Meeting a baby’s nutritional requirements
- Babies have higher requirements for energy and certain key vitamins and minerals than adults relative to their size
- Up to 6 months of age milk (breast milk or infant formula) meets the nutritional requirements of the baby
- At about 6 months, nutritious solids should be introduced to support the baby’s continued growth and development
- Cows’ milk should not be given as a drink before 12 months of age
- For more information on weaning, click here to go to the ‘weaning section’ of our website
Key nutrients for consideration
Energy
- Your baby needs foods which supply a good source of energy (calories) to meet their requirements for growth and development
- In addition to baby’s usual milk, meat, fish, eggs, pulses and full fat dairy products, along with nuts, seeds and oils, are all good sources of energy
Iron
- Iron is needed for growth, healthy blood and brain development
- Iron deficiency anaemia is a common childhood nutritional deficiency in the UK and ROI
- For more information on iron, click here to go to the ’nutrition matters’ section of our website
Zinc
- Zinc is essential for growth, development and immune function
- Useful sources of zinc include meat, fish, pulses, wholegrain cereals, cheese, eggs and milk
Vitamin C
- Vitamin C is necessary for normal growth and development, and helps with iron absorption
- Good sources include peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, berries, blackcurrants, oranges and kiwi
Vitamin A
- Vitamin A is essential for normal growth and development, healthy skin and eyes and also in the immune function
- Good sources of vitamin A include liver, oily fish, whole milk, cheese and butter. Carotenes (which are converted to Vitamin A) can be found in good quantities in dark green leafy vegetables, carrots and in other orange coloured fruits and vegetables
Vitamin D
- Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption; deficiency can cause poor bone growth and could lead to rickets
- Useful sources of vitamin D include oily fish, liver, eggs and fortified breakfast cereals
Vitamin Supplements
The Department of Health recommends supplements containing vitamins A, C & D for:
- Babies receiving breast milk as the main drink after 6 months
- Babies on infant or follow-on milk and drinking less than 500 ml per day from 6 months until 1 year
- All children aged 1-5 years