What is the recommended amount of breast milk per kilogram of body weight per day for a baby?

Breast Milk Requirements Per Kilogram Body Weight

For healthy term infants, breast milk intake averages approximately 150 mL/kg/day (range 120-180 mL/kg/day) during the first 6 months of life, with total daily volumes of 600-900 mL depending on infant age and weight. 1, 2, 3

Volume Requirements by Age

Newborn Period (0-1 month)

• Day 1: Less than 100 mL total for the entire first day, with 8-12 feedings per 24 hours 1
• Days 4-5: Rapidly increases to 500-600 mL per day 1
• 1 month: Reaches 600-800 mL per day (approximately 135 mL/kg/day for exclusively breastfed infants) 1, 3
• Per kilogram: Approximately 113 mL/kg/day at 1 month of age 4

2-6 Months

• 2 months: 700-950 mL per day (24-32 ounces), feeding every 3-4 hours for 6-8 feedings daily 2
• 3 months: 735 mL per day (126 mL/kg/day) for exclusively breastfed infants 3
• 6 months: 700-900 mL per day (107 mL/kg/day) 1, 3
• Per kilogram: Decreases from 113 mL/kg/day at 1 month to 85-89 mL/kg/day at 5-6 months 4

After 6 Months

• 12 months: 593 mL per day (61 mL/kg/day) when complementary foods are introduced 3

Energy Content and Requirements

Breast milk provides 0.62-0.67 kcal/g (60-70 kcal/100 mL), with the energy density remaining relatively stable throughout lactation. 1, 5, 6

• At average production of 780-800 mL/day, breast milk provides approximately 500-540 kcal/day to the infant 5, 6
• Energy intake per kilogram averages 113 kcal/kg/day at 1 month, decreasing to 85-89 kcal/kg/day at 5-6 months 4

Feeding Frequency Guidelines

Infants should feed on demand rather than following rigid schedules, with frequency varying by age:

• Newborns (0-1 month): 8-12 times per 24 hours (every 2-3 hours) 1
• 2-6 months: 6-8 times per 24 hours (every 3-4 hours) 2
• Individual feedings average 76 ± 13 g per feeding, ranging from 0-240 g depending on breast productivity and time of day 7

Important Clinical Considerations

Normal Variation

There is substantial individual variation in breast milk intake, ranging from 341-1,096 mL/day, and this variation is normal. 4 The mean intake across multiple studies is 670 mL per day and 117 mL/kg per day 3. Left and right breasts rarely produce equal volumes, and intake varies by time of day and whether the infant feeds at night 7.

Weight Monitoring

• Postnatal weight nadir occurs at 2-3 days with average loss of 6-7% in breastfed infants 1
• Weight loss exceeding 10% may indicate inadequate intake but requires assessment of feeding technique and frequency before supplementation 1, 2
• At 6 months, all infants except one were above the 10th percentile for weight-for-age despite consuming less than the previously recommended 115 kcal/kg/day 4

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do not supplement with formula unless medically necessary or after optimizing breastfeeding technique and frequency, as supplementation can interfere with milk supply establishment 1, 2
• Do not focus on specific volumes per feeding—instead, encourage on-demand feeding 8-12 times per 24 hours for newborns 1
• Do not ignore night feedings—they make an important contribution to total milk intake and are associated with lower bilirubin concentrations 1, 7
• Feeding fewer than 7 times per day is associated with higher bilirubin concentrations, while 9-10 times per day is associated with lower concentrations 1

Special Populations

Late preterm (34-36 weeks) and early term (37-38 weeks) infants consume only 45% of expected volumes per feeding compared to 95% in term infants and require closer monitoring. 1 Very low birth weight infants (<1500g) should receive expressed mother's milk, which reduces necrotizing enterocolitis and improves neurodevelopment 1, 2.

Measurement Method Considerations

The deuterium dilution method tends to yield higher estimates than test-weighing methods, which may explain some variation in reported values across studies 3. When counseling families, use the ranges provided rather than single point estimates to account for normal physiologic variation.