Supplementary foods for infants
Woodruff, C.W.
Asdc Journal of Dentistry for Children 48(2): 146-148
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 1945-1954 PMID: 6938550 Document Number: 176271
Human milk or prepared formula in adequate amounts is sufficient for an infant's nutritional needs for the first 6 monts of life, with the possible exceptions of iron, vitamin D, and fluoride. Iron is well absorbed from breast milk, but other forms of milk may require supplementation; feeding supplementary foods may interfere with iron absorption. Vitamin D deficiency may result from sunlight deprivation of mother and infant. Factors influencing the activation of 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin are dark clothing, air pollution and cloud cover, and dark pigmented skin. Little information is available on the efficacy of fluoride during the first year of life. There is little in human milk, but supplements should not normally be necessary. The introduction of semisolid foods at 4-6 months has much to do with life-long eating habits; objectives of this process should include learning to eat a wide variety of foods and avoiding obesity by balancing energy intake and output.