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.