Nutrition, health and education in early years

2016

Providing every child with the best start in life is not only essential for the child’s individual wellbeing but is a necessary investment to protect human capital and achieve national development objectives. Chronic malnutrition (or stunting, low height-for-age) affects an estimated 165 million children worldwide, a majority of whom live in developing countries.1 Most of these children are also not achieving their development potential due in large part to chronic malnutrition. In fact, it is estimated that more than 200 million children under 5 years of age in developing countries are not achieving their development potential due to both chronic malnutrition and poverty.2 Adequate nutrition is critical for brain development and plays an important role in a child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development—the four domains of early childhood development (ECD) in which children need to develop to reach their potential. Aside from adequate nutrition, children also need a...

2000

Before children reach school age they must negotiate threats from a number of diseases. More than 50% of child deaths are caused by pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles, malnutrition and HIV. Health and nutrition can affect education in many ways. In resource-poor countries, physical and mental disability can be a major barrier to schooling. This can result from iodine or folate

International Journal of Advanced Research, 2022

Food!! The word food itself holds a very important role in everyones lives. The food we eat gives us the needed energy to pursue our daily activities and gives us the necessary strength to help boost our immunity. The importance of an adequate nutrition for children below three years cannot be ignored or cut short. The early nutrition practices in a childs life decides, the how the latter years of life turn out. Therefore, it should be a fundamental right of a child to have good nutritional practices from day one. Exclusive breast feeding since very long has been emphasized upon by Governments of various countries, medical practitioners and other involved in maternal and child health sector. If a child gets exclusive breast feed for six months, experts believe that it helps a child to grow healthy and also contributes to overall development of the child. Healthy Nutritional practices play a vital role in health of children especially in children below three years. Healthy nutritiona...

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Ensuring the existence of the living organism, putting his/her losses into place, getting the needed food stuffs, by means of digestion to fulfill the necessary physiological functions for survival is called nutrition. Healthy nutrition means the use of food to maintain the growthdevelopment and survival and to protect health (Perk, 1992). Nutrition has a very important role in the development of both individual's and society's health. Good nutrition is necessary for the individual to grow and develop, maintain his/her physical and mental health and resist to diseases, especially infectious diseases (Bilgel, 1997). Nutrition in the family is related to whether the sources required by the family are adequate or not to meet their nourishment, the manner of their food preparation and consumption, their socio-cultural and economic level, the environment that they live, the size of the family, their birth rate, age of the mother and personal characteristics of the individual (Inanc & Hatipoglu, 1995). Nutrition has more significance in terms of the child's health (Baysal, 1993; Bilgel, 1997), because the period of life in which development and growth occur most intensively and most rapidly is the childhood period (Bilgel, 1997). The most significant factor having positive or negative effects on the development and growth of the child after birth is his/her nutritional status (Kavaklı, 1992). Majority of the children comes into the world healthy. In order to sustain the healthy status and enable the organism to complete its normal development and growth, the child should be nourished adequately in terms of the food's composition and amount beginning from the first days and at every period of the childhood (Baysal, 1993).

Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society, 2016

Background: Developmental challenges and malnutrition are two major childhood health problems in the developing world and malnutrition is a major risk factor for poor development, which can, ultimately, lead to developmental challenges with lifelong implications, affecting the individual, the family and the society at-large.Materials and Methods: We searched PUBMED & COCHRANE REVIEW databases, published documents from WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank and citations thereof, for relevant literature on brain development and malnutrition, dietary supplementation and brain development. Results: Effect of nutrition on the developing brain has been thoroughly studied and established. Undernutrition, particularly during fetal and 1 st two years of postnatal life, is a major risk factor for poor neuro-development, leading to motor, cognitive and speech delay, as well as behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Macro and micro-nutrients, like proteins, Iron, Iodine, Zinc, vitamins-B, C and D, choline and essential fatty acids are essential for proper brain development. Supplementation of pregnant and lactating mothers, infants and toddlers with multiple micronutrient, specially Iron, Iodine, Vitamins B12 and Folate and choline has been found beneficial, particularly among the vulnerable population.Conclusion: Dietary supplementation for pregnant and lactating mothers, infants and toddlers along with a congenial socio-emotional environment and cognitive stimulation from an early age can go a long way to help the child at-risk attain his developmental potential.

Background: Nutrition is an important part of health and development. Better nutrition is linked to improving the health of babies, children and mothers as well as improving the immune system during safer pregnancy and childbirth, without reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases. The results of the Timor Leste Demographic Health Survey show the infant mortality rate decreased by 1.2 per 1,000 live births (-2.71%) from the previous year. As a result, the infant mortality rate in Timor-Leste reached its lowest figure in 2021 with 43.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. Providing adequate nutrition food for child, they will grow up to be a strong, healthy child who will have perfect brain development so that the child will become intelligent. The function of nutrition for babies and toddlers is so important, so it is necessary to fulfill the nutritional needs of babies and toddlers according to their age Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the role of nutrition for the growth and development of children at an early age. Methods: The method used is reading various articles that are related to the title and carrying out an in-depth synthesis according to reality. Result: Nutrition plays an important role in the growth and development of children because nutrition has important components needed by the body in the process of physical growth and development, systems nerves, the brain as well as the refinement of the intellectual level and intelligence. Fulfilling nutritional needs is the main factor in achieving growth and development results in accordance with genetic potential. Growth is any change in the body that is associated with increasing physical and structural body sizes. Meanwhile, development is increasing ability in the structure and function of the child's body which is more complex. Growth and development is influenced by environmental, family nutritional factors, hereditary factors, and hormonal factors. Conclusion: Nutrition plays an important factor in the growth and development of children which is influenced by factors family nutrition, environment, hereditary factors, and hormonal factors.

Pediatrics, 2018

Maternal prenatal nutrition and the child's nutrition in the first 2 years of life (1000 days) are crucial factors in a child’s neurodevelopment and lifelong mental health. Child and adult health risks, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, may be programmed by nutritional status during this period. Calories are essential for growth of both fetus and child but are not sufficient for normal brain development. Although all nutrients are necessary for brain growth, key nutrients that support neurodevelopment include protein; zinc; iron; choline; folate; iodine; vitamins A, D, B6, and B12; and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Failure to provide key nutrients during this critical period of brain development may result in lifelong deficits in brain function despite subsequent nutrient repletion. Understanding the complex interplay of micro- and macronutrients and neurodevelopment is key to moving beyond simply recommending a “good diet” to optimizing nutrient delivery ...

Nutrition, 1979

Tremblay RE, Barr RG, Peters RDeV, eds. …, 2004

The Lumey and Susser article discusses the research on the long-term impacts of prenatal and postnatal nutrition with a focus on the psychosocial and behavioural consequences in adulthood. This is an important health and well-being issue for the general population. Inadequate nutrition in the first months of life, during pregnancy or shortly after birth, can affect the development of the brain in ways that leave traces into adulthood. 1 The research on social inequalities and population health shows how significant early-life circumstances are in the long term. 2,3 This research is important because it identifies the factors that cause health and well-being problems so that we can intervene as early as possible to prevent these problems from arising.