This document discusses infant nutrition, including the benefits of breastfeeding, bottle feeding with formula, introducing supplementary foods, and special nutritional needs for conditions like premature birth, cystic fibrosis, galactosemia, and phenylketonuria. It describes breastfeeding as the ideal source of nutrition in early infancy due to its provision of antibodies and easy digestion. Formula is an acceptable alternative that aims to resemble breast milk nutritionally. Solid foods should not be introduced before 4-6 months and include rice cereal, pureed vegetables and fruits, before introducing meats, eggs, and juices in cups rather than bottles. Children with certain conditions require medical nutrition therapy like dietary enzyme supplements, avoidance of certain foods, or use of specialized

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2. Objectives
- State the effect that inadequate nutrition
has on an infant.
- Discuss positive aspects of breastfeeding
and bottle feeding.
- Describe when and how foods are
introduced into the baby’s diet.
- Describe inborn errors of metabolism and
their dietary treatment.
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3. Breastfeeding:
- Is the feeding of an infant or young child
with breast milk directly from female
human breasts.
- Breast should be offered every 2 hours in
the first few weeks.
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4. - The infant should nurse 10–15 minutes on
each breast.
- Breastfeeding is also beneficial to
mothers (less risk of breast cancer and
osteoporosis).
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5. Advantages of Brest feeding:
1- Provides infant with temporary
immunity to many infectious diseases.
2- It is economical, nutritionally perfect,
and sterile.
3- Breast milk is easily digested.
4- Breastfed infants have fewer infections.
5- Breastfeeding promotes oral motor
development.
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6. Colostrum:
- Is thin yellow fluid first secreted by the
mammary gland a few days before and
after childbirth.
- Contains up to 20% more protein, more
minerals and less lactose and fat than
mature milk
- Contains immunoglobulin's representing
the antibodies found in maternal blood
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7. Indications of adequate nutrition
include:
- The infant has six or more wet diapers
per day.
- The infant has normal growth.
- The infant has 1–2 bowel movements
per day.
- The breast becomes less full during
nursing.
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8. Bottle Feeding
- Formulas are made from modified cow’s
milk to resemble breast milk in value.
- Synthetic formula made from soybeans
may be used for allergic infants.
- Formula must be prepared with the
correct amount of water to prevent health
complications.
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9. - Cow’s milk can cause gastrointestinal
blood loss in infants and should not be
used.
- Use consistent temperature for formula.
- The infant should be held in a semi
upright position.
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10. Nutritional Requirements of the Infant
- Base of infants’ diet is breast milk or
formula.
- Except for Vit D, breast milk provides all
the nutrients an infant needs for the first 4-
6 months of life
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11. - Essential vitamins and minerals can be
supplied in breast milk, formula, and food
- Infants are born with a 3-6 month supply
of iron
- A vitamin K supplement is routinely given
at birth.
- Nutritional needs depend on a child’s
growth rate.
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12. Feeding Schedules
Babies should be fed on demand, in other
words whenever the baby is crying.
This is about every 2 hours in early weeks
extends to 4 hours after about 2-3 weeks
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13. Supplementary Foods
- Early feeding of foods other than milk
may lead to allergies
- Solid foods should not be introduced
before 4 to 6 months of age and should be
done gradually.
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14. - Solids should be started with iron-
fortified rice cereal.
- Cooked and pureed vegetables, then
pureed fruits, egg yolk, and finally, finely
ground meats.
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15. - Honey should never be given to an infant
because it could be contaminated with
Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
- When the infant learns to drink from a
cup, juice can be introduced.
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16. - Juice should never be given from a bottle
because babies will fill up on it and not get
enough calories from other sources.
- Avoid foods on which the child can choke
such as hot dogs, nuts, grapes, popcorn,
small candies and tough pieces of meat or
vegetables
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17. - By age one year most babies can eat foods
from all food groups.
- Avoid excess sugar and salt.
- Help children develop an active lifestyle
and healthy eating habits.
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18. Infants with special nutritional needs:
- Premature infants
- Children with cystic fibrosis
- Failure to thrive
- Metabolic disorders such as
(Galactosemia and Phenylketonuria)
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19. Premature Infants:
- An infant born before 37 weeks of
gestation
- The sucking reflex is not developed until
34 weeks of gestation.
- Infants born earlier will require total
parenteral nutrition, tube feedings, or bolus
feedings.
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20. Cystic Fibrosis
- An inherited disease in which the body
secretes abnormally thick mucus and
decreased production of digestive enzymes
and malabsorption of fat.
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21. Recommendation: 35%–40% of diet
should be from fat and digestive enzymes
can be taken in pill form
- Digestive enzymes and fat-soluble
vitamin supplementation at meal times
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22. Galactosemia
- A condition in which there is a lack of the
liver enzyme transferase.
- Transferase normally converts galactose
to glucose.
- The amount of galactose in the blood
becomes toxic.
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23. - Results in diarrhea, vomiting, edema, and
abnormal liver function.
- Cataracts may develop, galactosuria
occurs, and mental retardation occurs.
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24. Diet therapy:
- Exclusion of anything containing milk
from any mammal
- Nutritional supplements of calcium,
vitamin D, and riboflavin
- Infant receives lactose-free, commercially
prepared formula
- Lifelong elimination of lactose in diet
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26. Phenylketonuria (PKU)
- Infants lack the liver enzyme
phenylalanine hydroxylase, which is
necessary for the metabolism of the amino
acid phenylalanine.
- Infants are normal at birth, but if
untreated become hyperactive, suffer
seizures, and become mentally retarded
between 6 and 18 months old.
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27. Diet therapy:
- Commercial formula Lofenalac
- Regular blood tests
- Synthetic milk for older children
- Avoidance of phenylalanine
- Lifelong diet therapy
- Hospitals are required to screen newborns
for PKU before discharge.
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28. Foods allowed for PKU: fats, sugars,
jellies, fruits, vegetables, cereals, special
phenylalanine-free synthetic milk
Foods not allowed for PKU: meats, fish,
poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, dried
beans and peas, commercially prepared
products made from regular flour
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29. Conclusion
- Babies must have adequate diets so that
their physical and mental development are
not impaired.
- Breastfeeding is nature’s way of feeding
an infant.
- Formula feeding is also acceptable.
- Some infants have special nutritional
needs. 29

30. Thank
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