Nutrition For Babies and Children Generally

Babies and toddlers need a nutrient-rich diet for their healthy development. Nutrients play a vital role in developing the brain, eyesight, and growth of the child (Phoebe, Fetherston, & Nilson, 2019). Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs until the baby is six months old. After six months, babies and toddlers should be given different nutrients like vitamins, fiber, and minerals found in a range of foods like vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, grains, and meat alternatives. Until the baby is 12 months of age, they should be given breast milk even after weaning. Breast milk continues to offer the baby a valuable immunological protection and nutrition source for two years and beyond. According to (Phoebe et al., 2019) exclusive breastfeeding means the baby is only fed with breast milk, including expressed breast milk. Infant formula or non-human milk is not provided to the baby during the first six months after birth. Good nutrition is critical to support the constant growth and development of children. It also gives them the energy they need to focus, learn, and play (Black, DOnise, McDermott, Vally, & ODea, 2017). Children can be protected from the development of chronic diseases and premature death when they are given a balanced and varied diet. Parents should be careful about the foods they buy.

In most cases, parents buy products labelled as low-fat, containing fruit, or no added sugar, thinking they are healthy. Reading food labels will offer the parents the essential information of how healthy the product is. They should look at the sugar and fat values, which will guide them in making good choices.

The current portfolio will cover an introduction to the following areas;

Breastfeeding advice

Weaning

Common feeding supplements

Parenteral nutrition

Parent support and education

Breastfeeding Advice

Breastfeeding is a partnership formed between the mother and the baby (Brown et al., 2019). The partnership takes time to be established successfully. New mothers take time to gain the confidence they need to breastfeed their baby, and they should be assisted during this period. Nurses will offer the new mother advice and assistance after she gives birth to learn how to breastfeed her baby. Ideally, a baby is first fed as soon as they demonstrate they are ready after birth, but in most cases, this happens within the first hour (Arora et al., 2017). Midwives and nurses present during the delivery will let the mother know when the baby is ready for their first feeding. The mother is shown how to breastfeed, and strategies to ensure the baby latches fully on the nipple are offered. Nurses should educate the mother on the importance of breastfeeding during the first few days after birth. Colostrum is produced during this period, and it is beneficial to the baby (Connolly et al., 2019). It contains antibodies that protect the baby against sickness and germs.

Latching on the Breasts

As a nurse, you should be skilled in assisting the mother to consistently achieve correct infant positioning and attachment at each breast (Brown et al., 2019). You can use a hands-off approach to demonstrate to the mother proper positioning and attachment. The mother is advised to find a comfortable position to breastfeed to avoid muscular strain. The mother should place a hand between the babys shoulder blades to support the head and neck while keeping the baby free to move towards the breast and latch. Effective communication is vital in nursing practice as established by The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (2017) standards 2.2 and 2.4.

Breast Milk Nutrition

The mothers breast milk contains all the necessary nutrients needed by the baby for the first six months (Arora et al., 2017). Therefore, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babies until they are six months exclusively. Breast milk can include expressed milk. A considerable concern raised by many mothers is the lack of milk. However, you should advise them that breastfeeding works on a demand and supply basis. The more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the mother will produce. Therefore, mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed as often as possible to increase their supply of breastmilk (Daniels et al., 2018). Breast milk comprises 87% water, 1% protein, 7% carbohydrate, and 4% lipid. It also contains many vitamins and minerals like sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium (Connolly et al., 2019). Breast milk is high in cholesterol, which is involved in brain development and a percussor of hormones.

Weaning

It is recommended to exclusively breastfeed the baby for six months to encourage their growth and development. After six months, the baby can be introduced to other foods to offer them the additional nutrients needed to boost their growth. As the baby grows, their need for increased nutrients increases beyond what is provided by breast milk. It is for this reason that the baby is weaned to other foods, including breast milk (Brown et al., 2019). Mothers should not stop breastfeeding even after the baby is weaned. Weaning is the period during which the baby takes a combination of other foods with breast milk. It ends when the baby no longer breastfeeds. Breastfeeding should not be stopped abruptly. It should be done gradually for the baby and the mother to adjust (Daniels et al., 2018). Remember that breast milk will continue being produced, and if the baby is not suckling, the breasts might get heavy and start to leak. Therefore, to gradually reduce milk production, advise the mother to stop breastfeeding gradually by reducing the daily breastfeeding frequency. NMBA standards 3.2 and 6.4 will guide the nurse in educating and informing the mother how to wean the baby (The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2017).

Considerations for Weaning

Holtzman and Usherwood (2018) posit a baby will be ready for weaning when they can hold their head up and sit upright, close their mouth around a spoon, have doubled their birth weight, and move food from the front to the back of their mouth. These guidelines ensure the baby is not weaned early and does not...…guidance on how to care for their newborn babies. Nurses are charged with offering education and advice to the parents on feeding the baby and otheraspects of nutrition (Aydon, Hauck, Murdoch, Siu, & Sharp, 2018). Nurses need to keep up with updated information regarding new research and developments to respond to parents questions using relevant information according to NMBA standards 4.2, 5.2, and 5.3 (The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2017). The nutrition of babies is vital as they need proper nutrition if they are to grow and develop. Therefore, nurses should inform parents on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and wean their baby afterwards. Many parents worry their baby is not receiving enough nutrition from baby milk, and they would prefer to start weaning their baby early (Aydon et al., 2018). Nurses should give such parents pertinent information on the benefits of breast milk to the baby and how nutritious it is.

Mothers can be advised to continue breastfeeding if they want to produce enough breast milk. Human milk production depends on a supply and demand basis. Therefore, the more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk the mother will produce. Vital information like this can be shared with parents to eliminate their worry about having enough milk for the baby. Recommendations can be made for the foods to give the child after six months. The foods will depend on the babys weight and nutritional needs (Russell et al., 2018). Mothers should be encouraged to continue breastfeeding even when they introduce solid food since breast milk still offers vital nutrients to the baby.

Conclusion

Proper nutrition plays a vital role in the growth and development of healthy babies. Mothers should breastfeed their newborn babies immediately after birth to stimulate the production of milk by the mother and also to begin receiving the vital colostrum. Colostrum is a yellow liquid produced during the first days before breast milk production begins. Colostrum contains essential nutrients to boost the babys growth and antibodies to protect the baby. In the first six months after birth, all the nutrients needed by the baby can be found in breast milk. Therefore, there is no need for additional feeds. Babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, and weaning should begin after they are 6-month-old. Weaning is the introduction of solid foods, but the food must be pureed in the first months. Parents must ensure they offer the baby a balanced diet to receive all the nutrients they need to support their growth. However, if the baby does not receive enough nutrients, they can be administered the nutrients intravenously or through supplements. Preterm babies will receive all the nutrition they need through parenteral nutrition, where the premature baby is fed intravenously into the bloodstream. Since the baby has not fully developed their gut and cannot process milk feeds, intravenous feeding ensures they receive the nutrition needed to support their growth and development. Finally, parents should be educated on how to feed…