Nutrition is important:-
Child nutrition is important to stay healthy and strong and grow up by putting healthy eating habits. Nutrition is important because it is required for cognitive development and academic performance and brain development and many more. While many children live healthy lives…..health the trend shows that many children do not have adequate nutrition. In India, malnutrition and child death from various nutritional deficiency is rampant and widespread. In childhood Obesity India with 14.4 million children stood 2nd after China. Proper nutrition in growing years is the basic need of every child but due to lifestyle challenges and various factors, it is almost impossible nowadays to produce quality children into adolescents. Proper nutrition plays a great role in the proper growth of children. Micronutrient deficiency a growing concern in children in the whole world.
· Children's are fussy eaters.
· Children see parents eating habits
· Changing the lifestyle of both parents and child.
· Availability of convenient, tasty, fast foods.
· Calories consumed and energy spent.
· Quality of food available is doubtful, may be contaminated with pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers etc.
· Methods of cooking drains the nutrients from the food by boiling, frying.
· Environmental pollution.
· Economic prosperity.
A healthy diet during childhood is a foundation for life long health. Right nutrition during these formative years helps children to attain their maximum potential for physical as well as intellectual growth. Macronutrient deficiencies represent what is known as the “hidden hunger”.Without essential vitamins and minerals, the human body does not grow and function properly. In India almost half of the children under age 5 years (48%) are chronically malnourished, one out of every five children in India under age five years is 43% of children are underweight for their age. In the middle and upper socio-economic segments, income levels have increased but the lifestyle and dietary habits deteriorated. Families consuming balanced diets are far from reality. Children are facing a high level of academic pressure leaving no time for physical activities and sports making them more sedentary. On the other hand, they are exposed to multiple commercials or junk foods. For working parents, it becomes highly convenient to select ready to eat snacks, instant snacks, or bakery foods. These foods are usually high on sugar, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and salt, making their diet highly skewed with an excess of calories and deficient in essential nutrients especially micronutrients. Healthy eating habits have to be allocated during childhood which makes a huge impact on a child’s attitude towards food and his lifelong health.
Micronutrient deficiencies in children are much more serious than what is perceived .According to the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau(NNMB) of India, over 50% of apparently, healthy-looking children have subclinical or biochemical deficiencies of vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Folic acid, and B complex vitamins .Subclinical deficiency of micronutrients are the most under-diagnosed and under-recognized problem in children. Micronutrient deficiencies of any grade largely affect a child’s health.
Benefits of vitamin A for children
The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in India is one of the highest in the world especially among preschool children.Healthy vision, immune response, the health of respiratory and urinary tract all depend upon vitamin A status of child.Abnormal visual adaption, dry skin, dry hair, broken fingernails , repeated infections are the indicators of insufficient vitamin A intake in the diet. About 57% of pre-school children in India have subclinical vitamin A deficiency, since the dietary intake of vitamin A, is substantially lower than RDAs. Even mild subclinical deficiency may increase children’s risk of developing respiratory, diarrheal infections, decreases growth rate, bone development and decreases the likelihood of survival from a serious illness. Vitamin A deficiency is estimated to precipitate the death’s of more than 0.3 million children annually in India.The requirement of vitamin A further increases during illness.
Vitamin B for kids
Further sufficient dietary intake of vitamin B12 and folate are crucial in childhood since these are responsible for DNA synthesis and normal blood cell formation.In a study conducted among toddlers in India, lower levels of Homocysteine were found which points to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood .B vitamins , zinc, choline, inositol, and L-theamins required for energy production and healthy nervous system. Deficiencies of these nutrients can set in more rapidly in children causing macrocytic anemia, since they lack sufficient stores.
Iron supplements for Kids
Iron deficiency continues to be a major nutritional problem among infants and young children in India and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. One of the recent national surveys reveals that there is a universal iron deficiency in the Indian population. Children in India don't get adequate iron in diet leading 69% (under 5 years of age)being anemic. Such children feel lethargic, weak, and are unable to concentrate. However, the real cause often gets undiagnosed. Before the clinical iron deficiency Anemia sets in, body stores of iron get depleted. Just like anemia,iron-depleted children may have poor attention and memory, poor quality of hair, skin, nails, or may have developmental delays. Children with iron depletion may or may not show symptoms. Hence these subclinical cases remain undiagnosed.
Need of Vitamin C in growing years
Vitamin C is necessary for collagen synthesis, for growth & repair of bones and connective tissues. This powerful antioxidant helps protect cells from free radical damage and also helps maintain healthy teeth and gums. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption.Children generally do not consume a sufficient quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables.Our body does not synthesize nor does it store vitamin C, hence adequate amount of Vitamin C has to be ensured in a child’s diet either through food or supplements.
Benefits of calcium for children:-
Another area of concern is insufficient intake of dietary calcium which has definite clinical implications. Calcium intake of Indian children and adolescents are below the recommended dietary allowance(RDA).The amount of bone tissue in the skeleton or bone mass peaks in the late twenties. Up to 90% of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and by 20 in boys which makes this the best time to invest in their bone health. The weakening of bones starts from childhood since bone mass attained in childhood and adolescence is an important determinant of lifelong skeletal health. Kids of 1year to 3 years need 700 mg of calcium every day. Kids from 4 to 8 years need 1000mg of calcium (2 to 3 servings) a day.
Benefits of Sunshine vitamin (D) for Children
Despite plenty of sunshine available in India, children especially those living in metros do not get adequate exposure to sunlight, which is a major source of vitamin D.This vitamin is responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine and deposition into bones. Studies conducted across India report a high prevalence of clinical & biochemical hypovitaminosis (vitamin D). Often children complain of muscle aches bone pain or general weakness. These are symptoms that shouldn’t be overlooked as general fatigue due to excessive activity or overuse of limbs. They should be screened for vitamin D status and adequately supplemented if required. Sufficient intake of vitamin D during childhood and adolescence increases peak bone mass and may efficiently prevent the weakening of bones at a later age.
Micronutrient deficiencies have been a persistent problem in India. Clinical deficiencies are common, they carry significant health risks. Despite various prophylactic programs and initiatives deficiencies of vitamin A, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, Folate, and B complex are still a concern. Very often, more than one micronutrient deficiency is observed in the pediatric age groups. This clearly indicates a need for simple techniques to evaluate the nutritional status of children and effective for addressing multiple micronutrient deficiencies.
“Right diet and sound supplementation are key measures for preventing and arresting micronutrient deficiencies in children”.
References: From various reliable Agencies
A single multivitamin supplement gives most of the vitamins and minerals in certain quantities but not all nutrients in the desired quantity. Such as Calcium, Iron, vitamin C .Children need much higher quantities for these single vitamin and mineral and that can only be supplemented by these individual-specific supplements. Hence along with a multivitamin,multi-mineral supplement we also need to give children a single nutrient supplement for the right balance and for optimal health.
Always remember though our children's are small their nutritional needs are BIG. It is important that children have nutritious food enriched with fruits, vegetables, milk, egg, fish,etc.as they are excellent sources of different types of essential nutrients. However, in spite of our efforts to give our child a healthy and nutritious diet, gaps do exist as mentioned above. In addition to that, the requirement for certain vitamins and minerals is high such as Calcium, Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, and phytonutrients which are not fulfilled entirely by our food or with just a multivitamin/mineral supplements. Therefore to fill the daily requirement for these nutrients, our child needs different vitamins and minerals. For example, if our child does not drink milk which is an excellent way of supplementing Calcium, required for strong bones and teeth, it is advisable to have Calcium
supplements. If we are not able to give 5 fruits and vegetables daily we need to supplement it in concentrated form.
Do you know :-
1. One in three children suffers from chronic malnutrition Today.
2. Only 10% of Indian children are well- nourished.
(3) 50% of pre-school children suffer from nutritional anemia & Iron deficiency.
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