“Good Nutrition is the foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development”.
As one of the basic needs for survival, good nutrition - not simply nutrition - is truly the foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development. This was emphasized even in our youth as embodied by the saying “You are what you eat!” While nutrition plays so many roles in our lives, it is especially vital during the first 2 years of life. These two years are a period of rapid growth and development, where babies usually double their length and triple their weight between birth and one year of age, and are prone to many deficiencies especially if their diet is not composed of a balanced meal with sufficient vitamins and minerals. Offering nutritious foods will provide them with a fuel source to live a meaningful and productive life, utilizing obtained energy for basal metabolic processes such as thermoregulation, digestion, and absorption, as well as for unexpected increased energy utilization for pathological conditions. Good nutrition also means obtaining adequate macro- and micronutrients to support overall growth. As such, good nutrition must be a top priority of parents so that children will receive the adequate nutrients that are necessary for their optimum growth and development.
During infancy, the ideal source of healthy nutrition is the mother’s milk, advocated for by organizations such as DOH, CDC, WHO, and UNICEF during the first 6 months, even up to 2 years and beyond, for it truly offers gold and healthy nutrition for the baby. Breastmilk offers all the nutrients babies need, which include free water, proteins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates (lactose), vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Furthermore, it is rich in protective and immunological factors such as antibodies, cytokines, and chemical mediators that protect against allergy and infections, as well as short- and long-term illnesses and diseases. It also contains growth factors that aid in maturity of the baby’s intestines. Moreover, it has a unique property in that as the baby grows, the mother’s breast milk adjusts to ensure that the baby’s nutritional needs are met. After 6 months, complementary feeding of healthy solid foods with breast milk can start to accompany increasing nutritional and developmental needs. Complementary feedings, which include staple foods such as cereals, roots and starchy fruits, proteins like egg yolk, dairy products like milk and cheese, orange-colored fruits and green vegetables provide energy, proteins, iron and zinc, calcium, energy, B vitamins, and are good sources of vitamins A and C respectively.
Good nutrition truly contributes not only to health but also proper growth and development, physically and mentally. Indeed, good nutrition is key not just to surviving but to living the good, well life that a child deserves to live. Promotion of good nutrition at a young age can therefore truly offer significant benefits later in life. That’s why, start early!
References:
Better Health Channel (n.d.). Food and your life stages.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-and-your-life-stages
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.). Childhood Nutrition Facts | Healthy Schools |
CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/facts.htm
Iellamo, E.A. (2022). First 1000 Days [PowerPoint Presentation]. University of the Philippines
Manila Virtual Learning Environment. https://vle.upm.edu.ph/login/index.php
Infant Nutrition Council (n.d.). Breastmilk Information.
https://www.infantnutritioncouncil.com/breastmilk-information/