On my home visits with families, one area of concern for parents is that of nutrition – in terms of when do I start to introduce solids, what to feed their growing child, and how much to feed them. Let’s start at the beginning, with pregnancy.

During pregnancy, it is important that the developing foetus receives adequate nutrition via the mothers diet. When the mother eats a mix diet of healthy foods and adequate intake of water, she is giving her baby the best start.

There is a lot of evidence to show that breastfeeding is the best possible food for your new baby, with all the nutrition they need. There are many cases where breastfeeding is not a possibility, and an appropriate infant formula, when it is made up as per the instructions on the label, can provide the required nutrition. Both breast and formula milk contains a particular fatty substance which is essential for the optimal development of neurons (brain cells) – this is why formula milk should not be diluted.

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