Introduction to Child Nutrition: Key Fundamentals

Welcome to our course "Guide to infant feeding.

The feeding of the child is the main external factor that determines the growth and health status of the individual during childhood. For this reason, parents, tutors and caregivers should be concerned about providing children with a healthy diet that is adequate to their level of growth and maturation.

Childhood is characterized by accelerated physical, mental and motor growth, which means that the diet must provide the energy and nutrients necessary for the maintenance of vital signs and for the correct growth and maturation of organs and systems.

In addition, during the first years of life, eating habits begin to be acquired and consolidated, which is why childhood is an ideal stage to provide a correct nutritional education that will accompany people throughout their lives.

With this guide we intend to help them make better decisions when planning a healthy, varied, balanced and tasty diet that contributes to the growth and integral development of children.

The purpose of this course is solely educational, so if you have any doubts or health problems, go immediately to the doctor.

What should mothers, fathers and caregivers know about feeding children correctly?

• The feeding and nutrition of children depends absolutely on the care of adults.

• The mother should maintain a healthy behavior and nutrition from before the moment of conception of the child until after breastfeeding is completed.

• To know and promote the advantages of breast milk during the first year of life.

• To know the nutritional characteristics of foods in order to offer a healthy diet to infants.

• To keep in mind that feeding and the affective-emotional development of children are two complementary processes; therefore, in addition to providing them with the necessary nutrients for their correct growth and development, we should.

Create optimal conditions that facilitate communication, physical, visual and auditory contact between the child and the mother, father or caregiver. Mealtimes are ideal moments to observe or listen to the little ones in order to get to know them better and strengthen emotional bonds.

Allow enough time to feed children, as their rhythms are slower and in some cases it takes a lot of patience for them to accept and enjoy a certain food. They cannot be forced to eat a food they reject or to continue eating when they do not want to.

Importance of healthy eating in the early stages of life

Eating together with sleep and physical activity is one of the pillars of health at any age, but perhaps in children it has an extra importance for the following reasons:

• A healthy diet from the conception of the child is essential to ensure all the nutrients required for the growth and maturation of organs and systems; having a direct impact on the size, body shape and physical and intellectual performance of the child.

• For example: There is a close relationship between the mother's diet -during pregnancy- and the baby's diet -during its first years-, with the child's brain development. This aspect is vital for the child to achieve a quick assimilation of language and an adequate cognitive development.

• In the child, the organs responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients are in a process of growth and maturation, so they are less efficient and more vulnerable to the effects of a diet that includes less healthy foods, such as sugars, hydrogenated fats, salt, etcetera.

• A well-nourished child is less likely to suffer from nutritional disorders such as overweight, obesity, anemia, dental caries, etc., which will negatively influence his or her health later in life.

• A healthy diet - such as breastfeeding during the first year of life - strengthens the immune system, the mechanism responsible for the body's defense against disease-causing organisms such as viruses and bacteria.

• On the other hand, during the first years of life, eating habits are established that will later be difficult to change; it should be noted that most food preferences and aversions are established before the age of three.

Some health disorders related to inadequate feeding patterns

• Linear growth retardation: Growth is a complex biological process that requires a continuous supply of energy and nutrients. It is known that insufficient energy, protein and zinc in the diet can retard growth in children.

• Anemia: Anemia is not a disease, it is a clinical sign that is defined as a lower than normal amount of red blood cells in the blood. Dietary iron deficiency anemia is the most widespread in the world, affecting children's growth and psychomotor development. Iron deficiencies also affect brain function.
• Overweight and obesity: Overweight and obesity is the increase of adipose tissue in the body. This disorder increases the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.