A pilot program at Clinic Ole aims to help Latina mothers provide the proper nutrition for their newborn babies.

The Infant Nutrition for Latina Mothers program will have its first class in early December. The goal is to help educate new mothers about proper nutrition specifically, the different developmental stages of feeding, which includes the recommendation of breastfeeding through the first year, and slowly introducing solid foods at six months. Mothers who choose not to breastfeed will be taught proper bottle-feeding techniques, said Kathy DeMaggio, Clinic Oles director of planning and education.

Babies know when theyre done feeding, but parents who bottle-feed sometimes become over-involved by pushing the baby to have more milk or formula, DeMaggio explained.

The baby will stop sucking on the bottle, but if a parent sees the bottle is still full, theyll sometimes try to get the baby to finish. DeMaggio said some parents will prop up the bottle so milk keeps dripping into the babys mouth.

The result of improper bottle-feeding is that a child can become overweight, she said.

With breastfeeding, you cant overdo it, DeMaggio said.

A baby will nurse when he or she is hungry and stop when feeling full, she said. The mother has less control over how much the baby takes in.

DeMaggio decided to create the curriculum for the new pilot program after hearing a presentation from the Latino Infant Nutrition Initiative, which works to prevent childhood obesity and support healthy growth and development.

According to the organization, inappropriate infant feeding and nutrition practices increase the likelihood for early childhood obesity especially among minority infants and toddlers.

Latino children, in particular, have high rates of being overweight or obese compared to other children.

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Clinic Ole to teach newborn nutrition