The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers

A comprehensive manual for feeding babies and toddlers during the crucial first years of life, written by a team of medical experts who are also parents.

All Your Questions about Feeding, Answered.

The choices of when, how, and what to feed your baby can be overwhelming. With The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers, you have the expertise of a team of pediatric medical and nutritional experts—who also happen to be parents—in a comprehensive manual that takes the guesswork out of feeding. This first-of-its-kind guide provides practical, easy-to-follow advice to help you navigate the nutrition issues, medical conditions, and parenting concerns that accompany feeding. With recipes, parenting stories, and recommendations based on the latest pediatric guidelines, this book will allow you to approach mealtime with confidence so you can spend more time enjoying your new family.

Dina DiMaggio is a board certified pediatrician working at Pediatric Associates of NYC and NYU Langone Medical Center. She completed her medical training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She has received numerous research awards, Patient’s Choice awards, compassionate doctor recognition, and was featured in the New York Times Magazine as a Super Doctors in 2014 and 2015 New York Rising Star. She is dedicated to educating parents on baby and toddler nutrition and gives talks to parents throughout New York. 

Anthony F. Porto is a board certified pediatric gastroenterologist, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Associate Clinical Chief at Yale University.  He completed his medical training at Tufts University, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and Columbia University. He has received  numerous awards including the Norman J. Seigel Award at Yale University for leadership and outstanding clinical care and Physician of the Year at Columbia University.  He has been named Castle Connolly Top Doctors since 2012. Anthony is interested in nutrition, especially in the care of children with difficulty gaining weight, feeding issues, and celiac disease.

Introduction vii
How to Use this Book viii


Chapter 1: 0 to 3 Months 1
Expected Developmental
Milestones 2
Basic Nutritional Guidelines 4
Feeding Options 10
Breastfeeding 10
Formulas 21
Bottles and Nipples 31
Expected Growth 35
Medical Concerns 37
Milk Allergy or Intolerance 37
Spit-Up and Gastroesophageal Reflux 43
Constipation 46
Healthy Recipes for Parents 48
Pistachio-Toasted Salmon 51
Veggie and Cheese Mini Frittatas 52
Hearty Bean and Kale Soup 53
Easy Cheesy Burgers 54
Oatmeal Power Cookies 55
Red, White, and Blueberry Overnight Oats 56


Chapter 2: 4 to 6 Months 57
Expected Developmental
Milestones 58
Basic Nutritional Guidelines 59
Typical Menus for 4 to 6 Months 60
Introduction of Solid Foods 61
Preparing Your Own Baby Food 68
Special Diets 72
Expected Growth 79
Medical Concerns 79
Food Allergies 79
Constipation and Stooling Patterns 89


Healthy Recipes for 4 to 6 Months 90
Prune Puree 92
Double Duty: Prune Pops 93
Mango Apricot Puree 94
Double Duty: Mango Apricot
Yogurt Parfait 95
P2 Puree 96
Double Duty: P2 Smoothie 96
Roasted Butternut Squash Puree 97
Double Duty: Spiced Butternut
Squash Soup 99
Zucarrot Puree 100
Double Duty: Zucarrot Soufflé 101
Roasted Banana and Greek Yogurt Puree 102
Double Duty: Banana Bites 103


Chapter 3: 7 to 8 Months 105
Expected Developmental
Milestones 106
Basic Nutritional Guidelines 107
Typical Menu for 7 to 8 Months Months 107
Balancing Solid Foods with Breast Milk
or Formula 109
Teething 110
Expected Growth 111
Medical Concerns 112
Failure to Thrive 112
Celiac Disease 114
Gastroesophageal Reflux 115
Healthy Recipes for 7 to 8 Months 116
Sweet and Green Puree 117
Banana-Avocado Smoothie 118
Blueberry-Pear Protein Puree 119
Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pudding 120
Mama’s Chicken Soup 121


Chapter 4: 9 to 12 Months 123
Expected Developmental
Milestones 124
Basic Nutritional Guidelines 125
Typical Menu for 9 to 12 Months 126
Finger Foods 127
Expected Growth 131
Medical Concerns 131
Diarrhea 131
Anemia 135
Food Allergies 138
Healthy Recipes for
9 to 12 Months 141
Broccoli-Lentil Soup 142
Beef-Veggie Bolognese Sauce with
Quinoa 143
Salmon and Sweet Potato Frittata 144
Pulled Apricot-Raisin Chicken 145
Spinach-Quinoa Bites 146


Chapter 5: The Toddlers Years 147
Expected Developmental
Milestones 148
Basic Nutritional Guidelines 150
Typical Menu for Toddlers 151
Milk and Dairy Products 153
Picky Eaters 162
Expected Growth 165
Medical Concerns 165
Diarrhea 165
Constipation and Potty Training 167
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Diet 168
Healthy Recipes for Toddlers 171
Eggplant-Zucchini Lasagna 172
Chicken-Vegetable Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce 173
Sunflower Seed Butter and Fruit
Quesadilla 174
Chicken Chili 175
Ricotta Cinnamon Pancakes 176
Panko Fish Sticks 177
Zucchini-Apple Muffins 178
Brown Rice, Broccoli, and Chicken
Casserole 179
Almond Butter Bites 180
Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream 181


Chapter 6: Common Medical
Concerns and Additional
Resources 183
Common Gastrointestinal and
Nutritional Conditions 184
Constipation 184
Eosinophilic Esophagitis 189
Failure to Thrive and Feeding Problems 190
Gastroesophageal Reflux and
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease 194
Gluten-Related Disorders 199
Gluten-Related Disorders 204
Allergic Conditions 204
Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy or Allergic
Proctocolitis 207
Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis) 208
Diphenhydramine Dosing
(Brand Name: Benadryl) 209
Visiting a Specialist 211
Epinephrine Dosing 210
Dietitian 211
Pediatric Gastroenterologist 212
Allergist 213
Table of Major Nutrients,
Their Function, and Recommended Intake 216
Monitoring Your Child’s Growth 220
Helpful Websites for Parents 226
About the Authors 227
The Contributors 228
Acknowledgments 231
References 233
Index 244