Nutritional requirements (0-28 days)

The baby grows fastest in the first 6 months. Most infants will be able to double their body weight in about 4 months, and to triple it by the age of 1 year. All parts of the body grow quickly and become larger and bigger. Within a year, babies grow from 50 cm to 80 cm. The infant's nutritional needs are compatible with it.

For growth and development, the baby needs food; for the baby's health, no matter how big he is, the food should contain sufficient protein, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. At least 4 months ago, babies had to rely on sucking milk to absorb these nutrients. After four months, when he starts to eat solid foods, as long as you give him a reasonable, balanced diet, he will be able to get all the nutrients he needs.

Heat

The energy needed to perform various functions of the body comes from food. The calories in food are usually expressed in calories. For infants, the calorie intake requirement is about two and a half to three times that of adults. In the first 6 months, more than 100 calories per kilogram of body weight are required, and the amount of calories per kilogram of body weight from 6 months to 1 year is slightly less than 100 calories.

Therefore, an infant weighing 3,500 grams at birth needs about 400 calories per day. If the baby had doubled his weight to about 7000 grams in about 6 months, he needed 667 calories a day. If a baby doubles in weight at 12 months of age, reaching 10.5 kg, he needs 1,000 calories a day.

protein

Most of the proteins that babies consume are used for growth and development. Demand for protein was correspondingly higher in the first 12 months than in the rest of the life, three times that of adults. If the amount of milk given is sufficient, then the newborn will be provided with all the protein he needs.

Vitamins

Breast milk has nothing but vitamin D. The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. It stimulates the skin and causes it to secrete vitamin D. If you live in a bad climate and your sunshine hours are short, you will need vitamin D supplements and consult your doctor. If you use a baby bottle to feed your baby, all the vitamins your baby needs can be met by using the formulated infant formula (the manufacturer has already added the supplement).

Minerals

In the first year after birth, bones and muscles grow rapidly, so babies need more minerals than adults, such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. All infants were born with enough iron content until they were four months old. After this, iron is added to the diet, usually added as a solid, but it may also be added as an iron additive. The amount of iron in breast milk and milk is quite low; infant formula is usually added to the manufacturer's iron, and you can find it on the ingredient list.

Trace elements

Babies need trace elements like zinc, copper and fluorine. The first two years were in breastmilk and infant formula, but fluoride was not. Because babies need fluoride to help prevent their teeth from being corroded during infancy and early childhood, you should contact your midwife or doctor to give your baby an extra amount of fluoride (about 0.5 mg daily). You can give him fluids of fluoride every day, and wait until he gets bigger and replace them with pills (By the way, the pills are best for chewing because they can coat the teeth with a protective layer of fluoride). If you live in an area where you add fluoride to your water, you don't have to add fluoride to your child. If you are not sure, you can get in touch with the water management department.

fat

The body only needs trace fatty acids to meet the needs of growth and recovery. The fat content in breast milk and formula milk is roughly the same, but the fat particles in breast milk are slightly smaller and therefore easier to digest.

Carbohydrates

This substance is the main source of energy. Both breast milk and formula contain carbohydrates, but only slightly more in breast milk.
Source: Chinese maternal and infant network