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Goals/Objectives
Instructional Procedure
Focusing Event/Ice Breaker
See suggestions in Ice Breaker page
Teaching Procedure
Assess the level of awareness concerning topic.
What do they know about maternal-infant nutrition, breastfeeding and infant safety?
Facilitate discussion and participation
Encourage sharing of opinions/experiences or questions/concerns.
Nutrition
Maternal
Cultural beliefs and practices greatly influence food choices, thus always consider income, housing, accessibility to types of food, and lifestyle.
A mother's nutritional status before and during pregnancy affects the unborn child
The use of Folic Acid (supplemental intake and from certain foods) before conception and during pregnancy can reduce the risk of certain birth defects.
The best sources of Folic Acid include:
fresh green leafy vegetables poultry giblets
food yeasts
peanuts
fortified cereals
orange juice
Pregnant women should increase her caloric intake through consumption of good wholesome foods by 300-500 calories a day (i.e., the notion of eating for two may cause a woman to overestimate the amount of food she should consume during pregnancy).
Try substituting an apple a day in place of a potato chip snack.
Infant
Infants should be fed (breast or formula) on a flexible schedule and at least every three to four hours. Generally, breast fed infants become hungry every three hours and formula fed infants every four hours.
When feeding infants formula, strictly follow instructions provided.
It is recommended that the feeding of semi-solid foods be delayed until approximately 4 to 6 months of age to ensure appropriate development and ability to safely consume such foods.
New foods should be added singly, no more than one every three to five days in order to recognize possible food allergies.
Overheating of formula can be avoided by placing the bottle into warm or hot tap water instead of using the stovetop or microwave.
Always check the temperature of the formula by placing a few drops one your forearm before feeding
Benefits of Breastfeeding
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that new mothers breastfeed their children for the first 12 months of life.
Specific components of the mother's breast milk have positive effects on the babies health and immune system.
Positive effects include protection from respiratory infection, meningitis and allergies.
Breastfeeding provides an opportunity for mother-infant bonding
Breast milk provides the newborn with minerals and vitamins in more appropriate doses than formulas.
Safety
Newborns should be positioned on their backs - not face down.
The baby should never be left alone anywhere but in the crib.
Newborns should always be placed in a car seat even when traveling short distances (infant care seats should be positioned to face the rear of the car until he baby is one year old and weighs twenty pounds).
Newborns do not need pillows or stuffed animals in the crib while they sleep; these items could cause suffocation.
Crib slats should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart to prevent the possibility of accidents.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age, the cause of which is still unknown. By placing an infant to sleep on its side, the risk of SIDS, choking and suffocation are greatly reduced.
FORMATIVE CHECK/PARTICIPATION
Maternal Nutrition
Using newspapers with weekly food specials, group participants will select groceries for a meal considering both nutritional adequacy and cost (refer to chart included in lesson).
Infant Nutrition
Group participants will demonstrate appropriate preparation of infant formula according to product instructions.
Infant Safety
Group participants will demonstrate placing an infant to bed in the appropriate position.
CRITICAL POINTS
The use of Folic Acid (supplemental intake and from certain foods) before conception and during pregnancy can reduce the risk of certain birth defects.
Because nutritional status before and during pregnancy may affect the unborn child, a pregnant woman should increase her caloric intake through consumption of good wholesome foods by 300-500 calories a day.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that new mothers breastfeed their children for the first 12 months of life.
CLOSURE
Closure should include a short question session followed by a brief uplifting statement or quote.