You are in Our Sponsors . Before your baby was born, he received a steady flow of carefully selected, predigested nutrients that crossed the placenta from your body into his own. In other words, you were his perfect food source. Because he was born too early, your baby was removed from that perfect food source before he was ready to eat and digest food on his own. Good nutrition may never be more important to your baby than it is right now.
Nutrition is a very complex science.
Your baby s nutritional needs are also complex and very different than those of an adult. You may already know that your baby needs protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, but you might be surprised to learn about his needs for fat. Fat provides highly concentrated energy for growth and tissue-building material for the brain, eyes, and central nervous system. There are other ways to provide him with the nutrition he needs. In this section, we ll discuss bottle-feeding, and tips for feeding your baby.