Babies need healthy food to grow and develop. A newborn baby gets their nutrients from breast milk or formula and, as they get older, from introducing solid foods.
Newborn babies eat smaller amounts more often. A baby who is breastfed may eat every 1-3 hours, while a baby on formula may eat every 2-4 hours. How much they eat each time may vary. As your baby grows, you will start to learn the signs of when they are hungry.
Typically, once a baby has good head control, can sit safely in a high chair/feeding chair, and has doubled their birthweight, it may be time to start solid foods. These foods are given in addition to breast milk or formula. Examples include infant cereals, and mashed or pureed fruits and vegetables.
Starting your baby off with good nutrition will help them to meet important growth and development milestones, and form healthy eating habits as they grow up.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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SOURCES: American Academy of Pediatrics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
PREPARED BY: 211
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: November2021