Healthy Eating and Brain Development
Healthy Eating and Brain Development
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Healthy brain development has a direct relationship with proper nutrition. Toddler’s need a well balanced diet that will help with their brain development and achievement for the future. Poor nutrition before birth and the first few years of life can lead to neurological and behavioral disorders. For children under the age of two, healthy eating has a positive impact on the development of their brains. Healthy eating and nutrition plays an important role in the brain development of young children; improving their motor skills, academics, and immune system.
In order to understand why healthy nutrition in young children is so crucial we also need to understand how rapidly the brain develops in the first few years of life, and what the different parts of the brain do. The brain is different from other body organs in that it has a growth spurt during the prenatal period through the first few years of life. The brain will reach half its mature weight as early as six months and 90% of its final weight by the age of eight. (Rutter and Rutter, 1993) A newborn’s brain has millions of neurons waiting to be developed and used. Experiences in childhood help determine which neurons are used and which ones will eventually die off. These are the critical periods of the earliest years: emotional control, ages 0-2; vision, ages 0-2; social attachment, ages0-2; vocabulary, ages 0-3; math and logic, ages 1-4; music, ages3-10 (Begley, February 19, 1996)
Above one can see how important proper nutrition is to the development of the young child’s brain. Healthy nutrition is needed during the ages of 1-2 to aid in the development of vision, language, motor development, and how well he or she will perform in school. Vitamin C aids to strengthen the immune system and can be found in most fruits such as oranges, mangoes, and bananas. The D vitamin provides calcium which is excellent to build strong bones
Axia College of University of Phoenix
Healthy brain development has a direct relationship with proper nutrition. Toddler’s need a well balanced diet that will help with their brain development and achievement for the future. Poor nutrition before birth and the first few years of life can lead to neurological and behavioral disorders. For children under the age of two, healthy eating has a positive impact on the development of their brains. Healthy eating and nutrition plays an important role in the brain development of young children; improving their motor skills, academics, and immune system.
In order to understand why healthy nutrition in young children is so crucial we also need to understand how rapidly the brain develops in the first few years of life, and what the different parts of the brain do. The brain is different from other body organs in that it has a growth spurt during the prenatal period through the first few years of life. The brain will reach half its mature weight as early as six months and 90% of its final weight by the age of eight. (Rutter and Rutter, 1993) A newborn’s brain has millions of neurons waiting to be developed and used. Experiences in childhood help determine which neurons are used and which ones will eventually die off. These are the critical periods of the earliest years: emotional control, ages 0-2; vision, ages 0-2; social attachment, ages0-2; vocabulary, ages 0-3; math and logic, ages 1-4; music, ages3-10 (Begley, February 19, 1996)
Above one can see how important proper nutrition is to the development of the young child’s brain. Healthy nutrition is needed during the ages of 1-2 to aid in the development of vision, language, motor development, and how well he or she will perform in school. Vitamin C aids to strengthen the immune system and can be found in most fruits such as oranges, mangoes, and bananas. The D vitamin provides calcium which is excellent to build strong bones
References: Begley, S. (1996, February 19). Brain Development. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from The World Bank: www.worldbank.org Hoddinott, M. R. (2008, February 14). Investing in Early Childhood Nutrition. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from IFPRI Publications: www.ifpri.org/pubs/bp/bp008.asp Role of Proper Nutrition in Early Brain Development. (1999, June 11). Retrieved March 4, 2009, from http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/newborn/newborn02.htm Rutter, M. a. (1993). Developing Minds: Challenge and Continuity Across the Life Span. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from The World Bank: www.worldbank.org USDA. (2009, March 17). Retrieved March 17, 2009, from Nutrition Program Facts and Food and Nutrition Service: www.fns.usda.go/wic/