Infant formula
An inadequate supply of maternal breast milk.
Inefficient sucking by the baby.
Inability to quantitate the precise amount of breast-milk received by the baby.
Concern about transferring drugs the mother may be taking for a medical problem through the breast milk to the infant. (Examples of medications that are considered unsafe for the baby include cimetidine, cyclophosphamide, lithium, gold salts, methotrexate, metronidazole, cyclosporine, and bromocriptine.)
Mother needs to work outside of the home shortly after the baby’s delivery. Formula-feeding offers a practical alternative to trying to be in two places at once! (Formula-fed babies also need to eat less frequently than do breastfed babies because breast milk digests and leaves the stomach more quickly. Thus, breastfed babies become hungry more frequently.)
A side benefit of bottle feeding is that the entire family can immediately become intimately involved in all aspects of the baby’s care, including feedings. The mother can therefore get more rest, which can be critically important, especially if the pregnancy and/or delivery were especially difficult.
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The symbol of pediatrics and child health. Also known as the della Robbia or the bambino. The infant in swaddling was chosen by the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as its symbol in the early 1930s and has since become the international symbol of pediatrics. The design was derived from that of one of ten terra […]
- Infant iron supplementation
Iron is included in most infant formulas. Therefore, there is no evidence that iron supplementation is necessary for healthy formula-fed, full-term infants. In the past it was recommended that infants from birth to 4 months of age could receive a lower quantity of iron compared with those from 4 to 12 months of age. As […]
- Infant mineral requirements
Minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine, copper and zinc) and trace elements (manganese, chromium, selenium, and molybdenum) are included in most infant formulas. Therefore, there is no evidence that mineral supplementation are necessary for healthy formula-fed, full- term infants. In the past, it was recommended that infants from birth to 4 months of age could […]
- Infant mortality rate
The number of children dying at less than 1 year of age, divided by the number of live births that year.
- Infant protein requirements
Proteins contain different amino acids that are linked together. Proteins provide both calories and the amino acid building blocks that are necessary for proper growth. The protein in human milk provides between 10%-15% of an infant’s daily caloric need. Casein and whey are the two major proteins of human milk and most milk-based formulas. (Immunoglobulins, […]