CHAPTER 15: FEEDING INFANTS
Answers to Review Questions
ANSWERS TO CHAPTER REVIEW
A. By Yourself
1. Propping a bottle while the infant is feeding is not advised because this practice increases the
risk of (a) aspiration of formula and choking, (b) ear infections, and (c) baby bottle tooth
2. & 3. An acceptable schedule for introducing semisolid food to the infant during the first year
(see Teacher Checklist 15-1) would be:
5–6 months iron-fortified cereal
6–8 months crisp toast and dry cereals that require chewing (as teeth erupt)
4. Social factors that make feeding time more enjoyable for the infant are:
5. Unmodified cow’s milk or goat’s milk should not be given to infants younger than one year
6. Strategies that programs can use to support the breastfeeding mother are outlined in Teacher
Checklist 15-2 and include: providing a quiet area for nursing mothers that includes a sink
B. As a Group
1. Infants receive all essential nutrients from formula or breast milk (with the exception of
vitamin D which must be supplemented for breast fed infants) during the first five to six
2. Today, breast milk and most formulas are relatively similar in composition. However, the
most significant advantage of breast milk is that it supplies antibodies from the mother that
protect the infant from some communicable illnesses. Breast milk is also lower in sodium,
higher in levels of essential fatty acids, less expensive, readily available, less likely to cause
3. Feeding practices that may contribute to infant onset obesity are: (a) overfeeding during
4. Baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD) is caused by allowing infants to feed for prolonged periods
of time, such as putting them to bed with a bottle (or breast) or giving them fruit juice in a
5. The students’ answers will vary based on their findings and feeding criteria.
ANSWERS TO CASE STUDY
1. No, both suggestions (adding cereal to Leandra’s bottle and enlarging the holes in nipples)
2. An 8 week-old infant’s digestive system is not fully developed and, as a result, cannot digest
3. Feeding cereal to a 2 month-old may have been considered an acceptable practice when
4. Short-term problems associated with feeding infants semi-solid foods too soon include a
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. What are the potential consequences of:
a. adding too little water when mixing formula?
b. using honey to sweeten an infant’s milk?
c. giving a nine-month-old infant skim milk in place of whole milk?
2. What steps must teachers take to decrease the risk of an infant choking during a feeding?
4. Why is it important for infants to be started on an iron-fortified cereal sometime around 4-to–
6 months of age?
5. What is colic and what causes this condition? What can caregivers do to make colicky infants
comfortable?
6. Why are infants inclined to spit up during and after feedings?
7. What effect does a mother’s diet during pregnancy have on her infant?
8. How can a caregiver determine when an infant has had enough to eat?
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ACTIVITIES
The following exercises are designed for instructors to assign as individual or group projects.
1. Interview several mothers who have infants between 6 and 10 months of age. Ask about the
challenges they experienced when initially trying to introduce their infant to solid foods. What
strategies did they find most helpful in getting their infant to eat? Summarize, comment on, and
2. According to Ellyn Satter, “Feeding is a reciprocal relationship that depends on the abilities
3. Contact several pediatrician offices in your community. Find out how often they encounter
4. Survey at minimum of 10 mothers regarding their early infant feeding practices. Find out if