A–Z Glossary

Malabsorption

Malabsorption is reduced absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract, which can contribute to inadequate growth and weight gain.

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When supplements are necessary

When supplements are necessary

Why pregnancy sometimes changes the supplement equation For most adults, the preferred approach is simple: build nutrition around a varied diet and use supplements only when there is a clear reason. Pregnancy makes that principle more complicated because maternal stores, blood volume, tissue growth, and fetal development all increase demand for several nutrients. In that […]

Vegetarian Feeding During the First Year

Vegetarian Feeding During the First Year

Build the first year around breast milk or formula For most infants, breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula supplies the majority of energy and nutrients during the first year. Guidance for vegetarian and vegan babies generally supports exclusive breast milk or infant formula for approximately the first 6 months when feasible and appropriate, followed by […]

Diarrhea in babies causes

Diarrhea in babies causes

Start with the baby's baseline Baby stool is naturally variable, so the first clue is change from baseline rather than a single loose diaper. Breastfed newborns often pass frequent yellow, seedy, loose stools, while formula-fed babies often have thicker, pastier stools. Diarrhea is more likely when stools become suddenly more watery, more numerous, larger in […]

Why baby is not gaining weight

Why baby is not gaining weight

What slow weight gain means Babies do not gain weight in a perfectly linear pattern. Short periods of slower gain can occur during minor illness, developmental transitions, or changes in feeding. The clinically relevant question is whether the baby is following an individual growth trajectory and maintaining proportional growth over time. Clinicians commonly assess weight-for-age, […]

When to worry about growth

When to worry about growth

Growth is a pattern, not a single number Infant growth is assessed using serial measurements of weight, recumbent length, and head circumference. These data are plotted on an age- and sex-specific growth chart, allowing the clinician to examine both the current percentile and the trajectory over time. The percentile is a comparison with a reference […]