Nutrition for babies aged 0-3 months

The first three months of your newborn’s life is a time of intensive growth and development. Breast feeding is best for babies.


Your baby's first three months of life is the most intensive period of growth and development. A baby's need for energy and protein will be higher at this point than at any other time. To meet this demand, around half of your baby's total calorie intake comes from fat.

Necessary nutrients
Key nutrients found in some infant formulas include:

  • Long Chain Polyunsaturates (LCPs)

LCPs are part of the omega-3 and omega-6 series of fatty acids and are important for the development of your baby's brain, eyesight and nervous system1,2. The most important of these is an omega-3 LCP called docosahexaenoic acid, known as DHA.

You can boost the amount of LCPs in your breast milk by eating foods that are naturally rich in them, such as oily fish.

Some infant formula ranges contain two LCPs. One is DHA. The other is an omega-6 fatty acid called arachidonic acid (AA).

  • Nucleotides

Nucleotides are naturally present in breast milk and play a vital role in helping the body create new cells3. And because your baby grows faster in their first two years than at any other time in their life, a good supply of nucleotides is important. Some nucleotides may be added to infant formulas.

  • Oligosaccharides

Bacteria is not all bad. In fact, there are good ones called bifidobacteria and lactobicilli which live in the digestive tract and may guard against infection and illness. Prebiotics such as Galacto-Oligosaccharides, are naturally present in breast milk and may support your baby's digestive system, helping the friendly bacteria to flourish and helping to soften stools4. Some infant formulas contain Oligosaccharides.

  • BetapolTM

BetapolTM, which is derived from vegetable oils and may be present in some infant formulas, may help to reduce constipation in formula-fed infants5 and may contribute to increased calcium and fat absorption6.

  • Alpha-lactalbumin

Protein is essential to growth and development at all ages but especially during your baby's first few months when they are growing so rapidly.  Alpha-lactalbumin is a high quality protein present in breast milk that provides your baby with just the right amount and type of protein they need7.  Alpha-lactabumin may be added to some infant formulas.

Vitamins and minerals
Here are some of the key vitamins and minerals and some of the ways in which they may benefit your baby.

Vitamins

  • Vitamin A: For healthy skin and eyesight
  • B Vitamins: This group of vitamins helps convert food to energy
  • Vitamin C: Helps your baby absorb iron and works at producing new tissue
  • Vitamin D: Helps calcium to be absorbed from the diet and is needed for healthy bone formation
  • Vitamin E: Helps to protect, form and maintain body cells
  • Vitamin K: Helps the blood to clot effectively

Minerals

  • Calcium: Plays a major role building healthy bones, teeth and nerves
  • Iron: Needed for healthy red blood cells
  • Magnesium: Needed for healthy bones and teeth and helps nerves and muscles function
  • Zinc: Helps to support a healthy immune system

All these vitamins and minerals are found naturally in breast milk.

  1. Virgilio P Carnielli, Manuela Simonato, Giovanna Verlato, Ingrid Luijendijk, Mario De Curtis, Pieter JJ Sauer, and Paola E Cogo. Synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in preterm newborns fed formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids Am J Clin Nutr (2007) 86:1323-1330.
  2. Birch, Eileen E.; Hoffman, Dennis R.; Uauy, Ricardo; Birch, David G.; Prestidge, Claude. Visual Acuity and the Essentiality of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid in the Diet of Term Infants. Pediatr Res (1998) 44:201-209.
  3. José Maldonado, Joaquín Navarro, Eduardo Narbona and Angel Gil. The influence of dietary nucleotides on humoral and cell immunity in the neonate and lactating infant. Early Hum Dev (2001) 65:S69-S74.
  4. Xiao-Ming Ben, Juan Li, Zong-Tai Feng, Sheng-Yun Shi, Ya-Dong Lu, Rui Chen, Xiao-Yu Zhou. Low level of galacto-oligosaccharide in infant formula stimulates growth of intestinal Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. World J Gastroenterol (2008) 14(42): 6564-6568.
  5. Marloes EJ Bongers, Fleur de Lorijn, Johannes B Reitsma, Michael Groeneweg, Jan AJM Taminiau and Marc A Benninga.The clinical effect of a new infant formula in term infants with constipation: a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial. Nutr J (2007): 6-8.
  6. Kathy Kennedy, Mary S Fewtrell, Ruth Morley, Rebecca Abbott, Peter T Quinlan, John CK Wells, Jacques G Bindels and Alan Lucas. Double-blind, randomized trail of a synthetic triacylglycerol in formula-fed term infants: effects on stool biochemistry, stool characteristics and bone mineralization. Am J Clin Nutr (1999) 70: 920-7.
  7. Lien, E L, Davis, A M, Euler, A R.  Growth and safety in term infants fed reduced protein formula with added bovine alpha-lactalbumin.  J Paediatr Gast Nut (2004) 38:170-176.
back to full list of articles