Guiding the little kids to feed right

Knowledge is power, and my exposure to rich nutrition correlating with intelligence spurs me to encourage children to be well fed. Factors that could influence healthy feeding of children could be from the children or even the parents. It is easy to identify children that are poorly fed, usually by their stature and physique, but for us as medics, we consider other measures such as the mid-upper arm circumference, color and texture of the hair, weight versus expected weight for age, etc.

The intrapartum period can be distressing for mothers, and children are likely to be poorly fed or neglected as a result. Thankfully, the midwives are well informed of the need to institute early breastfeeding within thirty minutes of birth, and this implies the mother has to be stabilized postpartum.

Unfortunately, the newborn child may not be able to suck well, probably as a result of absent or diminished reflexes that have to be stimulated, congenital heart diseases that make the newborn weak and unable to suck, poor milk letdown, or even an inverted nipple of the mother, and many more could contribute to poor feeding by the newborn. The health of the mother is equally vital to adequate feeding, as a malnourished mother is unlikely to provide a nutritious meal for her child.

Mothers have presented to the pediatric outpatient department as a result of poor breastfeeding. The child could be irritable and weak to suck, such as seen in gastrointestinal tract infections with associated weaknesses or sepsis generally. Physicians often identify underlying ailments, treat them as appropriate, and have the child back to their usual state of health.

Supplemental and complementary feeding equally come into play as children advance in age, and mothers must be careful in introducing feeds to children. These feeds are often alien to the digestive tract of the child and may be resisted by intolerable adaptation to these feeds. However, most feeds to be introduced are sweet to taste and contain nourishing calories that help to balance a child's health. Some children can be picky but most often are welcoming to feeds such as Nan, cereals, Golden Morn, and even the local pap. Some of these feeds are given directly or mixed with other supplements before children can take them. Of course, we do encourage the use of feeders rather than a cup. Feeders could actually harbour microorganisms and the holes there in may have poor penetration when washed routinely.

It is prudent to know the constituents of each feed, calories, and weigh children in respect to their expected weight for age. Feeding children with a quality diet beats feeding them rich in quantity. Thus, good knowledge and a combination of classes of food are essential to keeping a child healthy, bearing in mind that a proper diet aids and translates (in addition to genetic and environmental factors) to the growth and development of a child.

Infants are at a stage of hand-to-mouth, meaning they often put in their mouths almost anything that comes their way. This could include sand or infected surfaces, and such would predispose the child to unhealthy living. Proper handwashing is a habit that should be instilled in children during their early stages of development.

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Children should be comfortable or in positions that would encourage healthy feeding. Complications often arise when children are forcefed usually by tilting their heads up in an attempt to feed them. Such cases are often brought to the paediatric emergency and only a few survive such aftermath.

And to our parents who enjoy feeding children with herbal concoctions, it should be noted that the digestive systems of children are not mature enough to handle the majority of the known and unknown toxins in such herbal mixtures.

On a final note, children are awesome and lovable, and they can be cajoled into taking meals that would benefit them even when they seem uninterested. A reward and punishment measure can be instituted for children by their age limits as tolerable. Children who are exposed to proper diets at their early stages of life have a higher chance of becoming bright and intelligent adults shortly.