My baby is a bit small. Will he grow bigger if I feed him more milk?
Transcript
My baby is a bit small. Is his growth normal?
Individual variation in physique of children can be very great. The length or height of children is predetermined by hereditary factors. Development during fetal stage also plays a significant role on the growth of the children.
His body weight or length may be plotted in the lower centiles of a growth chart, but if gradual and reasonable rise is noted, his growth should be normal. Furthermore, if he plays lively in daily activities and develops normally, parents should not worry.
If I feed him with more milk, will he grow taller?
Babies know how much to eat in order to meet their requirement for growth and activities. Parents need to offer nutritionally suitable foods, like breastfeeding and providing him a variety of nutritious solid foods at appropriate time. Babies should be fed according to their appetite. Feed him when he shows signs of hunger and stop feeding when he shows signs of fullness. In this way, he will be able to get appropriate nutrition.
When your baby is full, he will stop feeding and not want to suck more. However, if you insist to feed him more, your baby may become stressful, or refuse feeding. Emotional problems under stress may have a negative impact on his growth.
On the other hand, babies who eat more may not necessarily grow taller. Rather, they may suffer from obesity or other related illnesses in the future. Therefore, parents should feed babies according to their body needs. When babies are full, do not force them to feed more.