Keeping your little one happy and healthy is your number one priority. As you progress through the parenting experience, you will look for ways to enhance your child’s development and growth.
Here are some baby and child health tips that can help your child thrive along with feeding using infant formula.
- Help to get your baby to latch – Breastfeeding is a new thing for both you and your baby, so it should come as no surprise that you may experience twisting issues while feeding your newborn. For difficult and persistent closure problems, paediatric consultants recommend using a temporary nipple shield to help with this process. You may have to wear a shield for a month before your baby catches your nipple without it. Made of thin and soft silicone that does not interfere with nipple stimulation, the nipple shield is worn while breastfeeding. The holes at the top allow the milk to flow to the baby.
- Breast milk is good for your baby – The advantages of breastfeeding are greater than the alkaline diet. In addition to all the vitamins and nutrients that babies need in the first six months of life, breast milk contains substances that protect babies from disease. The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for at least 12 months and then for as long as both mother and child desire. The World Health Organization recommends continuing to breastfeed until 2 years of age or beyond.
- Solid foods, if introduced, should complement breast milk – In the first six months after birth, breast milk can support optimal growth and development of the baby. The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) says water, juice, and other foods are generally not needed during this time. Although babies love to explore new tastes and textures, solid foods should not replace breast milk but should complement breast milk as an important source of nutrition for babies during the first year of life.
- As your child enters the first year of life, their intake of a variety of solid foods will increase, but breast milk remains the ideal mainstay of your child’s diet.
- Nutrition for babies from 9 to 12 months – Just like adults, babies need nutritious food throughout the day to be happy and healthy. When introducing your child to the world of food and nutrition, think of simple, enjoyable meals three times a day.
- Foods that are beneficial for your baby – Even if the portions are small (for a 6-month-old, a tablespoon or two might be a serving; for a 1-year-old, it might be 1/4 cup), your child should get five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Fruits and vegetables are essential for nutrition, so serve foods in a variety of colours, including green (peas, green beans, spinach, asparagus, zucchini), orange (yam, melon), yellow (pumpkin, banana), and red (cooked) tomatoes, peppers).
- Give them bread and cereal. Babies love to eat cereal, boiled pasta, soft bread, and rice. It’s easy to make sure they’re getting enough milk because babies this age are still drinking 16 to 24 ounces of breast milk or formula per day. Be sure to serve extra protein in the form of chicken, fish, beans, or eggs.
- Follow vaccination routines carefully – The vaccine is very safe, with minimal side effects such as pain or swelling at the injection site. The United States’ legacy vaccine safety system ensures vaccines are as safe as possible. The United States currently has the safest vaccine supply in its history. Millions of children receive safe vaccines every year.
- Although the baby receives temporary immunity (protection) from the mother during the last few weeks of pregnancy from resistant diseases from the mother, breastfeeding can also temporarily protect your baby from minor infections such as the common cold. These antibodies don’t last long, but they make your baby susceptible to disease. You should take your baby to a children’s centre for regular vaccinations. It’s true that breastfeeding usually results in better immunity than vaccination, but the risks are much greater.
Finding the perfect balance between feeding, breastfeeding, and immunizations with time, love, and attention will greatly enhance your child’s early experiences. You can try Furilac Stage1, Furilac Stage 2, and Furilac LBW to feed your little ones and let them grow naturally and healthily.