Describe the developmental milestones and feeding skills of a typically developing infant that is between birth and 1 month, 1 and 3 months of age.
1. How do infants get fluoride? Why does the body need fluoride? What happens if too much fluoride is consumed? How about vitamin D? How much do infants need and how do they get it? Does this vary if infants are breastfed or formula fed?
2. Describe the developmental milestones and feeding skills of a typically developing infant that is between birth and 1 month. Describe this for an infant that is between 1 and 3 months of age. About how much will they eat at each feeding and how frequently?
3. Describe the developmental milestones and feeding skills of a typically developing infant that is between 4 and 6 months of age. About how much will they eat at each feeding and how frequently? Describe the same for an infant between 7 and 9 months of age.
4. Is there a specific amount of fats that is recommended for infants? Why do infants need fat? What are the 2 essential fatty acids? What are they and why are they needed for the developing brain? How does the length of fatty acids in breast milk compare to formula and is there a difference in how readily they are digested?
5. What are some of the recommendations for best success when introducing food with a spoon to an infant? How might a parent know what pace to use when feeding by spoon? Should the parent touch the back of the infant’s tongue with the spoon? Why or why not? Is it a good idea to use the baby’s gums to scape food off of the spoon? Why or why not?
6. What are the signs of readiness to start eating from a spoon? What cues does an infant give that they are hungry, full, or the pace of feeding is too slow or too fast? How much food should be given when infants begin eating by spoon?
7. What is the first food that is often given to infants? Why is this particular food often used first? Are commercially prepared baby foods necessary? If a parent was preparing food at home, what would they need to make sure that they do? Are commercially prepared baby desserts a smart choice to give infants?
8. What are some examples of foods that could cause choking in infants? Why might peanut butter present a problem? Potato chips also can cause choking—why might this be?
9. Why is positioning important for an infant that is drinking from a bottle or eating from a spoon? What position is recommended for first few months? What feeding position is recommended for an infant that is at the spoon feeding stage?
10. When does weaning start and when is it usually completed? If breastfeeding is occurring during the first year, when should an infant begin using a cup for supplemental water? Are the skills involved in drinking from a cup different from drinking from a “sippy” cup? At what age does developmental readiness for drinking from a cup begin?
11. How do infants learn food preferences? Is it possible that the dietary choices of the nursing mother could make a difference in taste preference of the infant as they grow older? Why might that be?
12. What is Failure to Thrive (FTT)? What might a registered dietitian look at and do as part of a nutritional assessment of an infant to rule out FTT?
13. What is Colic? Is there a known cause for it? Does changing infant formulas typically stop it from occurring? What are some recommendations to help relieve Colic?
14. Why might putting a baby to bed with a bottle lead to tooth decay and ear infections? What are some good feeding practices to do to prevent dental caries and ear infections?
15. How do the energy needs per pound of body weight of infants compare to other ages in the human lifespan? How many calories per kg do infants need per kg? How do you convert pounds to kilograms? How much protein per kg do infants need?
16. Is it okay for an infant to be on a vegetarian diet? How does their growth compare to infants that are not on a vegetarian diet? Do they need dietary supplements? If so, which ones?
17. How do cultural differences impact how parents raise their children? Could cultural influences impact whether a family would be willing to participate in WIC? When might cultural practices need to be discouraged? Is there a cultural bias in the baby foods available for purchase in the US?
18. What is lactose intolerance? Why might people think that they or their infant has lactose intolerance when in fact they have not been diagnosed with lactose intolerance and they or their child may not have lactose intolerance? How are formulas that are lactose free different from those that contain lactose?
19. What is newborn screening? Who receives it and what are they screening for? How might food and nutrient intake provided to an infant be different based upon the results of infant screening)?
20. Describe federal programs that provide nutrition interventions that work to prevent and reduce problems with infant development. What kinds of services and supports do they provide?
