New Born Care
An age-appropriate diet:
- Gives your child proper nutrition
- Is right for your child’s state of development
- Can help prevent childhood obesity
During the first 6 months of life, your baby needs only breast milk or formula for proper nutrition.
- Your baby will digest breast milk more quickly than formula. So, if you breastfeed, your newborn may need to nurse 8 to 12 times per day, or every 2 to 3 hours.
- Be sure you empty your breasts regularly by feeding or using a breast pump. This will prevent them from becoming overly full and achy. It will also allow you to continue producing milk.
- If you feed your baby formula, your baby will eat about 6 to 8 times per day, or every 2 to 4 hours. Start your newborn with 1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 milliliters) at every feeding and gradually increase the feedings.
- Feed your baby when they seem hungry. Signs include smacking lips, making suckling movements, and rooting (moving their head around to find your breast).
- Do not wait until your baby cries to feed them. This means they are very hungry.
- Your baby should not sleep more than 4 hours at night without feeding (4 to 5 hours if you are feeding formula). It is OK to wake them up to feed them.
- If you are breastfeeding exclusively, ask your baby’s health care provider if you need to give your baby supplemental vitamin D drops.
You can tell your baby is getting enough to eat if:
- Your baby has several wet or dirty diapers for the first few days.
- Once your milk comes in, your baby should have at least 6 wet diapers and 3 or more dirty diapers a day.
- You can see milk leaking or dripping while nursing.
- Your baby starts to gain weight; about 4 to 5 days after birth.
If you are concerned your baby is not eating enough, talk with your baby’s provider.
You should also know:
- Never give honey to your infant. It may contain bacteria that can cause botulism, a rare but serious illness.
- Do not give your baby cow’s milk until age 1 year. Babies under age 1 have a difficult time digesting cow’s milk.
- Do not feed your baby any solid food until 4 to 6 months old. Your baby will not be able to digest it and may choke.
- Never put your child to bed with a bottle. This can cause tooth decay. If your baby wants to suck, give them a pacifier.
There are several ways you can tell that your infant is ready to eat solid foods:
- Your baby’s birth weight has doubled.
- Your baby can control their head and neck movements.
- Your baby can sit up with some support.
- Your baby can show you they are full by turning their head away or by not opening their mouth.
- Your baby begins showing interest in food when others are eating.
Call your baby’s provider if you are concerned because your baby:
- Is not eating enough
- Is eating too much
- Is gaining too much or too little weight
- Has an allergic reaction to food
Babies and infants – feeding; Diet – age appropriate – babies and infants; Breastfeeding – babies and infants; Formula feeding – babies and infants
Newborn fingernails and toenails are most often soft and flexible. However, if they are ragged or too long, they can hurt the baby or others. It is important to keep your baby’s nails clean and trimmed. Newborns do not yet have control of their movements. They may scratch or claw at their face.
- Clean the baby’s hands, feet, and nails during regular bathing.
- Use a nail file or emery board to shorten and smooth the nails. This is the safest method.
- Another option is to trim nails carefully with baby nail scissors that have blunt rounded tips or baby nail clippers.
- Do not use adult-sized nail clippers. You could clip the tip of the baby’s finger or toe instead of the nail.
Baby’s nails grow quickly, so you may have to cut the fingernails at least once a week. You may only need to cut the toenails a couple of times per month.
Bath time can be fun, but you need to be very careful with your child around water. Most drowning deaths in children happen at home, often when a child is left alone in the bathroom. Do not leave your child alone around water, not even for a few seconds.
These tips can help you prevent accidents in the bath:
- Stay close enough to children who are in the tub so that you can reach out and hold them if they slip or fall.
- Use non-skid decals or a mat inside the tub to prevent slipping.
- Use toys in the tub to keep your child busy and sitting down, and away from the faucet.
- Keep the temperature of your water heater below 120°F (48.9°C) to prevent burns.
- Keep all sharp objects, such as razors and scissors, out of your child’s reach.
- Unplug all electric items, such as hair dryers and radios.
- Empty the tub after bath time is over.
- Keep the floor and your child’s feet dry to prevent slipping.
You will need to be extra careful when bathing your newborn:
- Have a towel ready to wrap your newborn in to dry and keep warm right after the bath.
- Keep your baby’s umbilical cord dry.
- Use warm, not hot, water. Place your elbow under the water to check temperature.
- Wash your baby’s head last so that their head does not get too cold.
- Bathe your baby every 3 days.
Other tips that can protect your child in the bathroom are:
- Store medicines in the child-proof containers they came in. Keep the medicine cabinet locked.
- Keep cleaning products out of reach of children.
- Keep bathroom doors closed when they are not being used so your child cannot get in.
- Place a door knob cover over the outside door handle.
- Do not ever leave your child alone in the bathroom.
- Place a lid lock on the toilet seat to keep a curious toddler from drowning.
Contact your child’s health care provider if you have questions about the safety of your bathroom or your child’s bathing routine.
Bathing safety tips; Infant bathing; Newborn bathing; Bathing your newborn baby.
References
HealthyChildren.org website. How often and how much should your baby eat? www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/How-Often-and-How-Much-Should-Your-Baby-Eat.aspx. Updated May 13, 2022. Accessed July 19, 2023.
Meek JY, Noble L. Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057988. PMID: 35921640 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35921640/.
Parks EP, Shaikhkhalil A, Sainath NN, Mitchell JA, Brownell JN, Stallings VA. Feeding healthy infants, children, and adolescents. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 56.
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. Standard 2.2.0.4: Supervision near bodies of water. Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs. 4th ed. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2019. nrckids.org/files/CFOC4%20pdf-%20FINAL.pdf. Accessed April 10, 2024.
Denny SA, Quan L, Gilchrist J, et al. Prevention of drowning. Pediatrics. 2019;143(5):e20190850. PMID: 30877146 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30877146/.
Wesley SE, Allen E, Bartsch H. Care of the newborn. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 21.
Danby SG, Bedwell C, Cork MJ. Neonatal skin care and toxicology. In: Eichenfield LF, Frieden IJ, Mathes EF, Zaenglein AL, eds. Neonatal and Infant Dermatology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2015:chap 5.
Goyal NK. The newborn infant. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 113.
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