Your baby’s tummy: Best tips for nutrition and feeding

As a parent you want only the best for your child. So, you research and weigh every choice you make carefully, speak to your friends to get their opinions, and consult your child’s doctor for expert advice. In fact, you leave no stone unturned when making any decision – because  at the end of the day, you’d do just about anything to make sure that your baby is happy and healthy.

One of the first and most important decisions you’ll have to make is deciding what to feed your baby.

Your baby’s tummy is different

You often wonder why your baby is always putting up a fight at mealtimes, or how she eats so little but yet remains active throughout the day. Think your baby’s tummy is just like your own? Here are some interesting facts to consider:

• Consuming adult-size portions of food or water at any one time is something you may be able to do without much difficulty. However, your baby’s tummy can only manage small volumes at every feed. So, small frequent feeds should be the way to go.
• You probably get to eat and drink whatever you like without being bothered by rashes or stomach discomfort. But do you know that 2 in 3 babies were reported to be frequently troubled by feeding intolerance issues such as fussiness, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, and allergies?*

* Abbott global tolerance survey 12/08, n=5000/Base: All respondents (including Singapore respondents)

Find out which nutrients are important for growth during the early years, and get the best tips on nutrition and feeding for your baby – courtesy of Abbott Total Comfort. More details on page 2…

Nutrition fuels your baby’s growth & development

Did you know that your baby’s tummy plays an important role in her growth and development?

In the first few months of life, your baby will grow rapidly. She will also triple her birth weight by the end of the first year.  For this reason, it is crucial to maintain a healthy digestive system to ingest, digest and absorb nutrients that will fuel her growth during this time. These include nutrients like AA and DHA  which serve as building blocks for baby’s brain, calcium for bone strength and protein for growth of muscle tissue.

What’s more, a healthy gut makes way for smooth daily nourishment – and  a happy tummy makes a happy baby.

Facts about feeding your growing baby

Milk is essential

Breastmilk is baby’s best choice for nourishment. Designed by nature for infants, breastmilk is easily digested and well absorbed. This helps to ensure that your baby receives all the right nutrients in the right amount for optimal growth, physical and mental development.

Do take note that fresh cow’s milk is should not be given to kids below one year. Here are some reasons why:

• Cow’s milk protein can irritate the lining of the stomach and intestine, leading to loss of blood in the stools.
• Cow’s milk has high concentrations of protein and minerals, which can stress a young child’s immature kidneys.
• Cow’s milk lacks the proper amounts of iron, vitamin C, and other nutrients that baby may need.
• Cow’s milk does not contain the appropriate blend of fat for growing babies.

If and when needed,  follow-on and growing up milk formulas are also great options for your child as they provide all the nutrients needed to sustain a healthy growth and development. This includes AA and DHA to support her rapidly growing brain. Be sure to look out for milk formulas that are hypoallergenic and easy-to-digest to avoid any symptoms of milk intolerance in your baby.

Complementary additions

After 6 months, your baby will need to start having solid foods in his diet, as milk alone can no longer meet all her nutritional requirements. Here’s a useful guide to help you get started:

• Iron-rich cereals, fruits and vegetables are recommended as first foods as they provide important minerals and vitamins. They are also least likely to trigger allergies. Prebiotic in food such as asparagus and bananas may support the growth of friendly bacteria in the gut to help maintain a healthy digestive system.
• Over time you can introduce fish, legumes and poultry to enrich your baby’s diet. Do check how your baby tolerates each new food by careful observation of tummy and skin symptoms.
• From smooth and runny foods, your baby will progress slowly but surely until he can handle more complex textures and even self-feed.

It takes time to transition from eating a teaspoonful to having hearty child-size food portions, so make sure to continue including milk (breastmilk or formula) in your child’s diet to help supply the nutrients she needs.

Abbott Total Comfort: The smarter choice for complete and gentle nutrition

Learning to eat and drink is a gastronomic journey that every little one needs to go through. As parents, we often find ways and means to make this journey enjoyable and comfortable for our kids to achieve healthy growth and development.

To help you work towards these goals, you can start off by monitoring your kids’ growth patterns, observing their milestones and having timely discussions with the paediatrician about your child’s growth progress. All these small measures will help to ensure that your child will be ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Abbott Total Comfort milk formula delivers all the benefits of Similac and Gain including lutein, AA and DHA for brain development. Along with the TummiCare™ EZ Digest System, it is formulated with gentle proteins and an easily digested fat blend to give your child complete nutrition with a gentle touch. This gives you the assurance that you’re giving the very best to your baby during the early years – so you can focus on all the joys of parenthood.

Click here to request a FREE sample and to learn more about Abbott Total Comfort milk formula.