Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

Nutrition in Early Infancy
Infancy is a time of dramatic change and development. In the first year of life, babies
triple their body weight and develop from tiny bundles whose daily activities involve eating,
sleeping, and creating dirty diapers to toddlers well on their way to walking, talking, and
feeding themselves. The first 1,000 days of life, beginning at conception and continuing
through toddlerhood, also represent the most active period of brain development in the
lifespan, laying the foundation and establishing neural networks to support cognitive, motor,
and social-emotional skills throughout life. All of these critical developmental processes are
supported through sensitive caregiving, a safe home environment, and of course, a healthy
diet. 1 Nutrient requirements on a per-kilogram body weight basis are higher during infancy
than in any other stage in the lifespan.
EARLY INFANCY: MEETING NUTRIENT NEEDS THROUGH MILK
At birth and continuing through the first 4 to 6 months of life, breast milk, infant formula,
or some combination of the two should be the sole source of nutrition for infants. This
is because young infants’ gastrointestinal tracts aren’t yet ready to process more complex
foods, and they lack the oral motor skills to swallow solid foods safely. Breast milk is uniquely
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