Health and Social Care Unit 12 1.1, 11.2

Food is essential for life, our dietary intake is influenced by many different factors this includes:

Being knowledgeable with infant nutrition is important, it just simply means that you’re on board with making sure your baby is getting enough nutrients during his first year of life. These nutrients are calories that are made up of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Making sure your baby has good nutrition can help him stay healthy and protect him against risk of any diseases. Although, every infant is different, your baby may need more or less of the items in each food group as he continues to grow and develop. For instance, did you know that the only recommended nourishment an infant should be receiving at the age of 0-3 months old and until they are 4-6 months old is through breast milk or infant formula? This is important to know because anything other than breast milk or formula at this infant age can hinder their development and growth. Once an infant reaches 4-6 months old, rice infant cereal should be the only grain suggested and introduced, along with pureed fruit, at approximately 1/4-1/2 cup per serving. In addition, giving an infant extra water for hydrating purposes is not necessary during the ages 0-5 months; because most infants get the water they need from breast milk, formula, or juices. However, it is recommended that an infant at 6-9 months of age, and as he/she is more active and able to sit up on his/her own, should begin to decrease the amount in formula and

Vitamin C is needed for a baby to develop well as it helps our bodies fight off infection and disease as well as helping to heal wounds. It can also prevent anemia. Some lactating mothers may need more vitamin C than others, especially if overcoming a cold, surgery or some form of injury. The dose needed is 115 mg or 120 mg per day. Food sources in which vitamin C can be found are citrus fruits, broccoli, Kiwi, cauliflower and bell peppers.

During pregnancy the mother has certain nutrient needs. When a mother is pregnant in the second and third trimesters, she should take in an additional 340-352 kilocalories per day. Pregnant women should also have an extra 25 grams of protein per day and 175 grams per day of carbohydrates. Water intake also increases when a woman is pregnant due to the fetus’s needs, increased blood volume and amniotic fluid being produced. Pregnant women also need higher levels of vitamins. Infants need to have an increased energy supply during their first months of life because of rapid growth using so much of their own energy. During the first six months of an infant’s life, they should take in about 55% of their energy from fat. During the second six months, it should be about 40%. Carbohydrates, proteins, other vitamins and water should be increased also. Children should have around 45 to 65% of carbohydrates of energy. Children ages one to three should have about 1.3 liters of water per day and children ages four to eight should have about 1.7 liters of water per day. Adolescents also have their own nutrient needs. Girls need around 2100 to 2400 kilocalories per day and boy need around 2200 to 3150 kilocalories per day. Protein intake should be about 0.8 grams per kilograms per day. Vitamin and mineral needs are increased more during adolescent years than childhood. In adulthood and on, there is a decrease in the needs for energy. Protein is still at 0.8 grams per kilograms of body weight per day and fat needs do not change either. Carbohydrates and fiber do not change but the total amount that is needed may decrease. Water needs should stay around 1.7 liters per day, but as adults get older, they may lose their thirst. Most elderly do not need to change the amount of vitamins and minerals they take in but it is common for them to be deficient in

themselves, they also need it for their growing child. Therefore, it is also logical to recommend

Build a variety of foods from the five food groups after six months of age onwards;

Children need a balanced diet from all five food groups, to support growth and development. Children are also very active so they need the energy from the food to help them thrive.

Babies completely depend on the nutrient of the mother. Mothers need to be aware of the food, and make sure that they are eating foods that has the nutrients the baby needs. “Prenatal malnutrition can cause serious damage to the central nervous system” (Berk, 113) Researchers agree that the most crucial time for nutrients is the third trimester. This is when the baby’s brain increases the most. Food is not just about the size, but is also about the amount of minerals and vitamins the food contains.

Good nutrition is important for everyone in every age group. It is an essential part of leading a healthy lifestyle, not only physically but also mentally. In public health, child nutrition is especially emphasized for multiple reasons. First, children are

Micronutrients are essential during pregnancy. There are two groups of micronutrients: vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are organic while minerals are inorganic. However, both of them cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from the diet in trace amount. Iron, folate and vitamin B12 are three of the micronutrients that are required to be increased in pregnant women for normal embryonic development to occur. When these recommendations are not met, deficiencies can develop in mother and lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes in the infant.

The presentation by Ms. Kaupa on Infant and Childhood nutrition was fascinating to me because some day I aspire to become a pediatrician. Before this presentation I knew breast milk was essential because of the antibodies it provided for the baby. However, after the presentation I know understand infant nutrition is much more complex than needing fat and antibodies.

Vitamin D. It is difficult to get enough vitamin D through diet alone, so make sure you take a pre-natal vitamin with plenty of it and get a few minutes of healthy sunshine every day, which stimulates your body's natural production of this vitamin.

So to give a healthy of each of these in baby’s food you can have different animal and plant sources for your baby. Chicken, lamb, eggs, spinach, peas and kidney beans are all excellent sources of proteins. As far as fats are concerned, children need high levels of fats throughout their early growth and development. Fats provide energy and also are important for building bones and muscles development. Fats also assimilate fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K and E, which are also important for mineral and protein absorption as well as for hormonal balance. So, your baby food also must have some quantity of butter, olive oil or a coconut

The baby needs to be able to have plenty of nutrition and vitamins. As it is stated in the book, “take daily multivitamins with folic acid”. Vitamins in the end help the baby grow up healthy without complications. IT is also stated that about “60 percent of women from the ages of 18-45 do not take multivitamins”. I wouldn’t be able to eat my favorite meals anymore like sushi, so my eating would be the most complicated adjustment for me.

Dietary intake is one of the most important and one of the most controllable factors for a healthier outcome for both the baby and the young mother. As with all