Learn the top baby nutrition questions your doctor may ask about your baby during regular check-ups and how to prepare for your appointment.
As your baby develops, it requires adequate nutrition to support its health and strength.
Safe and nourishing food is vital for sustaining life and fostering good health. Good nutrition for your baby is crucial for preventing chronic conditions, promoting strong bones and teeth, maintaining a healthy body weight, improving mental health, and sustaining stable energy levels.
Below are the top baby nutrition questions that your doctor will ask you about your baby’s nutrition:
Is your baby breastfeeding well?
Breast milk is the best food for your baby. It provides all the nutrients your baby needs for the first six months of life in the right proportions. Colostrum, the initial milk produced by the mother after birth, contains high levels of antibodies that assist your baby in combating infections.
It also helps the immature digestive system of your baby develop. Breast milk is easy to digest and prevents gastrointestinal infections thus no diarrhea, constipation, and stomach upsets.
Brain development and high intelligence scores are also benefits of breast milk. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of other infections and diseases such as respiratory tract infections, ear infections, and diabetes mellitus. It also reduces the risks of allergic diseases and sudden infant death syndrome. It promotes healthy weight gain and helps prevent childhood obesity.
What do you feed your baby?
When complementary foods are introduced, your baby tends to breastfeed less often. Complementary foods should be more energy-dense than breast milk. When these foods are less energy dense they don’t meet the nutrient requirements and can cause nutrient deficiencies.
A baby’s appetite indicates the amount of food they consume per serving.
When food is energy-dense, a small amount is needed to cover the energy requirement. Energy-diluted complementary foods require a large volume to fulfill the energy deficit. Energy-dense foods promote weight gain and achieve catch-up growth for babies who have been sick. You can make your baby’s food energy-dense by:
- Adding a little butter/margarine foods such as rice, potatoes, or porridge
- Fry food with healthy oils
- Adding avocado to foods
- Add milk to breakfast cereals and make puddings with milk instead of water.
The consistency of your baby’s food depends on age and development. At the beginning, your baby can eat mashed or semi-solid foods. By the time your baby reaches 12 months old, they can start eating the same food as the rest of the family. They require nutrient-rich foods. However, be careful not to give your child foods that can choke them.
Complementary foods should provide enough energy, proteins, and vitamins for growth and development. Giving your child a balanced diet helps you achieve the demand for all the nutrients required.
You should practice good hygiene and proper food handling when preparing and feeding your baby. Microbial contamination is one of the causes of diarrhea common in children. The utensils to feed your baby should be thoroughly cleaned in clean water. It is also important to wash your hands before feeding your baby.
How is your baby’s weight progressing?
This is one of the common top baby nutrition questions that your doctor will ask. Your baby’s first year is filled with rapid growth and weight gain. During this stage monitoring their feeding habits can help determine their progress. Your baby should be fed every 2-3 hours during the first weeks of life. The best way to gauge sufficient nutrition for your baby in the first year is by monitoring their growth.
Your baby will double their birth weight by the time they are six months old. The weight increases gradually and sometimes they might not gain anything. At other times they will gain a large amount. Weight fluctuation in babies is common especially if the child is sick or is not feeding enough.
You should take your baby for regular weighing to monitor normal growth and weight gain. Their height also increases with time and progressive weight gain. The growth monitoring chart inside your parenting guide will help you see how your baby is progressing.
Infancy and childhood is a delicate stage that requires critical care. The health foundation set at this stage is closely related to the health conditions during adulthood. As a parent, you have a fundamental role in your baby’s growth and development. Hygienically offering well-prepared nutritious food aids your baby in fighting infections, achieving normal growth, and attaining healthy weight gain.