HOW BABY GROWS: A Parent's Guide to Infant Nutrition

A competent overview of infants' nutritional needs, with one important alert to parents. Sherman mounted an attack on the baby-food industry for misleading labeling after her own son received many times the safe dosage of vitamin A from a diet made up exclusively of manufactured baby food (pediatrician Adebonojo revamped the child's diet). Sherman's research found that vitamin A content in different brands of such prepared foods ranged from 120 to 870 percent of the US recommended daily allowance of the vitamin (which is one that can be toxic). After sounding this alert to parents (don't take anything--including the regulation of an important industry--for granted), the authors move on to a rather staid explanation of infant nutrition, from a mother's prenatal requirements through the introduction of solid foods. These are the solid basics on vitamin, mineral and energy requirements for this age group; but surprisingly, in view of author Sherman's experiences, some questionable--and widespread--practices are not discussed. Most notably, on breastfeeding, the authors state that ""Some hospitals maintain a policy that the baby's first feeding should be sugar water. Only after this has been tolerated do they allow the infant to be fed any milk""--without any suggestion that parents can question or possibly forbid this practice with their own infant. A sound primer for one age group, then, but parents will do better with the more comprehensive Grow Healthy Kids! (Peavy and Peagenkopf) for all ages; and Coffin's Children's Nutrition for knowledgeable, wide-ranging alerts to all the real dangers in our children's food supply.