|
By
Brishti
Bandyopadhyay
Ever since your baby's birth a few months ago, one worry
bothers you more than any other. What is the right
nutrition for the baby? Am I feeding her right? What
happens when she grows up a little more? What are the
foods I have to feed her then?
While every child has his or her own likes and dislikes
and even requirements, it helps if you adhere to some
basic guidelines about the right nutrition for your
child.
Nutritionists and other health professionals never tire
of emphasising the importance of establishing healthy
nutrition practices during childhood and early
adolescence. Indeed, the diet and exercise patterns
adopted during these crucial development years set the
stage for the habits of a lifetime. These habits can
spell the difference between good and poor health in
later years. Let's look at some of the key elements in
your child's nutritional requirements, at least in the
early years.
Let's start with the infancy of your child. Did you know
that from her birth to the time she's two years old,
she's going through a period characterized by rapid
growth? During this time gains in weight and height are
the primary indices of the child's nutritional status.
Breast-feeding is encouraged for at least the first
four-to-six months of life for nutritional as well as
immunological benefits to the infant.
The most common nutritional disorder during infancy is
probably iron deficiency anemia. "Solid" foods are
usually introduced to the baby from about four-to-six
months of age. These mostly include iron-fortified
cereals that help prevent this problem. Other foods such
as strained fruits and vegetables and fruit juice too,
are gradually introduced. These can be introduced by
about 12 months of age when most babies are eating
small, tender foods.
In children under two years of age, dietary fat plays a
key role in the formation of vital nerve and brain
tissues. During this period, it is not advisable feeding
fat-free foods to children. For example, use of whole
milk rather than low-fat or fat-free milk is advised by
health professionals.
Nutrition recommendations for children over the age of
two are not very different from those for adults.
However, in children, these foods are meant to promote
optimal growth and development. So nutritional
requirements for children may not be restrictive as
those for adults. A wide variety of foods, rich in
essential nutrients necessary for growing bodies, could
be fed to children.
Such foods include carbohydrate-rich grain foods and
fruits and vegetables necessary to supply vitamins,
minerals, fiber and energy vital to growing children.
These could be supplemented by dairy products, lean
meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dry beans and nuts which
provide nutrients that contribute to proper growth and
development.
Most children will grow about two inches and gain about
two to four kg. per year. Between the ages of six to 12,
youngsters will grow an average of one to two feet and
almost double in weight. Those who don't grow
accordingly may be said to be suffering from
undernutrition. Such growth failure may be due to
malnutrition, psychosocial deprivation, eating
disorders, underlying chronic disease, infection or
other factors.
While children often have definite food likes and
dislikes, nutritionists recommend that the parent make
available a wide variety of foods to your child. And
encourage him to taste new foods in small quantities.
That way, your child will come to accept and like new
foods.
Adolescents need extra nutrients to support the
adolescent growth spurt, which begins in girls at ages
10 or 11, reaches its peak at age 12 and is completed at
about 15. In boys, it begins at 12 or 13 years of age,
peaks at 14 and ends at about 19.
In addition to other nutrients, adequate amounts of iron
and calcium are extremely important as the body goes
through an intensive growth period. From ages 11 to 24
years, both males and females are encouraged to consume
a calcium-rich diet. It's supposed to help ensure
adequate calcium deposition in the bones which may help
reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in later years. A
diet that includes a fair amount of milk, cheese and
yoghurt will provide them with the much-needed calcium.
|
