How to Meet the Dietary Needs of Babies - Health, Palate, and Lifestyle

More and more studies are proving that food has a large impact on our overall health and may even determine which diseases and ailments we will get later in life. The more we are aware of the importance of our food choices the earlier we can teach and protect our children. Of course there is always a balance to strike between what's good for our body and what's good for our taste buds and lifestyle. Here is a description of the most important nutrients for your child's development and which foods meet their needs.

Iron

Babies are born with their own source of iron, but this will be depleted after six months. Iron is absorbed best if it is from meat, however the vegetarian baby can increase iron absorption by eating foods rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, berries, spinach, tomatoes) with meals. Giving milk separately from meals also promotes absorption. Vegetarian iron rich foods include pureed apricots, molasses, fortified cereals, refined lentils, beans and green vegetables.

Calcium

Breast milk or formula provides all your baby's calcium needs initially. Calcium helps teeth and bones and promotes overall strength. Good sources later include: cow's milk, fortified soy milk and orange juice, cheeses, molasses, dark green vegetables, beans, lentils and tofu.

Protein

Babies require more protein than adults because of their rapid growth. A one year old child needs about 15 grams or two cups of protein per day, such as milk, cheese, beans, tofu, fish, poultry and lean meats. Combination foods such as grains (bread, pasta, rice) with beans, lentils, avocados, cheeses or tofu will provide the balance needed for vegetarian babies.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is usually found in animal products, such as meat and chicken. Other non-meat sources include dairy products and eggs, as well as fortified foods such as soy milk and cereals.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is made from the action of the sunlight on the skin. Most children in warm climates receive adequate Vitamin D (20-30 minutes a day, 2 to 3 times per week). Dietary sources of vitamin D include dairy products, eggs and fortified foods. Breast milk or formula will provide vitamin D in the beginning stages. Some pediatricians recommend vitamin D supplements.

Fiber

Most of your baby's fiber needs will be met with fruits and vegetables and cereal. Be careful as a diet too high in fiber and whole grains can fill up a child before their nutritional needs have been met and interfere with absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron and calcium. Too much fiber may also cause diarrhea or an upset stomach to your baby.

Zinc

Zinc is important for healthy immune systems and growth. Offer your child plenty of food rich in zinc such as wheat germ, lean meats, milk, lentils, beans, peas, corn and soybeans. Zinc, like iron may be a problem for vegetarian babies because of poor absorption.

Fat

Infants receive 40 - 50% of their calories from fat, through breast milk or formula. After the first 12 months, your baby will receive fat from whole cow's milk. After age two, the Pediatric Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends reducing fat calories to 30% or less of total diet. This is the time to switch from whole milk and dairy products to low fat versions. Healthy fat sources include walnuts, canola oil, avocado, milk, cheese and yogurt.

Antioxidants

These are important early on as they prevent damage to developing DNA. The average American family eats only 50% of what is recommended. Vegetables and fruits are the best source of antioxidants including: sweet potatoes, carrots, kiwi, broccoli, avocados, and blueberries.

Water

Babies get water from formula and breast milk early on. However once solids are introduced they may need more liquids to aid swallowing. Water is needed for hydration as children become more active.

The nutrients listed above are good for all ages. While they contribute to your child's development they also keep adults healthy and free from diseases. You are the expert when it comes to your family and child. If you have a concern, trust your instinct and find someone to help you with health and nutrition questions and problems - pediatricians, nutritionists, dieticians, and lactation consultants are the perfect resources. Typically steady growth is best proof that your child is getting the right amount of food.

Lisa Barnes is the founder of Petit Appetit, a culinary service devoted to the palates and health of infants and toddlers. She teaches in-home private cooking classes to parents, nannies, mothers’ groups, and parenting resources throughout Northern California and is the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook (published by Penguin Books, March 2005).

Her mission is for children to eat more healthfully, and parents to feel empowered to provide tasty and healthy food for their family. Good food should be about nutrition and taste, and bringing the family together.

For more information on Petit Appetit or The Petit Appetit Cookbook go to http://www.petitappetit.com

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Emotional Development of Babies - Newborn to 2 Years

Emotional development depends on the nature of situations or stimuli your baby is subjected to. The interaction style of the parent with the child has a significant role in this regard. A child shown much loving care and attention by the parent shows adequate emotional development. If the parents are themselves a source of stimulus of fear, then the child's emotional development will be affected. As the child grows up, relationship with same age-group children, school atmosphere and other environmental factors influence the emotional development.

Here is a timeline of when babies exhibit certain emotions.

Newborn - Two Months

The infant's emotional development starts with crying since the time of his birth. Newborns cry in order to communicate their need. At birth, infants are quiet when full and cry when hungry. The crying differs based on the different needs. Next the emotion of smiling appears. Smiling is of two kinds - the one which appears in the first month is involuntary and not in response to an external stimulus, the second one which appears by two months is in response to an external stimulus like a familiar face, mostly the mother's face. Early emotional expressions are similar among all infants. As they mature, more complex emotions begin to develop. Once the parents know about the basic needs of their infants, they can understand their emotional expressions.

3 Months

By about 3 months they begin to talk with coos and goos and by imitating sounds of their care-takers. This shows the emotion of happiness. Anger and distress too are shown out at this stage.

6 to 12 Months

At about 6 to 12 months, more complex emotions like fear for strangers and fear of being left alone are expressed. At the same time they express joy on social interaction with parents and familiar people.

12 to 18 months

Negative emotions like anger and distress are expressed more between 12 to 18 months, but these subside with development of language. A feeling of empathy is shown by 18 months - a feeling related to the feeling others are experiencing. for e.g when a sibling cries or is sad, the baby shows out the same feeling.

18 to 24 Months

Around 18 to 24 months, toddlers are self conscious and develop emotions like shame, pride and embarrassment.

Copyright © Oonjal Technologies 2009. All rights reserved.

This is an article from Prathaban Selvaraj. For more articles related to parenting visit KidandParent, an Indian parenting website. To find more articles on child development visit KidandParent's articles section on child development.

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Educational Games for Babies 6 to 12 Months

By six months of age your baby may be sitting unassisted, her coordination skills are growing in leaps and bounds, and she will soon be crawling, standing, and then walking. Six to twelve months is a fun time for parents and babies. Play a variety of games with your little one and watch her quickly master new skills, like language skills and fine and gross motor development.

Between 6 and 9 months your baby will love to experiment with simple cause and effect relationships like pressing a button to play a song. Little ones also love to explore sounds by banging spoons and toys together or on the table at this age. Give your baby an assortment of pots, coffee cans, and containers along with wooden spoons and metal spoons. Encourage her to play the drums as you sing along. The Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Toy Bench is a great toy to satisfy those banging urges. It also offers a number of educational benefits, like color and letter recognition, and provides opportunities for your baby to explore cause and effect.

Games with balls are a lot of fun at this age. Use soft, squishy balls to roll back and forth across the floor with your baby. Try dropping beanbags into a wide, open container. Your little one will love taking them out just as much as watching you toss them in. Once your baby starts to crawl, set up an obstacle course for her to crawl over. Pillows, large stuffed animals, and piles of soft cloth scraps make perfect climbing obstacles to boost her crawling skills and strengthen the muscles she will soon use to walk.

Sometime between 9 months old and the first birthday, most babies will begin to walk, some earlier and some later. During this age, your baby will be developing a number of new large muscles as well as her fine motor skills. She will know how to hold her toys and can probably throw them. These soon-to-be toddlers also love to imitate and copy the things they see.

Play sound games with your baby. Make a sound or unusual noise and encourage your baby to copy it. Try this with funny faces and movements for even more fun. Stacking and arranging blocks, cups, or other toys is also a fun game to enhance fine motor development. Give your baby an assortment of toys and a big box and watch her meticulously put them in and then dump them again all over the floor.

Sing lots of silly songs with your child and read everyday. Language skills are becoming quite strong during this stage and her vocabulary of understood words is growing rapidly. Repetition of her favorite story books, nursery rhymes, and songs can give her an even better understanding of the common patterns of spoken language. Songs with movements, like the Itsy Bitsy Spider, are favorites at this age.

As your baby begins to cruise around the house, typically using furniture to aid her balance, play walking games. Hold her teddy bear or another cherished toy a few steps away and encourage your little one to walk to you to get it. Remember to praise her efforts and not to make too big of a deal when she stumbles or falls. Once your baby becomes a confident toddler, there are tons of new games to enjoy together!

For more tips and information about Baby Einstein Play Gym, check out http: http://www.thekidstoystore.com.

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