Nutrient Needs for bb during weaning

- during the first year of life, an infant's body weight triples, and significant brain growth occurs.
- baby's nutritional needs increase more rapidly in the first year than at any other period of his or her life.
- key nutrients that should be included:

1. Protein
- important for building and maintaining body tissues such as chicken, fish, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, and liver (omit for vegetarians).
- vegetable sources of protein include legumes (such as beans, lentils, peas, and soybeans), nuts, and seeds.

2. Carbohydrates
- supply your baby with energy such as cereals and breads
- parents should choose iron-fortified infant cereals, especially for breastfed infants, to help prevent iron deficiency.

3. Nucleotides
- improve immune response and decrease the incidence of diarrhoea in infants.
- although the body can make its own nucleotides, infants may need extra nucleotides to meet the demands of their fast-growing bodies.
- early weaning foods are typically poor sources of nucleotides found in some follow-on formulas

AA and DHA
- the fatty acids arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are particularly important in the period of significant brain growth that occurs during the second 6 mths of life.
- play a considerable role in mental and visual development during this time.
- most weaning foods are poor sources of AA and DHA, a fortified follow-on formula can be an important source of these fatty acids.