Infant Nutrition: Growing Strong from the Beginning
Start your baby on the path to success with good nutrition right from the beginning. The first year of life is an important time for growth and development. Good nutrition is vital for giving your baby the nourishment they need to grow well and learn. Poor nutrition can lead to poor growth, obesity, infections, and increase the risk of adult diseases.
Breastfeeding
Feed your baby only breast milk for the first 6months. Then after 6 months, continue to give your baby breast milk along with solid food until 1 and beyond. With planning and support, you and your family can have a rewarding and enjoyable feeding experience. See our website for all the information you need for successful breastfeeding.
Formula Feeding
If breast milk is not available for your baby, feed only iron fortified infant formula for the first 6 months. At 6 months, continue to give formula along with solid food until 12 months old.
- Choose the right formula
- Make sure your formula is not expired, is sealed correctly, and is made for infants.
- Avoid imported formulas not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Avoid toddler formulas, they do not have enough nutrition for your baby.
- Do not use homemade formula. They do not have the nutrition your baby needs and may be contaminated with germs.
- Make your formula correctly and follow the directions on the can. If the formula is not made correctly, your baby may have growth problems or get sick from germs.
- How to Bottle Feed
- Hold your baby close when you feed a bottle.
- Do not prop or leave the bottle in your baby’s mouth. This can increase your baby’s risk of choking, ear infections, and tooth decay.
- Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle. Milk can pool around the baby’s teeth, and this can cause tooth decay.
- Take breaks and pace feed your baby with the bottle and burp often. Learn more about pace feeding.
- Ask your doctor what formula is right for your baby and learn more about formula at Healthy Children: Choosing an Infant Formula.
How much do I feed my baby?
How much to feed is different for each baby.
In the early weeks and months, feed 8-12 times in 24 hours. Your baby might want to feed every 2-3 hours. Wake your baby if sleeping longer than 4 hours, even at night. Babies may drink 2oz at first then want more as they grow.
- Knowing when your baby is hungry or full (responsive feeding) can be the key to successful feeding. Learn more about Responsive feeding.
Feedings may be more spread out as your baby sleeps a little longer at night.
- At 3 months, your baby might be drinking 4 oz bottles and increase to 6-8 oz bottles by 5 months.
- Offer only breastmilk or formula in bottles. Do not add cereal unless directed by your doctor.
When your baby is about 6 months old, you can start to introduce him or her to solid food on a spoon.
- Watch for signs of readiness for solid foods.
- Offer one single-ingredient food at a time at first.
- Wait 3 to 5 days between each new food. This helps you see if your child has any problems with that food, such as food allergies.
- Start with 1- 2 tablespoons of smooth pureed food at a feeding. As your baby learns how to eat, gradually offer thicker mashed food.
- Never force eating. Let your baby decide how much they want to eat. Learn more about signs that describe when your child is hungry or full here.
- Offer a cup with formula, breastmilk, or water at mealtimes to wash the food down and practice holding a cup.
- Continue to give your baby 4-5 bottles of 6-8 oz formula daily along with the solid food.
Now that your baby has mastered solid food introduction, solid foods will be a bigger part of his or her diet. Offer 3 meals with a few snacks every day. Breast milk or formula are still important nutrition for your baby. Babies still need about 24-32 oz per day for proper growth and development.
Here are some tips for feeding your older baby.
- Develop a routine—feed your baby at regular meal and snack times. Avoid letting your baby continually eat or drink throughout the day.
- Offer more mashed, ground, or finely chopped food to develop their chewing skills.
- Offer puffs, cereal O’s, or soft fruits/ soft vegetables to practice self-feeding skills.
- Encourage foods from all the food groups to explore different tastes and variety.
- Continue to offer the food even if they make a funny face trying it. It may take 20 or more times to accept a new food. Learn more about picky eating here.
- Give food with iron and zinc for brain growth every day-like meat, beans, seafood, and fortified infant cereals.
Solid Food Safety for Your Baby
Starting solid food is an exciting milestone for your baby. To make sure your baby stays healthy when eating, follow these tips.
- Do not give honey until your baby is 1 year old. Honey may cause a serious food poisoning called Botulism.
- Always feed your baby in a highchair, buckled in, with adult supervision.
- Avoid choking hazards like sticky, hard, uncooked food that is difficult to swallow.
- Avoid high mercury fish such as king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico), and bigeye tuna. Fish and shellfish are important to for your baby's brain development; so instead, choose salmon, cod, shrimp, or canned light tuna, just to name a few. See the full list of which fish to eat or avoid here.
- Wait to give your baby cow’s milk to drink until baby is 12 months old. Giving cow’s milk too early can cause intestinal bleeding and anemia. It also has too much protein and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle. Stick to breast milk or formula for now.
- Review food safety when making homemade baby food or storing jarred baby food.
Additional Resources for Feeding Your Baby
*If you have any concerns about how much breastmilk/formula your baby is drinking or worried about solid food intake, talk to your child's doctor.
Additional Information
If you need nutrition support or food assistance, call Nurse on Call 1-800-848-5533.
If you are an Oakland County resident that is pregnant, an infant, or a child with a medical condition, and would like in-home nutrition support provided by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, complete this form and you will be contacted by our Nutrition Services team. Visit Oakland County Nutrition Services to learn more.
The information provided offers general guidance on nutrition for a healthier lifestyle. This content should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is strongly advised that individuals seek personalized guidance from a qualified healthcare professional or a registered dietitian to address specific concerns or conditions.
