When all is well

Breastfeeding is the ideal food for all infants because it answers their nutritional needs perfectly. Its composition evolves over the course of feeding and adapts to the baby’s evolution. It is thus recommended to breast feed as long as possible.

However, some women are not able or do not want to breastfeed their child at all, or not as long as they wish to, for various reasons: personal choice, health conditions, busy professional life… In these cases, an infant formula may be given to the newborn, according to the health care professionals’ advice.

Gluttonous babies are babies who do not seem satisfied after a feeding even though the given quantity of milk corresponds to their age. They often demand to be fed and do not manage to go 3 to 4 hours without being fed, whether by day or by night. The symptoms appear with tears, sometimes screams of hunger, even though completelly normal in the first weeks of life, it could get exhausting for the parents if it lasts for months.

A child still has specific nutritional needs after their first anniversary, therefore it is important to provide him or her with food that is diversified, as well as all the nutrients needed between 1 and 3 years of age. This includes calcium and vitamin D which are necessary for growth and bone development, and iron which contributes to the normal cognitive development of the child. This is why a growing-up milk formula is recommended to cover the specific needs of young children as a supplement to a diversified and well-balanced diet.

It is advised to drink around 500 ml a day of growing-up milk formula until the age of 3 years1.

     


      1 Bocquet A., et al., Committee of Nutrition of the SFP(FPS). Food for the infant and the very young child. Practical realization. Archives of Paediatrics. 2003; 10.76-81