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Essential nutrition for babies starting on solid foods

Your baby needs a nutritious diet, with a wide range of tastes and textures. It’s important to ensure that her diet contains food from all the major food groups in the correct proportions;

LCP’s

• LCP’s are special fatty acids that occur naturally in breast milk, and they’re important for the development of your baby's brain, eyes and nervous system.
• The two LCP’s vital for optimal growth and development are AA and DHA.
• Babies who receive plenty of LCP’s during pregnancy and from breast milk, or an infant formula with added LCP’s, have better visual development and problem-solving skills when they’re older.
• LCP's are needed for the continued development of a baby's brain. It’s been found that babies receiving plenty of LCP’s develop their thinking, speech and movement skills more quickly.
• Another health benefit provided by LCP’s is lower blood pressure in childhood. This may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in later life.
• At six months babies should make enough LCP’s for themselves, but will also get them from solid foods such as oily fish like salmon, eggs and red meat.

Iron

• Iron is essential in the production of haemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying part of red blood cells.
• Too little haemoglobin in the blood causes anaemia, which can cause tiredness and lack of energy, and at six months of age your baby’s natural store of iron is starting to run out.
• Breast milk alone will not now be enough to meet your baby’s need for iron. She now also needs to get plenty of iron from her solid food diet.
• However, it’s not easy for your baby to eat large amounts of iron-rich foods like red meat, chicken and fish at this age.
• A follow-on milk such as Aptamil Follow-On is an excellent source of iron and can help to ensure she gets the daily requirement of this essential mineral from 6 months.
• One pint of Aptamil Follow-On milk provides over 70% of your baby's daily iron requirement.
• Vitamin C is crucial in aiding the absorption of iron, so give your baby some well-diluted fruit juice, with one part of juice to 4-5 parts water.
• You can also include fruit or vegetables at the same time as the iron-rich food, especially with non-meat sources of iron.
• This is advised because non-meat irons are less well absorbed, so try a breakfast cereal served with some fresh fruit.
• You should never give your baby any kind of vitamin or mineral supplement without first seeking medical advice, so talk to your GP if you feel your baby has an iron deficiency.

Prebiotics

• Prebiotics are special nutrients that feed the friendly bacteria in the digestive system.
• Milupa Aptamil have been researching prebiotics for many years and are continuing to explore the other potential benefits they may provide.
• Whether or not you breastfeed, it’s important to provide an ongoing source of prebiotics to encourage your baby's friendly bacteria to flourish.

Calcium

• A crucial mineral in the development of healthy bones and teeth is calcium.
• It’s a mineral which also helps to regulate the heartbeat and assist in the blood clotting process.
• As your baby develops at such a fast rate between three and six months, she needs to get plenty of calcium in her diet to ensure she develops strong bones and teeth.
• The best sources of calcium are breastmilk or infant formula milk. Low fat versions of these foods will contain a similar amount of calcium, but they’re not recommended for babies before they’re two years old.
• Other sources include green vegetables, bread and beans. However, these foods also contain other substances which bind to the calcium and make it more difficult to absorb.