04/08/2018
Good nutrition helps growth
What every family and community has a right
to know about nutrition
Globally, nearly half of under-5 child
deaths every year are attributed to
undernutrition, which weakens the body’s
resistance to illness.
If a woman is malnourished during pregnancy
or if her child is malnourished in the first
1000 days of life, the child’s physical and
mental growth and development will be
slowed. This cannot be corrected when the
child is older – it will affect the child for the
rest of his or her life.
Undernutrition develops when the body does
not get the proper amount of energy
(calories), proteins, carbohydrates, fats,
vitamins, minerals and other nutrients
required to keep the organs and tissues
healthy and functioning well. A child or adult
can be malnourished by being undernourished
or overnourished.
What every family and community has a
right to know about nutrition:
1. A young child should grow and gain
weight rapidly. From birth, children should be
weighed regularly to assess growth. If regular
weighing shows that the child is not gaining
weight, or the parents or other caregivers see
the child is not growing, something is wrong.
The child needs to be seen by a trained health
worker.
2. Breastmilk alone is the only food and
drink an infant needs in the first six
months of life. After six months, a baby
needs a variety of other foods in addition to
breastmilk to ensure healthy growth and
development.
3. From the age of 6 months, due to
increasing energy needs, a child needs to
eat two to three times per day, from 9-23
months, three to four times per day – in
addition to breastfeeding. Depending on the
child’s appetite, one or two nutritious snacks,
such as fruit or bread with nut paste, may be
needed between meals. The baby should be fed
small amounts of food that steadily increase in
variety and quantity as he or she grows.
4. Feeding times are periods of learning,
love and interaction, which promote
physical, social and emotional growth and
development. The parent or other caregiver
should talk to children during feeding, and
treat and feed girls and boys equally and
patiently.
5. Infants and young children need extra
vitamin A to help resist illness, protect
their eyesight and help them grow. Vitamin
A can be found in many fruits and vegetables,
red palm oil, eggs, dairy products, liver, fish,
meat, fortified foods and breastmilk. In areas
where vitamin A deficiency is common, high-
dose vitamin A supplements can also be given
every four to six months to children aged 6
months to 5 years.
6. Children need iron-rich foods to protect
their physical and mental abilities and to
prevent anaemia. The best sources of iron
are animal sources, such as liver, lean meats
and fish. Other good sources are iron-fortified
foods and iron supplements.
7. Iodine in a pregnant woman’s and young
child’s diet is especially critical for the
development of the child’s brain. It is
essential to help prevent learning disabilities
and delayed development. Using iodized salt
instead of ordinary salt provides pregnant
women and their children with as much iodine
as they need.
8. As the child’s intake of food and drink
increases, the risk of diarrhoea
substantially increases. Food contamination
is a major cause of diarrhoea and other
illnesses that cause children to lose nutrients
and energy needed for growth and
development. Good hygiene, safe water and
proper food handling, preparation and storing
are crucial to prevent illnesses.
9. During an illness, children need
additional fluids and encouragement to eat
regular meals, and breastfeeding infants
need to breastfeed more often. After an
illness, children need to be offered more food
than usual to replenish the energy and
nourishment lost due to the illness.
10. Very thin and/or swollen children need
special medical care. They should be taken to
a trained health worker or health facility for
assessment and treatment.
