Question

What is the caloric requirement for term infants?

a) 50-70 kcal/kg/day
b) 80-100 kcal/kg/day
c) 120-150 kcal/kg/day
d) 180-200 kcal/kg/day

Answer 1

The caloric requirement for term infants is typically 80-100 kcal/kg/day to support their growth and nutrition needs from milk consumption.

Step-by-step explanation:

The caloric requirement for term infants is 80-100 kcal/kg/day. This is critical for their growth and development. Infants typically consume milk as their primary source of nutrition, and milk provides a substantial amount of calories necessary for their early development. For example, a healthy baby may require 850 ml of milk daily, and if we consider the energy value of milk being approximately 68 Kcal/100 ml, this would total about 578 Kcal/day for the baby. Additionally, lactating mothers need to ingest extra calories to support this nutritional demand, with an increase of about 720 Kcal/day being typical to meet the costs of lactation. Hence, option b is the correct answer to the student's question.