The Food and Nutrition Board has recognized that human milk is the best food for infants and will meet the nutritive requirements early in life when it is supplied in sufficient quality.
The nutrient allowances are stated.|
ENERGY :-
The caloric need in an infant is high in terms of his body weight.
The allowance of 130-150 Kcal per Kilogram for the infant at birth
is necessary.
Eg
: 130 Kcal/Kg.
Infant's
birth weight = 3Kg.|
=> 130 x 3 = 390 Kcals.
Hence,
the caloric need should be approximately 450 - 500 Kcal.
Since
the activity of infants varies widely, an allowance that is correct
for one infant may be too high or too low for others
PROTEIN
:-
The infant adds about 2.5 gm protein to his body after about
1.65 gm/kg per day for the rest of the year.
WATER :-
The water loss from the skin is large because of the greater
surface area in relation to body weight. Infants require about
150 ml water per 100 calories. This requirement is met by breast
milk.
MINERALS
:-
Studies have proved that infants receiving human milk absorbed
50 - 60 percent of the total calcium, where as those receiving
commercial formula absorbed about 25 - 30 percent of the total
calcium.
The circulating hemoglobin of the well nourished
infant is ample during the first three months, after which foods
providing iron must be added in order to meet the needs of the
expanding blood volume. The incidence of anemia is high in infants,
usually appearing by the age of six months.
Although many trace elements are needed by the infant,
the exact requirements have not been determined. It is safe to
assure that humans milk will supply adequate amounts.
VITAMINS :-
Human
milk will furnish sufficient vitamin A & vitamin E
Human
milk from the well - nourished mother supplies sufficient ascorbic
acid for the infants needs, although supplements are generally
introduced early.
The
allowances for thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3)
have been set up proportionate to the caloric intake. These allowances
are easily met by human milk.
The
infant is born with a store of vitamin B6 that protects him during
the neonatal period as human milk is very low in this vitamin.
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