Children come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Their genetic blueprints determine how fast and how big they will grow. Some children are destined to grow slowly while others make rapid leaps in development. Genetic, environmental, hormonal, nutritional and behavioral factors work together to determine a child's rate of growth. As the caregiver, your job is to provide the right materials for growth - a wide variety of nutritious foods.
Proper nutrition during pregnancy plays a vital role in determining the health of the newborn child. Through the quantity and quality of what a pregnant woman eats, she provides the nourishment necessary to begin and maintain the growth and development of her fetus.
Guidelines for Daily Food Choices
For most women, a balanced diet during pregnancy will consist of three meals a day.
Meals should contain nutrient-rich foods from each of the following food groups: proteins, fruits, vegetables, grain products, and milk and milk products.
Proper nutrition throughout childhood is essential for proper growth, prevention of disease, and psychological development. Infants and toddlers are growing at rapid rates and their nutritional intake needs to match this rate. It is up to us as parents and caregivers to ensure that this need is met. It is our responsibility to instill good eating habits in our children that will carry forward to their adulthood.
Infant
The World Health Organization states "malnutrition is globally the most important risk factor for illness and death, contributing to more than half of deaths in children worldwide; child malnutrition was associated with 54% of deaths in children in developing countries in 2001"(WHO, 2004).
Breastfeeding is the best option for infant nutrition. Breast milk is easier for infants to digest, resulting in less gas and spitting up. Also breast milk is rich in antibodies that provide protection against infections. Not to mention no bottles to sterilize or warm up in the middle of the night, and it is absolutely economical.
With increased education on breastfeeding, more women are opting to do this even if only for the first weeks before they return to work. Infants can benefit greatly from the breast milk if only received for 8 weeks. A small amount of employers will allow nursing mothers extra break times so that they can pump and store their milk for bottle use. With continued education this trend should increase.
For women that cannot breastfeed a quality iron-fortified formula should be used. Formula is comparable in nutrients to breast milk. Dairy milk should not be given until after one year of age.
Complementary foods like infant cereal or rice cereal can be introduced at four to six months of age.
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