[Nutrition of the newborn infant (author's transl)]

Feeding problems concerning the newborn infant are of interest as long as pediatrics exist. Controversial opinions were expressed on the beginning, the quantity and the quality of feeding. Pediatricians are in agreement that nutrition has to warrant normal psychosomatic development of the infant. Disturbances of perinatal adaptation should be avoided as far as possible. Food has to contain protein, lactose and fat in a relation which both quantitatively and qualitatively is similar to human breast milk. In the first days of life and in the case of insufficient production of breast milk a formula adapted to breast milk or a 10% solution of glucose should be fed additionally to breast milk. Increased energy demands eventually require the feeding of higher concentrated solutions of oligosaccharides. At the present time it is impossible to comment on the value of the different kinds of feeding of the newborn infant in terms of psychosomatic parameters. Only prospective studies of a duration of more than two decades could given enough information to elucidate the discussed problems.