Handling & Feeding Infants
HPC 3OMarch 20th, 2013
Handling a Baby
Neck muscles can’t support their head
Gentle Handling
Shaken Baby Syndrome
How to handle a stressful situation:Put baby down in a safe place and go to
another room to calm downAsk a friend or relative to care for babyTake deep breaths or look out windowCall someone and talk about your problem
until calm
Feeding a Baby
Not only about nourishment! Contact is also important!
Sporadic feeding schedules when newborns
2nd/3rd month a pattern emerges
Feeding Methods
1st year breast milk or formulaWhen feeding from bottle head and neck
to be supported, head well above stomach, hold bottle @ an angle
Feeding Methods
Warming bottle place bottle in water boiling on stove until bottle is lukewarm
Never use microwave! hot spots in formula
Burping the Baby
Burp the baby @ least twice! once during feeding and when feeding is over
Introducing New Foods
Age of 6 months more foods can be introduced
Show patience as baby adjusts
Introducing New Foods – Tips!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c1-wX0cmjM
Weaning
Changing from drinking from bottle or breast to drinking from a cup
No precise age!
Self-Feeding
8-10 monthsProvide finger foods as encouragement!Allow plenty of time for each meal
Self-Feeding Safely
Cut into small piecesChoose feeds that are easy to break dry
toast, rice cakes, cereal pieces, etc;Stay away from raw veggies, whole
grapes, candy, or popcornJust a few pieces @ a time!
Overfeeding
Will look fat in the first months after birth will become slim by age 3!
Bottle-fed tend to be more overweight than breast-fed
Young children need the same nutrition as adults except smaller serving sizes
Inadequate Nutrition
Enough calories for growthFoods with nutrientsFood that is easy to digestAdequate amounts of liquid
If these points are not met, child may suffer from poor nutrition
Homework!
Meeting the nutritional needs of an infant might be challenging for teens who are not themselves inclined to have good eating habits.
Your task: Keep a record of the foods you eat for one week. Besides listing the foods, record nutritional values if you can.
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