A Good and Balanced Nutrition - Essay Example

The importance of Infant/ Toddler Nutrition Infant/Toddler Nutrition Introduction A good and balancednutrition is an important requirement for the overall growth and development of children, including infants/toddlers, older school going children, and also adolescents. Each age group have their own specific nutritional requirements based on the factors of age, their activity levels, and environmental standing, with consideration for each specification varying, according to the food type, and the required amount of calories and nutrition necessary for that particular child. Amongst all the age groups, nutrition for the infant/toddlers is vitally important, as a child grows the maximum during the first 3 years, especially within the first few months after being born (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2007). Good nutrition given during this time period will help in shaping and sustaining, all future growth, development, and general well-being of the child. Discussion The genetic pattern of a child inherited from his parents will determine his physical attributes. Combined with this genetic factor, a good balanced nutrition and a healthy living environment during the early years of childhood, play an important part in the overall well being of the child’s present and future life. It has been seen that “well-fed, well-cared-for children grow taller and heavier than less nourished and nurtured children” (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2005, 127). A child in his first year is generally known as an infant, while in the second year he is referred to as a toddler. During these infant/toddler years (that is, from birth till around 36 months of age), a child experiences considerably growth in height and weight, while also showing remarkable development in his motor and cognitive skills. During these years a child learns to walk, talk and develop various kinds of social skills. He will explore everything that he sees around him, and also learn to communicate with others, in fact “the spectacular changes in growth and development that occur during the first year will never again be repeated throughout the entire life span” (Marotz, 2008, 22). We will now explore the developments that take place in the infants/toddlers during this time period, making these few years so vital in a person’s life. Brain development and reflex developments during the infancy/ toddler age period: The growth of the brain in the period before birth and in the subsequent early childhood years (infancy/toddler), form the most important stages for the future physical and cognitive developments in the life of a human being. Just after birth, an infant’s brain weight is only about 25% of 1.5 kg (the brain weight of an average adult). By the age of 3 years the brain grows to almost 90% of the adult brain weight. This rapid increase in brain weight occurs mainly due to the “multiplication of dendrites and synaptic connections” (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2005, 131) from 6 months till about 2 years of age. The neurons in the cortex region of the brain that are “responsible for complex, high-level functioning” (ibid) are ready within 20 weeks of gestation while by the next 12 weeks they become well defined. This brain growth, which starts before birth, generally continues till about 4 years of age, and forms the basis for all development pertaining to later neurological functioning in an adult human being. During the infancy and toddler time period, development of all the major motor, cognitive and sensory functioning, like babbling, smiling, or crawling, takes place owing the rapid spurt in brain growth at this time. This rapidly developing brain during the first three years also makes it possible for a child to comprehend what they touch, taste, smell, see or hear. These sensory organs also show rapid development during the infancy/ toddler stages. Touch is the first sense to develop in an infant, and is said to be ready even before birth, with further increase in its sensitivity, during the first 5 days after birth. The sense of taste and smell also develops in the pre-natal condition, and the flavour and smell of the food that the mother consumes reaches the foetus through the amniotic fluid, and “a similar transmission occurs through breast milk” (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2007, 158). It has been seen that an infant breast fed for 6 continuous days by the mother, prefers the smell of its mother, over any other wet nurse. Infants have also been seen to prefer sweet food over sour or acerbic ones, and sweetened water can calm a crying infant, thus showing that their taste buds are already developed. The auditory senses also form before birth, and show a rapid development (like, auditory discriminations) during the early days, just after birth. Vision, which is the least formed during birth, shows a spurt in development within the first 12 months. Motor developments like head movements, movements of the arms, crawling, walking, talking, all take place during the first two years of childhood, thus making these 24-36 months a period of various milestones in a child and his parents’ lives. Physical attributes, like increase in weight and height, is also maximum during the first 3 years. “At 5 months, [it has been observed that an] average baby boy’s birth weight has doubled to 16 lbs [7 kg], and by 1 year, has nearly tripled to 23 lbs [10 kg]... A boy’s height typically increases by 10 inches [25 cm] during the first year ... by almost 5 inches [13] cm during the second year and a little more than 3 inches during the third year” (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2005, 126). Teething also starts during early childhood, and by the age of 3, a child generally has a set of 20 teeth. Thus, we find that it is during the formative timeframe which covers the first three years of a child that shows the maximum development, important for the normal functioning of the body in the future. What the basic nutrients that helps in proper development? Research has proven that “extreme environmental deprivation in infancy can affect the structure of the brain” (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2007, 157). Environmental deprivation also includes poor nutrition in its scope, which leads to improper development of the brain and later problems in the proper functioning of cognitive and motor skills. So nutrition forms an essential basis for all future normal functioning of the body, and while any kind of good nutrition helps in proper development, there are certain food types that promote better development of a child. The first and the foremost in infant nutrition pertains to breast feeding, and it has been seen that breast fed babies in all parts of the world are healthier than their bottle fed counterparts (AAP Work Group on Breastfeeding, 1997). Breast milk is indeed important, for at least the first year, as it easily digestible and forms a complete source of nutrition for the infant. Many later stage infections like respiratory ailments, diarrhoea, and urinary tract infection, are said to be minimised through breast feeding during infancy. Breast milk is also said to be beneficial for ‘visual acuity’, and better cognitive and neurological developments, besides developing better emotional support between the mother and child. After 6 months of age a child should be given solid food, like single grain cereals along with fresh fruit juices. Once a child is 1 year old, with a balanced diet of solid food and fruit juices, he can be switched over to cow’s milk, that is, “homogenized whole milk fortified with vitamin D” (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2005, 127). Along with a balanced nutrition, a child should be made to perform abundant physical activities, so as to provide for an overall development, which would in turn benefit the child to remain healthy at a later stage in life. Conclusion Since the brain, the cognitive and motor skills, and neurological functioning of a human being, develop and take shape during his infancy/toddler years, it is essential that the parents or caregivers pay special attention to the nutritional aspect of a child, during these formative years. It has been scientifically proven that a good and balanced nutrition, a healthy environment, and lots of physical activities, help in raising a healthy child, and later help in sustaining a healthy and active adult. References American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) Workgroup on Breast Feeding. (1997). AAP Policy. [Internet Article]. Accessed at, http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;100/6/1035 Marotz, L. (2008). Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child. New York: Cengage Learning, 22. Papalia, D., Olds, S., & Feldman, R. (2005). Human development. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. 126-131. Papalia, D., Olds, S., & Feldman, R. (2007). A Childs World: Infancy Through Adolescence. New York: McGraw-Hill. 155-158. Read More