Feeding: Preventing problems

Your newborn should be taking increasing amounts of breast milk or formula. By the end of the first month, newborns generally eat every two to four hours, up to 24 ounces a day.

Babies should not drink in bed

Giving your baby a bottle may help him or her get to sleep more quickly. However, it increases the risk of "bottle caries." The constant exposure of new teeth to the sugar in formula or breast milk causes cavities (tooth decay) that can ruin a baby's new teeth in just a few months. Once you start putting a baby to bed with a bottle, it is a hard habit to break.

Preventing iron deficiency anemia

A diet low in iron causes more cases of anemia (low red blood cell count) than any other cause. You can usually prevent iron deficiency by making sure your baby is getting enough iron in foods, formula or vitamin supplements.

Rickets and vitamin D

All breastfed infants should receive a vitamin D supplement, usually available as multivitamin supplements. Breast milk contains little vitamin D, and scientists have recently reported an increase in rickets (abnormal bone development) among breastfed infants. Dark-skinned infants and those living in northern latitudes with little exposure to indirect sunlight are particularly at risk.

Microwaves

Although microwave ovens have many uses, preparing baby food or formula should not be one of them. Microwaves unevenly heat formula and other foods, resulting in "hot spots." Overheated milk loses some of its value. It also can burn your baby's tender mouth tissue. A better alternative is placing the formula-filled bottle in a jar of warm water and allowing the formula to warm gradually. Some babies will be quite happy with unheated formula.

No honey

Many consider honey to be a naturally healthy food. However, honey may contain bacterial spores that cause infant botulism. You should not give honey to any child less than one year of age. As infants mature, the spores are less able to cause disease.

Pacifiers

Some parents have passionate opinions about whether or not to give a pacifier to their child. Pacifiers do not cause medical or psychological harm if a few simple guidelines are followed.

• Giving a pacifier to your baby immediately after birth may interfere with establishing breastfeeding. You should avoid a pacifier until breastfeeding is going well.
• Many babies find sucking on a pacifier comforting and will use their hand or thumb if a pacifier is not available.

Thumbs up

Babies often start sucking their thumb before birth. This common behavior occurs in about 8 out of 10 babies. It does not cause damage unless it persists beyond one year of age, which it occasionally does. If thumb-sucking persists, contact your health care provider.

Related Links

Other feeding issues

Return to "Volume 3: The first month"

Pregnancy Condition Center: Your baby

Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota: Well child care

First published: 05/07/2001
Last updated: 05/24/2005

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rogan, MD, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota