Special Nutritional Needs of Newborns

If you are feeding your newborn breast milk then there simply will be no need of any type of supplementation except maybe Vitamin D.

However if you are feeding your baby formula be sure to talk with the doctor about vitamin D supplements for your baby. Breast milk and formula may not provide enough vitamin D, which is essential to help your baby absorb calcium and phosphorus — necessary for strong bones. Too little vitamin D may also cause rickets, a softening and weakening of bones.

There are also two points of view in place about whether or not you need to supplement the breast feeding newborn's diet with Vitamin D.

The theory is that if the mother has not had enough sun exposure or vitamin D during her pregnancy then the newborn's diet of breast milk should be supplemented.
The baby may also not need Vitamin D if he or she spends a lot of time outside in the sun. Vitamin D can be synthesized quite simply by the baby when the sun shines on its skin.

If you live in a northern climate where there is not much sun or where you experience a long winter then the baby may definitely need supplementation. In southern climates limit the newborn's exposure and apply sunscreen.

The recommended time that a baby should spend in the sun every day is twenty minutes. It is best to avoid the hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest.

Breast fed infants tend to be better nourished. Breast milk contains lactose, protein and fat and is easily digested by a newborn's immature system.

None of the important antibodies found in breast milk are found in manufactured formula, which means that formula doesn’t provide the baby with the added protection against infection and illness that breast milk does.

Although breast feeding is recommended there may be some women who are unable to provide natural milk to their child for one reason or another. This means feeding your baby with a commercially prepared formula.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate formula companies to ensure that they provide all the known necessary nutrients (including vitamin D) in their formulas.
Commercial formulas are coming closer to duplicating what is in mother's milk but haven’t matched their exact combination and composition. The substances in breast milk are too complex to identify and imitate so that it is effective.

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Why You Need to Teach Your Kids to Eat Well

Eating well starts and ends with you. You need to teach your kids from a very young age when they are toddlers how to eat well so they do not end up like so many of the fat young American teens that you see everywhere today.

Eating well is a process that starts with you. First you must shop and cook well for your child and then you must teach him or her how to shop and cook well too. Teaching them about organic and whole foods keeps them healthy.

A child that eats well from a young age tends to be a healthier individual who is less likely to suffer from any kind of a disease. Kids that are well nourished tend to be more do better in school and have better memories. They also are more emotionally balanced and have a better ability to concentrate. This is especially true of the child that is not raised on sugar. He or she tends to be a calm, productive person who can retain information and focus on one thing at a time.

If food is approached in a positive way without being made into a reward then your child will grow up with a healthy self image. He does not need to resort to behaviors like anorexia or bulimia. You will also raise a child that is not going to use food for comfort.

Teaching your kid to shop and eat well has another benefit. Your child will have more money in the bank than most because he or she will not be spending a lot of extra cash on expensive junk food the craving and desire for bad foods that are laden with sugar, salt and fat will simply not be there.

If you raise your child to have a healthy lifestyle he or she is also less likely to get sick. He or she will be less of a burden on the medical system and also be able to keep money that might have been spent on medical bills.

Feeding your child well and teaching him or her good lifestyle habits is a gift that will last for a lifetime and keep on giving good health for many years to come. Even better those good habits will be passed down from you through them to their kids when they have them as well.

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