Caring for your baby's health is every parent's responsibility, and handling a newborn requires significant responsibility and caution. Therefore, it's crucial to understand how you can best care for your newborn.
The period from pregnancy to the first 1,000 days of life is the most crucial phase of a newborn's life. During this initial stage, a lack of proper nutrition can significantly harm a child's brain development, with consequences that cannot be rectified later. Several other issues often stem from inadequate nutrition, including improper physical development, reduced learning ability, poor school performance, and an increased risk of infections and illnesses. Nutrition during pregnancy and in the first year after birth plays a fundamental role in enhancing the child's healthy development and immunity. Let's explore some specific tips on newborn nutrition in this article.
Breastfeeding: Timing and Technique
Mother's milk is the best food for a newborn. Immediately after delivery, the mother's milk is thick and yellow, boosting the baby's immunity. The correct positioning of both the infant and the mother during breastfeeding is essential.
Handling a Newborn
Newborns are delicate and fragile, so they require careful handling. It is therefore crucial to handle them with utmost care and in the correct manner. Before picking up a newborn, ensure you thoroughly wash your hands with antiseptic sanitizer liquid to prevent any risk of infection.
Swaddling: Points to Remember
When swaddling a newborn, it's essential to wrap them in soft and warm clothes. This not only makes the infant feel secure but is also crucial because newborns are sensitive to cold. Until the age of 2 months, keep the baby wrapped in clothes, but ensure you don't overdress them, as this can lead to overheating, potentially posing a risk to their life.
For Babies Up to 1 Year Old:
Nutritional needs change for infants between 6 and 8 months old. They should now be given solid foods along with mother's milk.
Ensure that children receive adequate amounts of protein, fats, iron, and carbohydrates, along with sufficient vitamins and minerals.
Once the child turns one, they begin eating with other family members. Encourage them to eat dry fruits or raw vegetables, yogurt, and breadsticks between meals.
Feed children a variety of vegetables every week, such as green, red, and orange beans and peas, starchy and other vegetables.
Prioritize whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, or rice in the child's diet. This positively impacts the children's physical development.
Encourage children to consume fat-free or low-calorie dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages.
Iron is essential in their daily diet for proper brain development.
Calcium is crucial for proper bone and muscle development. It is found in dairy products, ragi, raisins, etc., which should be included in your child's diet.
Excessive consumption of sugary foods and soft drinks can lead to serious health problems. Avoid giving them excessively salty and spicy food as well.
