Vitamins and Minerals in my Infant

Your baby is about to go through an amazing growth spurt in the first few months.

Expect your baby to double his or her birth weight by about age 5 - 6 months and triple their birth weight by a year of age. To grow that much, they need a lot of nutrients - more than at any other time in their life.

Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies during the first 6 months.

The ABC’s of Nutrients
Some of the nutrients babies need to grow and stay healthy include:

Calcium
Helps build strong bones and teeth

Fat
Creates energy, helps the brain develop, keeps skin and hair healthy, and protects against infections.

Folate
Helps cells divide.

Iron
Builds blood cells, and helps the brain develop..

Protein and carbohydrates
They provide energy and fuel growth.

Zinc
Helps the cells grow and repair themselves

Your baby also needs vitamins such as:

Some of the nutrients babies need to grow and stay healthy include:

Calcium
Helps build strong bones and teeth

Fat
Creates energy, helps the brain develop, keeps skin and hair healthy, and protects against infections.

Folate
Helps cells divide.

Iron
Builds blood cells, and helps the brain develop..

Protein and carbohydrates
They provide energy and fuel growth.

Zinc
Helps the cells grow and repair themselves

Your baby also needs vitamins such as:

Vitamin A. Keeps skin, hair, vision, and the immune system healthy.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine). Helps the body turn food into energy.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Helps the body turn food into energy, and protects cells from damage.
Vitamin B3 (niacin). Helps the body turn food into energy and use fats and protein.
Vitamin B6. Keeps the brain and immune system healthy.
Vitamin B12. Keeps nerve and blood cells healthy, and makes DNA -- the genetic material in every cell.
Vitamin C. Protects against infections, builds bones, and muscles, and helps wounds heal.
Vitamin D. Helps the body absorb calcium from food and keeps bones and teeth healthy.
Vitamin E. Protects cells from damage and strengthens the immune system.
Vitamin K. Helps the blood not to clot.

Essential fatty acids. ARA and DHA are fatty acids that are important for the baby's brain and vision. They're naturally found in breast milk when the mother includes them in their own diet.

Nucleotides. These building blocks of RNA and DNA are also found in breast. They are thought to boost the baby's immune system and help the digestive organs develop.

Prebiotics and probiotics. Probiotics are "good" bacteria that might help protect against the "bad" types of bacteria that cause infection. Prebiotics promote the growth of these good bacteria in the gut.

Vitamin D and Iron
The World Health Organisation recommends that children must be exclusively breast-fed for the first 6 months after birth. Breastmilk contains a natural balance of vitamins, especially C, E and the B vitamins. So, if you and your baby are both healthy, and you are well nourished, your child may not require any supplements of these vitamins.

The importance of vitamin D
Our bodies need sunlight to produce vitamin D, which is why exposure to sunlight is good in moderation. However, children should wear sunscreen, hats, and protective clothing when outdoors for extended periods of time to prevent sunburn and reduce the risk of skin cancer later in life.

Do babies need iron supplements?
For the first six months, your breastfed baby needs no additional iron. The iron in their body at birth was enough for their initial growth. But now the reserves will be low and as their growth increases, so will their need for iron. At six months of age, when infants are introduced to solid foods, it is important to offer them iron fortified cereals and green leafy vegetables that are a good source of iron.

Tips for giving babies vitamins

Space it out. For the biggest nutritional boost, don't mix multivitamins or iron with breast milk, milk-based formula or other milk products. The calcium in milk can hinder the body's ability to absorb the mineral. (It's okay to mix vitamin D into a bottle or give it at a feeding because it won't affect uptake.)
Help it go down easily. Worried that your little one won't cooperate and swallow his supplement? Most infant vitamin drops are tasty, so your baby may gulp it right down. If he does fight it, talk to the paediatrician about strategies, like trying a different brand or switching to a more concentrated supplement that requires smaller doses.
Stay safe. Keep supplements — particularly those containing iron — secure and away from children's reach.