POCKET GUIDE - Bright Futures - American Academy of Pediatrics

oral health
■ Assess eating behaviors to determine the infant’s risk for
dental caries (tooth decay). Determine whether the infant
has had a dental visit.
vitamin D and iron
■ For breastfed infants, determine whether the infant is
receiving vitamin D supplementation, and assess the
need for iron supplementation.
Anticipatory Guidance
discuss with Parents of all infants
■ gradually introducing their infant to solid textures to
decrease the risk of feeding problems, such as rejecting
certain textures, refusing to chew, or vomiting. (it may take
10–15 attempts before an infant accepts a particular food.)
■ understanding that infants will become more interested
in food their parents eat and less interested in breastfeeding
or bottle-feeding. Nevertheless, infants should receive
breast milk, infant formula, or both through the first year
of life.
■ offering soft, moist foods as their infant gradually moves
from gumming to chewing foods.
■ offering small pieces of soft foods as their infant gains
more control over picking up and holding food.
■ Placing their infant in a high chair (using a safety belt) to
sit with the family during mealtime.
■ serving only 100% fruit juice in a cup as part of a meal or
snack, and limiting juice to 4 to 6 oz per day.
■ Avoiding feeding their infant sweetened beverages, such as
sodas and fruit drinks.
■ Providing their infant snacks midmorning, in the afternoon,
and in the evening. (Most 9-month-olds are on the
same eating schedule as the family: breakfast, lunch, and
dinner.)
discuss with Parents of breastfed infants
■ encouraging the mother to breastfeed for the first year of
the infant’s life.
■ Providing vitamin D supplement (400 iu/day).
■ Providing an iron supplement (1 mg/kg of body
weight/day) if the infant does not consume sufficient
iron-rich foods.
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Bright FUTURES
Infancy