Question
The three-month-old girl has been showing a reduced appetite, decreased milk intake, and her urine is darker. She cries during feedings. The parents have tried giving her a digestive tonic and a quick-acting fever reducer, but there has been no improvement. They are seeking to understand possible causes and future feeding recommendations.
Answer
For infants being fed by hand, milk formulas, cow’s milk, goat’s milk, soy milk, milk cereal, or other substitutes are commonly used. For a five-month-old infant, the daily milk requirement is approximately 660 milliliters, divided into 5 to 6 feedings. Additionally, 5% to 8% sugar should be added. When calculating the amount of milk given, for example, a five-month-old infant weighing about 6 kilograms requires 660 milliliters of milk per day with 33 grams of sugar (about 2 tablespoons) added, totaling 900 milliliters of water needed. As the child grows older, it may become difficult to use fresh milk exclusively. At this point, adding milk powder to the mix can be considered.