Breast milk is best for your baby

Breast milk is best for babies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. At around six months of age (but not before 4 months), infants should receive nutritionally adequate and age-appropriate complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.

Abbott Singapore fully recognises breast milk’s primacy, value and superiority and supports exclusive breastfeeding as recommended by the WHO.

The content on this website is intended as general information for Singaporean residents only and should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice from your healthcare practitioner. The HPB recommends that infants start on age-appropriate complementary foods at around 6 months, whilst continuing breastfeeding for up to 2 years or beyond to meet their evolving nutritional requirements. If no longer breastfeeding, toddlers can switch to full cream milk after 12 months. This should be complemented by a good variety of solid foods from the four main food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and alternatives). For more information on the nutritional requirements of infants and young children, please visit www.healthhub.sg/earlynutrition.

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NEWBORN & BABIES

When to Call the Baby's Doctor

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One of the toughest and most nerve-racking things for new moms is figuring out when to call the doctor. As a general rule of thumb, trust your instincts. If you suspect something is not right, you should always call the doctor. Even small changes in eating, sleeping, and crying can be signs of serious problems for newborns. Call your paediatrician if your baby has any of the following symptoms:

  • No urine in first 24 hours at home
  • No bowel movement in the first 48 hours at home
  • Trouble breathing, very rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths per minute) or blue lips or finger nails
  • Pulling in of the ribs when breathing
  • Wheezing, grunting, or whistling sounds when breathing
  • Rectal temperature above 38 ° C or below 36.6° C
  • Persistent cough
  • Nosebleeds
  • Yellow or greenish mucus in the eyes
  • Pus or red skin at the base of the umbilical cord stump
  • Yellow colour in whites of the eye and/or skin (jaundice) that gets worse 3 days after birth
  • Circumcision problems - worrisome bleeding at the circumcision site, bloodstains on diaper or wound dressing larger than the size of a grape
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhoea - This can be hard to detect, especially in breastfed newborns. Diarrhoea often has a foul smell and can be streaked with blood or mucus. Diarrhea is usually more watery or looser than normal. Any significant increase in the number or appearance of your newborn’s regular bowel movements may suggest diarrhea.
  • Fewer than six wet diapers in 24 hours
  • A sunken soft spot (fontanel) on the baby’s head
  • Refuses several feedings or eats poorly
  • Hard to waken or unusually sleepy
  • Extreme floppiness, lethargy, or jitters
  • Crying more than usual and very hard to console