🌟 Worried about your baby’s nutrition? 🤔 Discover whether vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary for your little one! 🍼✨ #BabyHealth #NutritionTips

Iron

The amount of iron required depends on your baby’s birth weight and whether they were born prematurely.

Premature babies 

• Premature and very low birth weight babies are at higher risk for iron deficiency. They should be given an iron supplement (in the form of multivitamin drops) beginning by two weeks of age and continuing until they are at least 12 months of age. These infants should receive at least 2 mg/kg per day of iron throughout the first year of life.

Full-term babies 

• Babies who are breastfed need additional iron after four to six months of age. In some cases, they can get the iron from iron-rich complementary foods such as fortified infant cereal or puréed meats. An average of two servings (a total of 30 g or one-half of a cup of dry cereal) of iron-fortified infant cereal per day is sufficient to meet a baby’s daily iron requirement. If your baby does not eat this much cereal, they should get an iron supplement. 
• Full-term babies who drink iron-fortified formula usually do not need any additional iron supplementation.

After your baby is taking solid foods, continue to give them iron-rich foods such as fortified baby cereal or meats at least once every day. At the same meal, also give them foods rich in vitamin C (eg, citrus fruits and juices, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, dark green vegetables). Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.

Fluoride 

A fluoride supplement is recommended for children starting at six months old if the fluoride level in the local water supply is low or if your baby is drinking only breast milk or ready-to-feed formula (i.e. not from concentrate or powder).

Note: Singapore has fluoridated potable water so fluoride supplementation is not necessary unless your baby is drinking only breast milk or ready-to-feed formula at 6 months old.

Vitamin B12

The body requires a source of vitamin B12 to maintain blood cells. Meat, eggs, and dairy products are the only food sources of vitamin B12. Low levels of vitamin B12 can lead to anemia, developmental delay, and other problems.

Vitamin B12 supplementation is recommended for breastfed infants of strict vegan mothers (i.e. those who avoid eggs and dairy products in addition to meat) if the mother is not taking supplemental vitamin B12 while lactating and for formula-fed infants whose caregivers provide a strictly vegan complementary diet.

Adequate B12 is available in most nonprescription infant vitamin drops and in certain brands of nutritional yeasts, most ready-to-eat cereals, many meat substitutes, and some milk alternatives. Fortified soy milk is a good source of B12 for children.

Vitamin D

All babies, whether they are fed breast milk or formula, should be given a supplement containing 400 international units of vitamin D per day, starting within days of birth until they are 12 months of age

Vitamin D is included in most nonprescription infant vitamin drops. In some countries, it is possible to buy infant drops that contain only vitamin D.

Fat-soluble vitamins

 Supplementation with fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) should be considered in infants who have chronic cholestatic liver disease or fat malabsorption.

Reference: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/introducing-solid-foods-and-vitamin-and-mineral-supplementation-during-infancy?search=baby%20food%20choking&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1#H20

Related: When Should My Baby Start Solid Foods?, What Food And Drinks Should My Baby Avoid?, What Should I Know About Baby Food Allergy?, Does My Baby Need Mineral/Vitamin Supplements?, Mother’s Nutrition During Breastfeeding and For Parents