Pharmacy teams are asked for advice on a wide range of infant feeding topics. So how do the experts suggest you respond to these common queries?

Q: What are the signs that a bottle-fed baby has had enough?

A: Vicky Pennington, nutritionist at Boots UK, advises:

• The mother should be guided by her baby – a baby will often let mum know by pushing the bottle away
• A baby should not be forced to finish the bottle
• The baby should appear content and satisfied after their feeds.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, independent nutrition consultant and founder of Nutritional Insight Ltd, adds that if the baby has had enough, they’re likely to:

• Be disinterested in their milk
• Play with the bottle or flick the teat
• Not accept the feed and keep pushing it away.

Q: Why should cows’ milk not be given to babies aged 0-6 months?

A: Sara Patience, health visitor and registered nutritionist specialising in child nutrition, says: “Cows’ milk does not contain the right nutrients for a young infant – particularly iron – and the protein concentration can put strain on a baby’s kidneys. It should not be given as a main drink until a baby is 12 months old, although it can be used in cooking or on cereals from six months of age.”

Q: A customer says her baby is unsettled after a feed. How can I help?

A: Freelance paediatric dietitian, Tanya Thomas BSc (Hons) RD, says: “Has the infant taken enough feed? Do they have wind or colic? Is it non-feed related: are they tired, unstimulated, teething or unwell? In some cases, the infant may be intolerant to the feed, but check other possible reasons first before investigating this possibility further.”

Q: Is it acceptable for a hungry breastfed baby to be topped up with formula milk before the age of six months?

A: ”The Government advises mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life,” explains Tanya. “It is acceptable for hungrier babies to be topped up with formula if that is what the mother wants. However, other avenues should be explored and exhausted first. If the infant is coming up to six months then consideration should be given to weaning rather than topping up. The Government recommends weaning at six months, and not before four months. All babies are different and some babies may be ready for first weaning solids before six months. Topping up should not be considered the norm or the ideal.”