The ability of a newborn to receive nutrition through food is critical to his or her health. Medical experts agree that breast milk from the mother is the best baby food for a newborn, but a newborn can also get the nutrition it needs from a formula designed for newborns. Depending on the lifestyle of the parents and other caregivers, both types of baby food for a newborn have advantages and disadvantages. Solid baby food is typically introduced to an infant between the ages of four and six months.
In order for a baby to grow and thrive, he must be fed after birth. A newborn should never be given solid foods, so breast milk or formula are the only options for baby food for the first few months of life. Due to the health benefits that breast milk provides for a baby, doctors and nurses usually recommend that a newborn be breastfed. Breast milk contains all of the nutrients that a newborn baby requires, as well as antibodies that can help protect a newborn’s delicate immune system. Many babies have sensitive stomachs, but breast milk is easily digestible and breaks down in the stomach of a baby.
While breastfeeding is highly recommended, not all new mothers will be able to do so. For the first few months of life, a breastfed newborn must be breastfed every two to three hours, which can be difficult for mothers who must return to work outside the home or be away from their baby for long periods of time. If a mother is committed to breastfeeding, she can buy a breast pump to express her milk into bottles when she is away from her child. Because some medications can be passed through breast milk, a mother who needs to take an unsafe medication should not feed her baby breast milk.
Scientists have developed a number of infant formulas that can be used instead of breast milk to feed a newborn. Formula contains the nutrients that a baby needs to be healthy and grow, though it does not have all of the benefits of breast milk. For mothers who have a low supply of breast milk or are unable to breastfeed their newborn, using formula as baby food is the best option. When a baby is fed formula, the father and other caregivers may help with feedings.