The baby's energy need corresponds to the energy the baby needs to grow in a healthy way.
Depending on the age and stage of development, the baby needs different amounts of energy to grow. For example, when the baby begins to move better, it spends more energy and therefore needs to ingest more energy through the food to grow properly.
Calories for baby
The energy the baby needs to eat varies depending on the stage of development and the sex of the baby. The calories a baby needs each day, according to age, are:
- 0-6 months: boys 570 calories and girls 520 calories.
- 7-12 months: boys 743 calories and girls 676 calories.
- 13 - 36 months: boys 1, 046 calories and girls 992 calories
During breastfeeding, breastmilk can supply all the baby's needs. After 6 months the milk is not enough to feed the baby, which grows at a very great speed and it is necessary to start eating other foods, as you can read in: Introduction of new foods for the baby.
When supplementary feeding is started, it is important to make multiple meals with small amounts to cover energy needs, as the baby's stomach has a limited capacity of 30 to 40 ml per kg of baby's body weight. Thus, a baby weighing 8 kg has a capacity in the stomach between 240 and 320 ml.
