-meal-ideas/homemade-baby-food.PublishedJuly31,2015.AccessedApril15,2016.
8.EasyHomemadeBabyFood–MakingYourOwnBabyFoodhasneverbeensoeasy.WholesomeBabyFood:MomtasticWebsite.http:
wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com..Updatedin2016.AccessedonApril16,2016.
Exposure to
Sugar
Sucrose and glucose solutions
are commonly used as analgesics
for infants undergoing routine
medical procedures that cause
minor pain. Some of these pro-
cedures include immunizations
and blood draws. 1 The exposure
to excess sugar does not stop
there though: many formulas
and foods that are fed to infants
and children contain large
amounts of sugars. 2 This all
adds up to repeated exposure to
sweet tasting foods which may
lead to a preference for sweet
foods throughout childhood and
an increased risk for obesity.3
https://pixabay.com/photo-1139096/

2. Baby
Formula
Many formulas have more
added sugar than parents ex-
pect so teaching them to read
labels and understand how to
choose a formula is very im-
portant. You can direct par-
ents to this website to learn
how to read nutrition labels:
http://kidshealth.org/en/
parents/food-labels.html. 5
Alternative Pain
Management Methods
There are many different methods to soothe an infant
that is upset or undergoing minor painful procedures
without using food or other pharmacological agents.
Most of these alternative methods involve distracting
the infant or drawing their attention away from the
medical procedure they are undergoing. These meth-
ods have been shown to be effective at lowering
stress levels and comforting the infant/child based
on analysis of behavioral indicators such as crying
and facial expressions.1
Soothing Techniques
 Swaddling– wrapping infant in a blanket1
 Facilitated tucking– Infant’s arms placed next to
their body1
 Rocking/Holding– gently but firmly holding the
infant while swaying1
 Sucking: Nutritive or Nonnutritive– breastfeed-
ing, bottle feeding or pacifier use1
 Skin– To– Skin Care (Kangaroo Care)- Skin
contact between mother and infant4
Baby Foods
Label reading is one of the most important skills you
can teach parents when it comes to feeding their
child.
Sugar Content of Baby Food: % of
total calories from sugars
 First Foods Gerber Nature Select Apples: >75%
2
 Earth’s Best Second Carrots: >50% 2
 O Organics (1) Organic Carrots: >40% 2
 Gerber Whole Wheat Cereal for Baby: >25% 2
Another option that parents have when deciding
what to feed their infant is making their own baby
food. There are many resources for learning how to
make baby food but one of the best is the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) page on how to
make your own baby food.7
The link to the AND site is as follows: http://
www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-
prep/snack-and-meal-ideas/homemade-baby-food. 7
If you would like to provide parents with a resource
for baby food recipes you can direct them here:
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com.8
https://pixabay.com/photo-105063/
https://pixabay.com/photo-818432/
https://flic.kr/p/63ix5P
Sugar Content of Common Formu-
las:% of total calories from sugars
 Enfamil Premium Infant: >40% 2
 Parent’s Choice Infant Formula with Iron
Premium Milk-Based: >40% 2
 Gerber Good Start Protect: >25% 2
 Similac Sensitive for Fussiness & Gas Due
to Lactose Sensitivity: >25% 2
Lactose free formulas tend to have more fructose
and sucrose than traditional formulas do, but
these sugars are up to 4x more sweet than lactose.
2, 6
One of the best ways to make sure that an infant
is not exposed to excess sugar is to recommend
breastfeeding for as long as possible (6 months at
the very least).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States