Fed Is Best Daily Milk Calculator
The following is a tool to help calculate your infant’s daily milk requirement to maintain their body weight plus what they need for growth, whether they are fed breast milk, formula or both. The calculator uses the daily energy requirement of infants published by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/ United Nations University (FAO/WHO/UNU) upon which infant and child global feeding recommendations are based.[1]
The calculator assumes a caloric content of 20 kcal/oz for both breast milk or formula. Note that some breast milk will be higher and some will be lower in caloric content. Preterm and medical fragile infants may need fortified breast milk, banked donor milk, or special formula that contain more calories per ounce, which this tool does not calculate. Consult with your baby’s neonatologist regarding what type of milk your baby requires. Note that clinical trials have shown that human milk reduces the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis.[2]
In the first day or two after birth, newborns typically take less than this amount, which is different for every baby depending on their caloric reserve and their caloric requirement per body weight. Infants should almost always be fed on demand according to their hunger and satisfaction cues. Once they are receiving their full caloric requirement when the full milk supply has come in, or if they are being combo-fed or formula fed on demand, infants should gain 6 to 8 oz per week and follow their percentile growth curve on the WHO or CDC growth chart. Please consult with your infant’s physician to confirm that your infant is growing in a healthy manner and receiving adequate nutrition.
Once solid food is introduced, some of the calories will be offset by the nutrition provided by solid food.
Infant Milk Calculator
Average Term Newborn Nutritional Requirement
The following table provides an estimate of the full nutritional requirement of the average term newborn (up to 1 month) according to the FAO/WHO/UNU, which is an average of 110 calories per kilogram per day. This is typically what they need once they wake from their post-birth recovery period, during which they often take less. For more accurate information, it is best to use your baby’s weight in kilograms (kg) when determining this requirement. The table provides the estimated volume per feed if feeding every 2 or 3 hours so that you can have an idea of the range of feeding volumes fully fed babies typically receive. Babies should always be fed on demand to satisfaction. Consult with your baby’s doctor if you have any concerns about feeding.
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References
- FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Committee, “Human Energy Requirements Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation,” October 17, 2001, https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/24bab00b-344d-4b1c-a5e2-6340fad512eb
- Emma Altobelli et al., “The Impact of Human Milk on Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Nutrients 12, no. 5 (May 6, 2020): 1322, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12051322.