Good Nutrition and a Well Balanced Diet in Children

Whether to breastfeed or to formula feed is one of the many decisions parents have to make when caring for a newborn baby. The decision may seem simple in which parents base there decision on comfort, convenience and finance but little do most parents know the decision being made can have damaging long term effects than that of the present. There is plenty of research that state the significance of breastfeeding that go far beyond the extent of bonding between mother and newborn. Although, that too is important. Breast milk is known to contain antibodies which can help the newborn in developing a strong immune system which influence all the body systems. Research has shown that breast-milk can help prevent long term diseases such as

Fruits and vegetables have a very essential role in our diet. Studies have shown the importance of sufficient fruit and vegetable consumption in stopping chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and obesity. According to 2000 report, “2.7 million deaths and 1.8% all diseases worldwide could be attributed to inadequate F&V intake” (Najimi, 2013). Starting to eat well when young is important. Research has proven that interventions at a young age can impact good behavior such as good nutritional habits that get carried on into adulthood. Furthermore, ages 7 to 12 is when a child should get nutrients for growing. Therefore, the significance of a child’s nutrition becomes more of a need than ever (Najimi, 2013). Examples of the benefits of kids eating healthy when young are good mental activities, prevention of problems and complications like anaemia, obesity, digestive disorders, and tooth decay and chronic and dangerous diseases in the long term (Najimi, 2013).

At birth babies get their nutrition from milk, either breast or formula. Breast milk contains all the nutrients babies need in the correct amounts and, although it is low in iron and copper, the baby has enough of these stored until it starts eating solid food. It also contains antibodies to help fight infections and is easy to digest. Formula milk needs to be made up in specific concentrations to avoid damage to the kidneys and all equipment used, should be sterilised to prevent the risk of infection. Cow’s milk should not be given to babies under twelve months as it contains too much salt and protein and not enough iron and other nutrients to meet their needs.

The first years of life are the most crucial years for brain, immune system and overall physiological development. This is why, it is extremely important to achieve optimal nutrition standards in these early years. Studies have shown that having optimum nutrition in infancy can lead to profound benefits throughout the lifespan of the person. Breastfeeding is extensively recommended, as the best way to achieve the

“Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants, with a range of benefits for infants ' health, growth, immunity and development.” (Healthy People 2010, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The importance of nutrition of a newborn or a growing infant draw many strong opinions from friends and family, overall the decision should be left up the mother. Breast milk is the ideal method to feed a growing child, which provides the necessary nutrients as vitamins, proteins, fats, as well as antibodies that helps the baby fight off bacteria and viruses. There are benefits that come from breastfeeding that would a child won’t receive from formula mixtures besides been more soluble for the baby to easily take in. The purpose of this proposal is to examine how beneficial is breastfeeding in a growing child when mothers make the decision to stray from the norm of short period breastfeeding of 3 months to a year.

The main risk factor for contracting scarlet fever is coming in contact with the bacteria responsible for the infection. This bacteria can be spread in respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, 2016). An outbreak of strep throat or scarlet fever in the community, neighborhood, or school may increase the risk of infection. To minimized the spread of this diseases and other childhood disease parents need to be educated in the spread of such diseases by requiring children to have immunizations (Pillitteri, 2014).

Breastfeeding is a natural phenomenon where the baby is fed milk through mother’s breast rather than using the formulated products that are available in the market. Babies have a phenomenon called suckling reflex through which the baby sucks and swallows the milk from mother’s breast and this plays a pivotal role in the growth, development, and enhancement of health of the baby. According to an expert’s recommendation, the baby should be breastfed for at least six months. Breastfeeding is said to be the best form of nutrition that can be easily digested by the baby. It creates an amazing bond between the baby and mother which cannot be replaced by any other formulated products that are available in the market.

Bauer, K. W., Berge, J. M., Larson, N., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2011). Are Parents of Young

The decision to breastfeed of formula feed is one that is highly dependent on the mother’s perception of breastfeeding, her knowledge related to breastfeeding, and her physical ability to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is advocated for by healthcare professional, organizations such as the World Health Organization, and even among social circles. The topic of breastfeeding is widely associated with the health of the mother and infant. The benefits of breastfeeding are not only exclusive to the infant, but the mother benefits as well. This paper will discuss the advantages of breastfeeding for the infant and mother will be considered. The benefits of breastfeeding to the infant reviewed include adequate nutrition for the development

Since the invention of formula mothers have had trouble deciding how best to go about feeding their children. Each mother has their own preferred feeding technique, some of whom chose to use both feeding methods depending on the situation. For some mothers breast feeding is not a viable option for reasons such as lactation issues, busy schedules, and secondary care givers (Health Psychology). For those mothers whom are able and willing to breast feed their infants there is a definite benefit. Breast feeding is shown to benefit the mother and child through its natural ability to aide in the mother’s inner peace, its health giving properties, its superior nutrient content compared to formula, and accessibility.

Reason being when coughing into the manus germs fly from the virus or disease with your spit into your hand and if the hand isn´t sanitized before touching an object(s) that most people touch then boom you have germs on the object that everyone touches.

Prevention and control are done by avoiding direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person and

There are many benefits to establishing a healthy lifestyle early in childhood and these benefits can last the rest of the child’s life. According to an article entitled, Promoting healthy eating and an active lifestyle in schoolchildren, dietary habits developed during childhood and adolescence can affect a child throughout adulthood and can influence future preferences and behaviors related to food (O’Connor, 2011, p. 48). This shows the great importance of helping a child develop healthy dietary patterns during childhood so that the child is set up for a healthy future in adulthood. This article goes on to state that, “poor diet and poor physical activity patterns in childhood can lead to problems that manifest later in life” (O’Connor, 2011, p. 48). Examples given in the article include: heart disease, obesity, type two

The nutritional status of children below five year age is commonly assessed using three indices: weight-for-height (wasting) which reflects acute growth disturbances, height-for-age (stunting) which reflects long-term growth faltering and weight-for-age (underweight) which is a composite indicator of both long and short term effects. Weights and heights of children are compared with the reference standards (NCHS/ CDC/WHO) and the prevalence of anthropometric deficits is usually expressed as the percentage of children below a specific cut-off point such as minus 2 standard deviations (2SD) from the median value of the international reference data. Thus, children who are below the referred indices are termed as unhealthy children.