Infant Health: Your Baby's First Year

Feeding

• Breast milk is recommended as the only food for about the first 6 months, continuing with other foods to 1 year or beyond. Formula is a safe alternative.
• Newborns typically feed 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Feed on demand, watching for hunger cues such as rooting and sucking on hands.
• Vitamin D: breastfed and partially breastfed babies need a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU a day.
• Solid foods start around 6 months when the baby can sit with support and shows interest. Introduce iron-rich foods early, and include common allergens such as peanut products in a safe form.
• Avoid: honey before 12 months (risk of botulism), cow's milk as a main drink before 12 months, juice, and choking hazards such as whole grapes and nuts.

Good signs of enough milk: 6 or more wet diapers a day after the first week, regular stools, and steady weight gain.

Safe sleep

Sudden unexpected infant death, including SIDS, is most common between 1 and 4 months. To reduce risk:

• always place the baby on their back to sleep, for naps and at night
• use a firm, flat sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a fitted sheet
• no pillows, blankets, bumpers or soft toys in the sleep area
• room-share without bed-sharing, ideally for at least the first 6 months
• avoid overheating; dress the baby in light layers or a wearable blanket
• do not smoke during pregnancy or around the baby
• breastfeeding and offering a pacifier at sleep time lower the risk
• do not let the baby sleep on a sofa, armchair, or in inclined products

Growth and development

Babies usually lose up to about 10% of birth weight in the first days, then regain it by 10 to 14 days. Most double their birth weight by around 4 to 6 months and triple it by 12 months.

Typical milestones:

Babies develop at different rates, but losing skills, or not meeting several milestones, needs evaluation.

Checkups and vaccines

Well-baby visits are usually at 3 to 5 days, and then around 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months. Each visit checks growth, development, feeding, sleep and family wellbeing.

Vaccines in the first year protect against hepatitis B, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib, pneumococcus, polio, influenza, and RSV (with a preventive antibody product), with MMR and chickenpox at 12 months. Your pediatrician will follow the current CDC schedule.

Common minor problems

• Spit-up and reflux: common and usually harmless if the baby is growing well.
• Colic: prolonged crying, often in the evening, peaking around 6 weeks and settling by 3 to 4 months.
• Newborn jaundice: yellow skin in the first week; usually mild but needs checking.
• Cradle cap and baby acne.
• Diaper rash: frequent changes and barrier cream.
• Colds and stuffy noses: saline drops and suction help feeding.
• Constipation: formula-fed babies may strain; true hard stools need advice.
• Teething from around 6 months.

Fever in babies

Use a digital rectal thermometer for the most accurate reading in babies. A fever is 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher. In babies under 3 months, any fever needs immediate medical assessment, because serious infections can look mild at first. Do not give any medicine to a baby under 3 months without medical advice. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) can be used from 2 to 3 months at the dose for weight advised by your doctor, and ibuprofen from 6 months. Never give aspirin.

Caring for caregivers

Parents' health affects babies. Postpartum depression and anxiety are common and treatable; talk to your doctor if you feel low, anxious or overwhelmed for more than 2 weeks. Never shake a baby. If crying feels unbearable, put the baby safely in the crib and take a short break.

Frequently asked questions

When should I call the doctor for my baby?

Call right away for any fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher under 3 months, breathing difficulty, poor feeding, fewer wet diapers, unusual sleepiness or floppiness, repeated vomiting, or a rash that does not fade with pressure.

How should my baby sleep safely?

Put your baby on their back on a firm, flat surface in a crib or bassinet, with no pillows, blankets or soft toys, in your room but not your bed. Avoid overheating and smoke exposure.

How do I know my baby is eating enough?

Signs include 6 or more wet diapers a day after the first week, regular stools, contentment after most feeds, and steady weight gain at checkups. Your pediatrician will track growth on a chart.

When should babies start solid food?

Most babies are ready around 6 months, when they can sit with support, hold their head steady and show interest in food. Start with iron-rich foods and gradually add variety, including common allergens.