Infant Nutrition: Growing Strong from the Beginning

Start your baby on the path to success with good nutrition right from the beginning. The first year of life is an important time for growth and development. Good nutrition is vital for giving your baby the nourishment they need to grow well and learn. Poor nutrition can lead to poor growth, obesity, infections, and increase the risk of adult diseases.

Breastfeeding

Feed your baby only breast milk for the first 6months. Then after 6 months, continue to give your baby breast milk along with solid food until 1 and beyond. With planning and support, you and your family can have a rewarding and enjoyable feeding experience. See our website for all the information you need for successful breastfeeding.

Formula Feeding

If breast milk is not available for your baby, feed only iron fortified infant formula for the first 6 months. At 6 months, continue to give formula along with solid food until 12 months old.

• Choose the right formula
  • Make sure your formula is not expired, is sealed correctly, and is made for infants.  
  • Avoid imported formulas not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
  • Avoid toddler formulas, they do not have enough nutrition for your baby.
  • Do not use homemade formula. They do not have the nutrition your baby needs and may be contaminated with germs. 
• Make your formula correctly and follow the directions on the can. If the formula is not made correctly, your baby may have growth problems or get sick from germs.
  • Formula Preparation and Storage
  • Formula Preparation and Storage PDF
• How to Bottle Feed
  • Hold your baby close when you feed a bottle.
  • Do not prop or leave the bottle in your baby’s mouth. This can increase your baby’s risk of choking, ear infections, and tooth decay.
  • Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle. Milk can pool around the baby’s teeth, and this can cause tooth decay.
  • Take breaks and pace feed your baby with the bottle and burp often. Learn more about pace feeding.
  • Ask your doctor what formula is right for your baby and learn more about formula at Healthy Children: Choosing an Infant Formula.

How much do I feed my baby?

How much to feed is different for each baby.

Solid Food Safety for Your Baby

Starting solid food is an exciting milestone for your baby. To make sure your baby stays healthy when eating, follow these tips.

• Do not give honey until your baby is 1 year old. Honey may cause a serious food poisoning called Botulism.
• Always feed your baby in a highchair, buckled in, with adult supervision. 
• Avoid choking hazards like sticky, hard, uncooked food that is difficult to swallow.
• Avoid high mercury fish such as king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico), and bigeye tuna. Fish and shellfish are important to for your baby's brain development; so instead, choose salmon, cod, shrimp, or canned light tuna, just to name a few. See the full list of which fish to eat or avoid here.
• Wait to give your baby cow’s milk to drink until baby is 12 months old. Giving cow’s milk too early can cause intestinal bleeding and anemia. It also has too much protein and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle. Stick to breast milk or formula for now.
• Review food safety when making homemade baby food or storing jarred baby food.

Additional Resources for Feeding Your Baby

• CDC Infant and Toddler Nutrition
• CDC: Foods and Drinks for 6 to 24 month-olds
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Starting Solid Food
• US Department of Agriculture: My Plate
• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Build a Healthy Eating Routine for your baby
• MyPlate: Healthy Eating for Infants
• Healthy Drinks Healthy Kids: Learn more about keeping kids sipping healthy with the right drinks, in the right amounts, at the right ages—from birth through age five.

*If you have any concerns about how much breastmilk/formula your baby is drinking or worried about solid food intake, talk to your child's doctor.