Infants -- babies younger than 1 year of age -- require special care to help maintain health. This includes paying attention to their nutrients and helping to ensure that they are as protected as possible from the common diseases of childhood or that if they get these diseases, that they're treated quickly.
Infant Diet
The best diet for infants -- for at least the first year of life, if not longer -- is breast milk, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics. There are many reasons that you should breastfeed your baby for as long as you're able. Breastfed babies have lower rates of obesity as children and adults and get fewer infections early in life. They also tend to have higher IQs than formula-fed babies, although the difference is only approximately 10 IQ points.
Alternatives
If you're unable to breastfeed your baby or choose not to, you should provide a formula specifically developed for infants, explains Dr. Scott Cohen in his book "Eat, Sleep, Poop." Soy milk, goat's milk, cow's milk and other foods aren't appropriate for infants younger than six months of age, although your pediatrician may allow you to begin introducing them between six months and a year. Many different formulas are available to help meet your baby's needs.
Diseases
A breastfeeding baby is less susceptible to many infections than a formula-fed baby, but all infants can get diseases. Some, such as the common cold, are quite mild. Others, such as pertussis, can be very serious. In most cases, if a baby is very ill, you'll notice a fever. Fevers over 100.4 degrees in newborns and above 102 degrees in older babies warrant a trip to the doctor, explains MayoClinic.com. Contact your doctor if your baby isn't acting right, even if she doesn't have a fever.
Vaccinations
Although there have been rumors in recent years that vaccinations cause autism and other problems in infants, there is no scientific proof of this. In fact, explains the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many scientific studies have shown just the opposite -- vaccines are safe and help prevent serious diseases of childhood. Talk to your pediatrician about an appropriate vaccination schedule for your child and be sure to follow up with all recommended boosters for effective disease prevention.
