Care for childChild Development

One of the common worries of a mother is about the adequacy of her child’s diet. A child requires more calories and protein for growth and tissue repair. If the child does not get adequate nutrition during this period, overall growth of the child is affected. Eating habits are always set in the first few years of life. That is the time to ingrain a healthy eating pattern in children. Velocity of growth varies in different age and sex group. Child’s nutritional requirements do vary accordingly.

How to make eating enjoyable?

There must be regularity in meal times. In between munching must be discouraged. There is no need to worry about occasionally not eating a meal properly or about over eating. It is perfectly normal. There must be some changes in the menu and the environment, otherwise it will become monotonous. Try to make food more appealing by using appropriate flavouring agents and syrups. There is no point in forcing a child to eat; this will make a child rebellious. Try avoiding discussing about each ones likes and dislike regarding food while eating. The difficulty to make your child eat vegetables can be overcome by catering to the taste in colour and texture. When introducing new foods try offering one at time and give small amounts at first. It is a good idea to try out new foods at the beginning of the meal while a child is still hungry. A little imagination in preparation and serving can be very rewarding. When you do all this, you must be cautious not to encourage your child’s pranks.

Food for 0 – 3 months

The best food for the newborn baby is mother’s milk. Breast milk is free from contamination and adulteration and supplies nutrients in almost correct amounts and propositions needed by the infants. It also provides an opportunity for close contact and emotional satisfaction of both mother and child. Breast milk contains immunoglobulin’s (protective proteins) that protect the child to some extent against infections.

Some mothers practice giving boiled water, fruit juices or glucose water, which is not essential. With breast milk there are less serious illness and allergies. Babies who were breast-fed have lesser chance of developing asthma in later life. The infant of less than 34 weeks has poor sucking and swallowing reflexes. In such cases expressed breast milk can be given.

During the first 3 months the mother’s diet should be given great importance. She must have a well balanced diet. Major handicap of breast milk is deficiency of iron. Till three months of age iron store in the baby is sufficient for the requirement. After three months iron has to be supplemented.

Food for 3 – 6 months

Nutritional supplementation starts during this period .The infants diet pattern is gradually changed from exclusive breast milk to breast milk with cooked solid foods. One can start supplementation with cereal foods provided the food is cooked soft and mashed to a thin consistency.

The new foods should be first introduced at lunchtime and extended gradually to other meals. When you start any food item give for at least one week, if possible two weeks before starting any another food item. Initially there may be mild indigestion.

Ragi powder, suji, and raw plantain powder can be cooked in milk with sugar and can be given. Make sure not to feed these in bottles, which will delay the child to eat the solid food and have more chances to develop lose motion. Rice can be cooked soft and mixed with curd and can be given. When child gets used to this, khichdi (rice and moong dhal) can be given. Soups and strained vegetables and fruits may be gradually introduced during the supplementation period. The fruits and vegetables will correct the deficiency of iron in breast milk. Fruit must be fully ripe.

The well nourished infant doubles his birth weight by 5 months of age

Diet for Children (1 To 6 Years)

A balanced and adequate diet is required to supply the nutrients and energy needed for the growing child. The requirement of all nutrients is increased, but the pattern of increase varies for different nutrients in relation to their role in growth of specific tissues.

A child of one year old can eat most of the dishes that are prepared for the rest of the family. They require less spicy food. The appetite normally decreases during this period. Fuzzy eating starts at this time so make sure the food is interesting and attractive. They need five to six meals a day because of their smaller appetites. Healthy foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables should make up the major part of the diet of the children. Foods such as meat, fish, soya products, milk, pulses and cereals will provide the protein necessary for this age group.

Under 5 year old children should not use skimmed milk to restrict on fat and cholesterol as they need the extra calories, but grilled and baked foods are always preferable to fried and fatty ones. The growth rate of the child is slow in this group.

Protein has a very important role in the diet of the preschool child because there is considerable increase in muscular development during these years. The requirements for essential amino acids are higher for children than adults. So protein should be selected from complete protein foods such as milk, egg and meat.

The calorie requirements are also increased due to the high cellular activity. Whole grains or enriched cereals increase the calories. Concentrated sweets and foods that are very high in fat should be avoided.

Vitamins and minerals must be supplemented adequately. Calcium and iron requirements are relatively greater during early childhood. Deficiency of calcium can affect the bones of growing children. Foods rich in calcium such as milk and milk products, ragi, green leafy vegetable and fish should be included in the diet of children.

Aneamia, a common medical problem seen during this period is due to dietary lack of iron and / or by hookworm infestation. To meet this increased need for iron, iron rich foods, like rice flakes, green leafy vegetables, egg, and liver should be included in the diet. Preferably food must be given after children enjoyed his or her favorite activities such as TV programs or games to avoid them rush to leave the table.

Can a child eat Sweets and Candies

Let your children have occasional sweets. It is not going to cause much harm if taken in moderation. The draw back of excessive consumption of sweets and candies are it spoils the appetite and cause tooth decay. Sweet containing fermentable carbohydrate which adheres to the tooth surface is the major dietary factor influencing tooth decay. The greater cariogenic effect depends up on longer the sugar stays in the mouth. This is due to stickiness of the carbohydrate. Encourage children to brush their teeth before and after going to bed. Ice cream and cakes are marginally better than hard candies because there are at least some nutrients in the milk and grains.

Tips to help your child develop good eating habits

(1). Encourage your child to eat slowly and chew the food properly.

(2). Eat meals with the family as often as possible.

(3). Discourage eating while watching TV.

(4). Encourage Healthy Snacks.

(5). Include a variety of delicious healthy foods for meals and snacks.

(6). Set a good example for your children by eating a healthy and balanced diet.

(7). Don’t place your children on any restrictive diet with out proper supervision.

(8). Do not use food to punish your child.

(9). Occasional change of place and crowd will over come the monotony.

(10). Regularity in meal timing is essential.

(11). Tea and coffee should be restricted as they over stimulate the system.

(12). Salads can be made interesting for them by adding crushed peanuts or incorporating in sandwiches.

(13). Encourage children to enjoy fruits and vegetables by giving them different varieties from an early age.

(14). Do not add unnecessary sugar to drinks and foods.

(15). Don’t give skimmed milk to less than five year old.

(16). Don’t give whole nuts to children under four years old since they may choke.