Recognize the amount needed for vitamins for babies and the choice of sources

Introducing and providing a variety of important foods to help meet the nutritional needs of babies every day. One of the nutritional needs for babies that must be met is vitamin intake. Infant nutrition in the form of this vitamin can also be obtained from various sources. In fact, vitamins are sometimes used to increase the baby's appetite.

Actually, why vitamins are important for babies and how many amounts must be met every day?

Why are vitamins important for babies?

There are various nutrients needed by babies to support their growth and development. Apart from macro nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fat, micronutrients such as vitamins are also needed.

There are two types of vitamins, namely fat soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. As the name implies, fat soluble vitamins are types of vitamins that dissolve easily in fat.

Fat soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. The benefits of various types of fat soluble vitamins will be much better when consumed together with fatty foods.

While water soluble vitamins are only able to mix with water and not with fat.

In contrast to fat soluble vitamins, water soluble vitamins have more types, namely vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, and C.

Because it consists of various types, the benefits of vitamin intake for babies also vary.

Vitamin A intake for children, for example, is important for maintaining eye health, boosting the immune system, and acting as an antioxidant.

In addition, B vitamins for children in general have the benefit of ensuring that all body cells work properly.

Vitamin B for babies is also tasked with helping the body convert food intake into energy, produce new blood cells, and maintain skin cells, brain and other body tissues.

However, because vitamin B consists of eight types, each type also has a different function.

Meanwhile, vitamin C for children functions to maintain the immune system. Not only that, vitamin C for babies is also able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, prevent eye damage, while maintaining healthy skin.

If you want your baby's bones and teeth to be healthy and strong, it's important to meet your child's daily vitamin D needs.

Likewise, vitamin E for children is good for supporting the immune system, body cell function, and skin health.

How much is the need for vitamins for babies?

Although vitamins are needed to support the health and development of the baby, the need for vitamins for your little one can vary.

Age is a determining factor for the need for vitamins for babies. As you get older, usually the need for vitamins for babies will increase.

From birth until the baby is six months old, breast milk is indeed the baby's main food and drink, also known as exclusive breastfeeding.

However, this does not mean that babies who are still exclusively breastfed do not need vitamins.

As long as the baby is not yet six months old, you do not need to worry that the baby's vitamin needs cannot be fulfilled.

The reason is, breast milk contains several vitamins that can help meet the daily needs for babies.

That is the reason why it is important for babies to have enough breast milk based on the timing or schedule of breastfeeding the baby.

It is different again for babies who are already six months old. At the age of a baby who has entered six months, your baby's daily nutritional needs can no longer be fulfilled from exclusive breastfeeding alone.

Therefore, your little one needs additional intake of food and drinks to help meet their daily nutritional needs.

However, if possible, breast milk can still be given until the baby reaches 24 months or 2 years of age. The provision of solid food to babies from the age of six months is known as complementary foods to breast milk (MPASI).

So, the baby's vitamin intake will be obtained from complementary feeding (MPASI) according to the MPASI schedule and baby food portions.

According to the Nutrition Adequacy Rate (RDA) from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the following is the need for vitamins for babies according to their age:

0-6 months of age

The following are the needs of vitamins for infants 0-6 months:

Vitamin A: 375 micrograms (mcg)
Vitamin D: 5 mcg
Vitamin E: 4 mcg
Vitamin K: 5 mcg
Vitamin B1: 0.3 milligram (mg)
Vitamin B2: 0.3 mg
Vitamin B3: 2 mg
Vitamin B5: 1.7 mg
Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg
Vitamin B7: 5 mcg
Vitamin B9: 65 mcg
Vitamin B12: 0.4 mcg
Vitamin C: 40 mg

Age 7-11 months

The following are the needs of vitamins for babies 7-11 months:

Vitamin A: 400 mcg
Vitamin D: 5 mcg
Vitamin E: 5 mcg
Vitamin K: 10 mcg
Vitamin B1: 0.4 mg
Vitamin B2: 0.4 mg
Vitamin B3: 4 mg
Vitamin B5: 1.8 mg
Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg
Vitamin B7: 6 mcg
Vitamin B9: 80 mcg
Vitamin B12: 0.5 mcg
Vitamin C: 50 mg

Age 12-24 months

Following are the vitamin requirements for babies 12-24 months:

Vitamin A: 400 mcg
Vitamin D: 15 mcg
Vitamin E: 6 mcg
Vitamin K: 15 mcg
Vitamin B1: 0.6 mg
Vitamin B2: 0.7 mg
Vitamin B3: 6 mg
Vitamin B5: 2.0 mg
Vitamin B6: 0.5 mg
Vitamin B7: 8 mcg
Vitamin B9: 160 mcg
Vitamin B12: 0.9 mcg
Vitamin C: 40 mg

What are the sources of vitamins for babies?

There are various food sources that can be used as an option to meet the needs of vitamins for babies.

Don't forget to introduce each food slowly according to the right texture for your baby's age. The following are choices of sources of vitamins for babies:

1. Breast milk (ASI)

Based on the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), the vitamin content in breast milk is vitamins A, D, E, and K.

In addition to these fat soluble vitamins, there are also water soluble vitamins contained in breast milk, namely vitamins B and C.

In order for the baby's vitamin intake to be more optimal, mothers are encouraged to consume more vitamin sources from food and drink.

This is because it turns out that the food consumed by the mother affects the levels of vitamins in breast milk. Take for example, the amount of vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 in breast milk is actually fairly high.

On the other hand, the amount of vitamins B6, B9, and B12 is low in malnourished mothers. Mothers who are currently breastfeeding need to increase their intake of food or supplements containing vitamin B6.

This is because vitamin B6 plays an important role in the early stages of development of the baby's nervous system. In contrast to vitamin B12, which is enough to get from daily food alone.

However, for certain conditions that do not allow breastfeeding, you can give formula milk for babies according to the doctor's advice.

2. Vegetables and fruits

Apart from containing lots of minerals and fiber, various vegetables and fruits are also a source of foods that are rich in vitamins.

In fact, it can be said that all types of vitamins, both fat soluble and water soluble vitamins, are found in various vegetables and fruits.

Fruits that you can provide include apples, bananas, papaya, dragon, kiwi, watermelon, mango, avocado, and others as baby snacks.

While vegetables for babies can include spinach, corn, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, and so on.

What is the impact if the baby's vitamin intake is not enough?

Meeting the needs of vitamins for babies every day is not only useful for supplementing their nutritional intake.

On the other hand, insufficient vitamin requirements can cause various nutritional and health problems for babies.

That is why you are encouraged to persuade babies who are struggling to eat to want to eat in order to meet their vitamin needs.

Some of the intake of vitamins that, if not enough, can cause medical conditions, namely vitamin D and vitamin B12.

Babies who lack vitamin D intake are at risk of developing rickets, while vitamin B12 has the potential to cause anemia in babies.

Are there foods to increase the baby's appetite?

Actually, there are no special foods that are believed to increase the baby's appetite.

However, foods with zinc in them have the potential to help increase your baby's desire to eat.

This is because zinc deficiency or deficiency in a person, including infants, can affect their appetite and appetite.

As a result, babies with insufficient zinc intake usually seem more difficult to eat and often refuse when you are offered a variety of foods.

The solution, you can provide foods with high zinc and iron content to increase the baby's appetite.

Take for example red meat, nuts, eggs, dark chocolate (dark chocolate), cheese, cow's milk, and milk.

In order to make a more varied baby MPASI menu recipe, you can process a variety of these food ingredients by mixing them with other food ingredients.

Simply put, you can add a variety of vegetables and fruit.

Is it necessary to provide appetite-enhancing vitamins for babies?

Apart from food, the usual action parents are trying to increase the baby's appetite is to give him vitamins.

Not surprisingly, this is because vitamins are believed to be able to increase the baby's appetite, help boost the baby's immunity, and speed up healing when the baby is sick.

You need to understand that actually giving minerals and vitamins, including as an appetite enhancer for babies, is a supplement.

In other words, vitamins or minerals are only recommended to be given to infants and children who are deficient in micronutrient intake.

The need for micronutrients for babies that cannot be fulfilled from daily food intake will be assisted by giving vitamins.

It's just that, if indeed the provision of vitamins can help to increase the baby's appetite, you can consult further with your doctor.