Babies grow rapidly during the first six months of life, often doubling their birth weight. While doctors once advised giving your baby solid foods, including cereals, fruits and veggies, as soon as three weeks after birth, the American Academy of Pediatrics considers this feeding advice out-dated. Formula or breast milk provides all of the nutrients your baby needs to fuel his growth for the first four to six months of life.
Significance
Regular cow's milk, while similar in content to infant formula, fails to provide the correct ratio of nutrients for a growing infant---making it essential that you either breastfeed or choose an FDA-approved infant formula for your baby. Even after the addition of solid foods, breast milk or formula continues to provide a majority of the fat, vitamins and nutrients necessary for a baby's growth during the first year.
Types
Pediatrician and child development expert Dr. William Sears states that commercial infant formulas imitate the ingredients in human breast milk, helping to ensure your child gets the proper proportion of essential nutrients. Formula manufacturers usually start with a cow's milk base and then add vitamins and minerals, and adjust the levels of proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Sears suggests breast milk as optimal feeding choice due to its optimal nutrition, as well as the antibodies present in it that help develop your baby's immune system.
Time Frame
Breast milk or infant formula will be your baby's sole source of nutrition for the first four to six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests watching for developmental signs of readiness, including the ability to sit independently and to put things into his mouth, before starting solid foods. From six to eight months, offer breast milk or formula three to five times a day and supplement with small amounts of solid foods. At eight to 12 months old, the AAP recommends giving your infant formula or breast milk three times a day and giving him solids three times a day. You might also give him one or two snacks at this point.
Considerations
Some babies develop milk allergies, which occur in reaction to milk-based formulas or, in breastfed babies, in reaction to milk in the mother's diet. If your newborn shows any signs of colic--consistent patterns of crying that occur on a daily basis--talk to your doctor about evaluating your baby for a milk allergy.
Warning
The AAP recommends against giving cow's milk to a baby under the age of one. Medline Plus states that cow's milk fails to provide the Vitamin E, iron and fatty acids that babies need to grow and thrive. They might also receive too much protein, sodium and potassium, which can be hard on their systems.
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