Revised Infant and Nutrition Feeding Guide

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is excited to announce the release of the revised Infant Nutrition and Feeding, A Guide for Use in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

This Guide, primarily focused on nutrition for the healthy full-term infant, is a research-based resource for WIC staff who provide nutrition education and counseling to the parents and caregivers of infants (from birth to one year old). It will assist staff in disseminating appropriate and accurate information to parents and caregivers, and serve as a resource for planning individual counseling sessions, group classes, and staff in-service training sessions.

The Guide has been updated to reflect current research and guidelines about infant health, nutrition, and feeding. Among the updates, you’ll find:

• Expanded content about the development of infant feeding skills that emphasizes the ways in which parents and care providers respond to infant hunger and satiety cues.
• New information about physical activity, play positions, and use of electronic media and television during infancy.
• Updated recommendations on nutrient intakes as well as breastfeeding.
• Information about infant immunization and useful resources about vaccines for children.
• A new chapter focused on food safety that includes discussions about food safety practices when preparing foods for infants and how to prevent diseases by avoiding common contaminants in food and water.

For convenience for the user, the Guide features reference citations throughout the text, full citations at the end of each chapter, and a detailed index as well as a full glossary at the end of the handbook. Other features of interest include:

• Green Boxes that expand on information in the text with tips and other helpful information (e.g., “A Shopping List Rich in Vitamins and Minerals” and “State Laws That Protect Breastfeeding Mothers”).
• Notes in bold text that provide warnings and concerns (e.g., NOTE: Refer infants who appear to have feeding problems to a health care provider for assessment.).
• Blue text that indicates a newly introduced terms whose definitions appear at the bottom of the page (e.g., hemoglobin).