Carbohydrates & Sugars
What are carbohydrates?
We obtain energy from three types of food groups: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Carbohydrates are widely distributed in plants and animals where they help provide structure and energy. We can make carbohydrate from fat and protein. However, the overwhelming majority of carbohydrate in our bodies comes from plants.
Are there different types of sugars or carbohydrates?
There are four classes of carbohydrates: The monosaccharides, the disaccharides, the oligosaccharides, and the polysaccharides. Of importance as a source of food (energy) are the monosaccharides, which include glucose and fructose; the disaccharides, which include lactose and sucrose; and the polysaccharides, which include the starches and glycogen. Oligosaccharides are not a major source of food energy.
Why are carbohydrates important?
The largest portion of caloric needs in humans are supplied by carbohydrates. They also comprise the bulk of the diet. If there are not enough carbohydrates provided, then fat or protein may be used as an energy source. Compared to the adult, the newborn and infant have very little storage of carbohydrate, so food must be provided on a regular basis.
How are sugars absorbed by the baby?
Simple sugars, like glucose and fructose, are absorbed directly through the gastrointestinal tract. More complex sugars, like lactose and sucrose, are broken down in the gastrointestinal tract and then absorbed. Absorbed sugars are either stored in the liver or may be used directly as energy. Carbohydrate that is not either used immediately or used soon after it is absorbed or stored in the liver is converted to fat for future use.
Is there a difference between the sugar in formula and the sugar in breast milk?
The sugars in standard cow’s milk formula and breast milk are the same. They primarily are composed of lactose. Lactose is a disaccharide that is made up of glucose and galactose. Cow’s milk, which is the primary base of artificial formulas, contains about 4.5% lactose, while human milk generally contains between 6.5% and 7% lactose. Cow’s milk formula also contains about 7% lactose.
Do formula companies put special sugars in formulas?
A number of infants are unable to metabolize lactose, the sugar in regular formulas like Bright Beginnings. A number of specialty products have been marketed to meet the nutritional needs of these special children. All of the specialty formulas are chemically defined and nutritionally adequate, especially for short-term use. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether your infant needs a specialty formula or can be fed routinely with a regular formula.
My mother fed me formula made from evaporated milk. Is that okay to use for my baby?
Certainly, many babies have been raised with the use of evaporated milk. However, the modern infant formulas now have all the nutrients mixed in the right proportion, and it is definitely easier to use standard formulas today.
Is condensed milk the same as evaporated milk?
No! Condensed milk should not be used to make up infant formula. Condensed milk is concentrated and the usual dilutions are too high in sugar and too low in fat and protein, making it inadvisable to use for infant formula.
Can I feed my baby honey?
Honey can be a source of a bacteria called clostridium botulinum which produces botulism. Affected infants are often between the ages of 22 days and 246 days. It is highly recommended that honey not be given to infants before 1 year of age.
How much should I feed my baby? He is never full.
The number of feedings required per day decreases through the first year. The interval between feedings differs considerably among infants, but generally ranges from 3 to 5 hours during the first year of life, with an average of 4 hours for the full-term healthy newborn. Smaller infants may prefer feedings at 2- to 3-hour intervals. For the first month or two, feedings should be provided throughout the day and night. As the quantity of milk increases, the infant will gradually have a decreased need for nighttime feeding and will sleep for longer periods. The quantity of formula taken at feedings differs with different infants. Generally, during the first and second week, 2 to 3 ounces. are consumed at each feed. By 2 to 3 months, 5 to 6 ounces, and by 5 to 12 months, 7 to 8 ounces are consumed at a feeding.
How do I know my baby is getting enough food or milk?
The great majority of infants are able to regulate their own intake in a normal fashion. For the most part they will not be fussy after a feeding and will be generally happy for the next 3 to 4 hours. Generally, they will urinate 4 to 6 times a day and may have that many bowel movements. One way to know if the infant is not getting enough fluid is that he will tend to have a decreased number of wet diapers compared to the usual amount. Your doctor should be consulted if you think your baby is becoming dehydrated. Another way to determine this is that the baby’s mouth will not glisten, but will seem dry.
How much weight should my baby gain in a month?
Infants will generally regain their birth weight by 1 to 2 weeks of age and then gain in the range of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per month, so that by 5 to 6 months of age, birth weight will double and, by 1 year of age, birth weight will triple.
Should my baby’s formula ever be limited?
Formula should never be limited without consulting with your pediatrician or other health care provider. One of the major reasons why frequent visits are scheduled with the baby’s health care provider, be this a pediatrician, a family practice physician, or nurse practitioner, on a regular basis is so that the baby’s weight can be checked and plotted on a weight curve. By knowing how much the baby is gaining (as noted above), one can determine if your baby is gaining weight too rapidly.
Should I be concerned about giving my child too much formula?
Generally speaking, the baby will regulate intake and not gain too much weight. One should never try to force-feed the infant. Problems of overfeeding can include spitting up and vomiting. If formulas are too rich for the infant, he generally will have loose, diarrhea-like stools.
Are the stools the same regardless of the formula given?
The formula-fed infant does not have loose or diarrhea-like stools unless the formula has too many calories during the first 2 weeks of life or so. It is well known that babies who are breastfed may have very loose stools as a normal consequence of the breast milk. This should not cause alarm.
A friend told me that sugar in formula causes gas. Is that correct?
Certain formulas that do not have the appropriate concentrations of carbohydrate, protein, and fat may cause difficulties for the infant. A diet too high in carbohydrate may cause undue fermentation in the intestine which may result in an infant whose abdomen is distended and has an increased amount of gas.
Can I add sugar to the formula to give the baby extra calories?
Specific formula companies make products that have increased calories. Your pediatrician or health care provider can advise whether such a formula is appropriate. It is generally recommended that these products be used when extra calories are needed (which is unusual) rather than formulas which might be devised as “home remedies.” Not only can you be assured that the formula has been manufactured under rigorous controls, but also, it is likely that factors such as water or caloric density have been taken into consideration by the manufacturer to decrease the chance of danger to the infant.
Why does my baby spit up so much?
He is growing well, however. Spitting up is very common in infancy. Technically, spitting up occurs when small amounts of swallowed food come up the esophagus (food pipe). In contrast, when a baby completely empties the stomach, this is known as vomiting. While spitting up is quite normal during the first 6 months of life, vomiting may be associated with a wide variety of problems. Spitting up does not generally require investigation. Vomiting, if it occurs more than once, should be evaluated by a health care professional.
Can I use Nutrasweet® or any artificial sweetener for my baby?
Infancy is characterized by a rapid rate of growth, and infants need carbohydrates to use as energy to help in their growth and development. It is generally not considered appropriate to use any artificially sweetened product for an infant, since these have lower energy content. Most foods now are labeled appropriately and one is able to determine whether an artificial sweetener is used as an ingredient
Are carbohydrates in cereal “good” carbohydrates?
Generally speaking, infants require nothing but formula or breast milk for the first 4 to 6 months. During this nursing period, the infant is able to obtain all the nutrients that he requires from milk alone. By 5 to 6 months of age, the infant will begin to be able to indicate a desire for solid food. When solid foods are introduced, foods that contain a single ingredient should be chosen and started one at a time and at weekly intervals to permit identification of any food intolerance. The introduction of solid food usually begins with infant cereals, which provide additional iron and energy to that obtained in formula or human milk. Single-grain cereals, such as rice, are usually well tolerated by the infant. A 15-gram serving of rice cereal provides 9 grams of carbohydrates and 40 calories of energy. This solid feeding should be considered a supplement to, rather than a substitute for, the formula. Oatmeal, high-protein, mixed, and barley cereals provide carbohydrates in the 6- to 10-gram range from a 15-gram serving.
Can I make my own supplemental foods for my baby? How much sugar can I use?
The introduction of a variety of foods gradually contributes to a nutritionally balanced diet. With home-prepared foods, care must be taken to make sure that these foods do not spoil. Generally, neither sugar nor salt should be added to home-prepared foods or to commercially prepared infant foods.
How do I make sure my baby doesn’t become obese?
There is some evidence that artificially fed infants develop and gain weight at a more rapid rate than do infants who are breastfed. As noted above, solid foods do not usually displace calories from bottle feedings; rather, they tend to be a supplement to formula feeding or breast-feeding. The number of calories in commercially prepared foods is quite variable. Strained foods contain 45 to 70 calories per 100 grams. Strained vegetables contain 15 to 65 calories per 100 grams. Care must be taken that the infant’s desired weight is maintained on the weight curve without exceeding it at too rapid a rate. Your pediatrician or other health care professional will be able to help you decide if your infant is gaining weight too rapidly.
My baby is constipated. Is this something to worry about? Can I add more cereals to my baby’s diet to prevent this?
Constipation is practically unknown in the breastfed infant who receives an adequate volume of milk. Constipation is also rare in the formula-fed infant who receives an adequate volume of formula. Most infants have one or more bowel movements daily, although some infants will go two days without having a bowel movement. If the baby is fed regularly, constipation should rarely be a problem. If constipation exists, it may be due to an insufficient amount of food or diets too high in fat or protein. Parents have tried increasing cereal, vegetables, fruits, and juices as temporary measures. Rarely, a specific problem such as a tear in the anus, tight anus, or a problem with the colon may be present. These medical problems usually tend to occur quite early in life. If constipation occurs after a couple of weeks of age, it is likely that it is just a normal variation in the baby’s stooling routine.
Do you recommend grinding up table food for infants? What about hard cereals?
Infants less than 1 year of age should not have to chew solid foods for more than a few seconds. Reports of deaths from choking and aspiration have occurred in infants who have been given such items as hot dogs, peanuts, grapes, raw carrots, and round candies, which require more chewing. These should be avoided in the infant under 1 year of age.
My family is supposed to be lactose intolerant. We don’t drink milk. Why can my baby take milk? Will he have problems later on?
Lactose is the only carbohydrate that is found in human milk or milk used for regular formula. The use of lactose requires breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract. This breakdown is achieved by use of an enzyme called lactase, which is located in the wall of the small intestinal tract. Lactase enzyme activity is generally high during infancy but declines after the baby is weaned.
In those families who do not tolerate lactose, the lactase enzyme activity falls and remains low throughout life. In other families, lactase activity persists at a level comparable to that seen in infants. Families with low lactase activity require limiting of their milk intake, while families who have persistent lactase activity can consume regular quantities of milk.
Whether the family has low lactase activity or normal lactase activity depends on the genetics of the family. Some infants whose families have severe lactase deficiency are unable to be fed normal formula, but must have a substitute such as soy protein formula from birth. In other families, lactase activity may not fall until after a year or two.
Classically, individuals in families from southern European countries such as Italy, Greece, Cyprus, countries such as Israel, Japan, and China, and families of Arab extraction generally have a genetic tendency to low lactase activity.
Most infants will be able to consume regular formula, unless prior infants in the family have shown evidence of severe lactase deficiency. Whether the infant will be able to consume milk later on depends generally on the genetic tendency of the family.
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