ASK THE PEDIATRICIAN: HOW MUCH FORMULA SHOULD AN 11-WEEK-OLD CONSUME EACH DAY?

Q: What do you recommend an 11-week-old infant should in take in formula per day?

A. An 11-week-old infant should be taking around 29 to 37 ounces per day depending on the baby's weight. Smaller infants have smaller tummies and tend to drink less formula than large babies.

How do we get to this amount? Formula fed 11-week-old infants typically weigh somewhere between 11? and 15 pounds (5.2 to 6.8 kg). For optimum growth, these babies need about 100 calories daily for each kilogram (kg) of weight (a total of 515 to 675 calories). Infant formulas and human milk both contain about 20 calories per ounce.

But the most important indicator is whether or not your infant is gaining weight appropriately. A full-term baby will gain 20 ounces to 28 ounces between the ages of 2 and 3 months. To determine if a child is growing adequately, his or her growth should be charted by the child's pediatrician on standard growth charts. Young babies should visit their pediatrician every other month for the first year of life, and their weight gain should be monitored. If their growth is either too slow or too fast, your pediatrician may recommend changes in feeding patterns and/or formulas.

Observing weight gain over time is how breastfed babies are followed and this should apply to infants on formula as well. Parents who are reassured that their baby is doing well and gaining weight may be able to resist the temptation to overfeed.

Remember that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, only iron-fortified infant formula is acceptable. Low-iron formulas should not be used. Babies should be breastfed or formula fed for the first year of life and no supplemental or solid foods should be introduced until around six months of age.