By Kalwyna Rathod
A balanced diet is directly related to positive early childhood development
Children need the right nutrients at the right time to achieve their full potential. Inadequate nutrition in the form of poor quality and quantity can lead to undernourishment or overeating, both of which can have detrimental effects on child development. The time between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday is the most important for a healthy diet.
In the first two years of life, breastfeeding not only prevents various diseases, but is also the best food for a child’s cognitive development. Research shows that few babies who are breastfed have higher cognitive scores than those who are not.
It promotes brain development in infants and guarantees children a safe and nutritious source of food. Based on research, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), both international bodies, recommend that infants start breastfeeding within an hour of birth. You must be fully breastfed for the first six months and breastfed until you are two years of age or beyond.
At the age of six months, children must start eating complementary foods. Infants and young children must be fed frequently and in sufficient quantities throughout the day, their meals must be rich in nutrients and must consist of different food groups.
Nutritional deficiencies
Poor diet can cause various nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin A deficiency can lead to blindness and thus disability. Vitamin D deficiency can manifest itself in rickets, and if left untreated, deficiency can lead to physical deformities that affect a child’s development. Not to forget that the most common micronutrient deficiency – iron deficiency, which leads to anemia – can negatively impact cognitive development. Malnutrition, which leads to wasting and stunting, can seriously and badly affect a child’s development.
Ecological damage
A healthy, balanced and nutritious diet with environmental stimulation is directly related to positive early childhood development. In early 2007, the Lancet, a medical journal, published those developing countries that have programs with components for health, nutrition and psychological stimulation in infants and young children that were most successful in promoting early childhood development.
All early childhood development intervention programs must be integrated with nutritional support for the best long-term results. Parenteral emotional involvement, healthy and engaged emotional state of caregivers, responsive parenting are some of the important elements that can positively affect a child’s development.
Certain evidence-based community-led nutritional intervention programs such as the use of iodized salt, calcium and iron supplements, balanced energy-protein supplements, infant and young child nutrition promotion, micronutrient supplements such as vitamin A and zinc have contributed to significant reductions in mortality rates and morbidity in early childhood development.
Seven simple nutrition tips
Keep snacks simple: a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts would be great. Eat the rainbow! Create colorful plates with different types of vegetables. Include the little ones in the cooking, make the food choices, talk about healthy and unhealthy foods. Take it slowly: don’t rush to eat. Children can eat slowly, but this helps them measure their appetite and stop when they are full. Limit sugary drinks, including juices Do not punish a child for not eating, as this can develop a negative association
Avoid using food as a reward. Sometimes just give praise and encourage them with a hug, it can be enough reward for a child.
Nutrition and early childhood development go hand in hand, so integrating the nutritional supplement programs with early childhood development programs at the national and community levels can be cost-effective and are designed to be complementary to achieve sustained and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants and young children.
