Diet for children (குழந்தைகள்
வயதுக்கேற்ற உணவு)
An age-appropriate diet is one that
provides adequate nutrition, is appropriate for a child's state of development,
and can help prevent childhood obesity.
Alternative Names
Diet - age appropriate
Recommendations (பரிந்துரைகள்)
Rice cereal and other foods with rice
have long been recommended as first or early foods for infants and children.
Recent concerns have been raised regarding arsenic content in rice.
Key points about this issue are:
·
Further
research continues.
·
Neither the
FDA or The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend avoiding or placing
specific limits on the amount of rice in a child’s diet.
Parents should also offer children a wide
variety of age-appropriate foods to their children. These include:
·
Cereals from
other grains such as oats, wheat, and barley
·
Vegetable
purees
·
Finely
chopped meat (good source of iron)
BIRTH TO 4 MONTHS OF AGE (பிறந்த 4 மாதங்களுக்குள்)
v During the first 4 - 6 months of life, infants need only breast milk or formula to
meet all their nutritional needs.
v If breastfeeding, a newborn may need to nurse 8 -
12 times per day (every 2 -
4 hours), or on demand. By 4 months, the baby is likely to cut back to 4 -
6 times per day, however, the quantity of
breast milk consumed at each feeding will increase.
v Formula-fed babies may need to eat about 6 -
8 times per day, starting newborns with 2 -
3 ounces of formula per feeding (for a
total of 16 - 24 ounces per
day). As with breastfeeding, the number of feedings will decrease as the baby
gets older, but the amount of formula will increase to approximately 6 -
8 ounces per feeding.
v Never give honey to an infant, as it may contain the spores that
cause botulism. An infant's immune system is not fully developed to fight off
this disease.
v Although an infant may sleep through the night, waking to feed
may be necessary if the infant is not eating enough during the day or if they
are underweight. Routine check-ups with your physician to monitor your child's
growth will ensure they are eating adequately during the day. Your doctor or
dietitian will inform you if waking to feed is recommended.
4 - 6 MONTHS OF
AGE
( 4 முதல் 6 மாதங்களுக்குள்)
At 4 - 6 months of age an infant should be consuming 28 -
45 ounces of formula, and is often ready to
start the transition to solid foods. Starting solids too soon may cause the
infant to choke if they are not physically ready.
There are several developmental
milestones to indicate an infant is ready to eat solid foods:
·
The birth
weight has doubled
·
The baby has
good control of head and neck
·
The baby can
sit up with some support
·
The baby can
show fullness by turning the head away or by not opening the mouth
·
The baby
begins showing interest in food when others are eating.
Start solid feedings with iron-fortified
baby rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula to a thin consistency. The
cereal may be mixed to a thicker consistency as the baby learns to control it
in his mouth.
·
Initially,
offer cereal 2 times per
day in servings of 1 or 2 tablespoons (dry amount, before mixing with formula or breast
milk).
·
Gradually
increase to 3 or 4 tablespoons of cereal.
·
Cereal
should not be given in a bottle unless a doctor or dietitian recommends it, for
example, for reflux.
Once the baby is eating rice cereal
routinely, you may introduce other iron-fortified instant cereals. Only
introduce one new cereal per week so you can watch for an intolerance or
allergy.
Never put a child to bed with a bottle as
this can cause
·
bottle mouth
·
tooth decay
resulting in . Use plain water if a
bottle is necessary. Discuss use of water with your physician. (In some cases,
use of excess water can lead to seizures in children.)
6 - 8 MONTHS ( 6 முதல் 8 மாதம்)
Continue to offer breast milk or formula 3 -
5 times per day. Cow's milk is not
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children under 1 year old.
The baby will begin drinking less formula
or breast milk once solid foods become a source of nutrition.
After a baby has tried a variety of
different baby cereals, try strained fruits and vegetables.
·
For strained
fruits and vegetables, introduce one at a time, waiting 2 -
3 days in between to check for any
allergic reaction.
·
Start with
plain vegetables such as green peas, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash,
beans, beets; and plain fruits such as bananas, applesauce, apricots, pears,
peaches, and melon.
·
Some
dietitians recommend introducing a few vegetables before fruits, as the fruit's
sweetness may make a less-sweet food such as vegetables less appealing.
·
Give fruits
and vegetables in 2 - 3 tablespoon
servings and offer about 4 servings per day.
Amounts of fruits and vegetables eaten
per day will vary between 2 tablespoons and 2 cups depending on the size of your child and how well the child
eats fruits and vegetables. The consistency of foods offered may be gradually
increased as your child tolerates.
Finger foods may be offered in small
amounts, but avoid foods such as apple chunks or slices, grapes, hot dogs,
sausages, peanut butter, popcorn, nuts, seeds, round candies, and hard chunks
of uncooked vegetables that may cause choking.
Soft cooked vegetables, washed and peeled
fruits, graham crackers, melba toast, noodles are good finger foods. Salty or
sugary foods are not recommended. Teething foods, such as toast strips,
unsalted crackers, bagels, and teething biscuits may also be introduced at this
time.
8 - 12 MONTHS OF
AGE
( 8 முதல் 12 மாதங்களுக்குள்)
Breast milk or formula should be offered
three to four times per day at this age. Cow's milk is not recommended by the
American Academy of Pediatrics for children under 1 year old.
At 8 - 12 months of age, a baby will be ready to try strained or finely
chopped meats. For breastfed infants, start meats at 8 months of age (breast milk is not a rich source of iron, but
infants have adequate iron stores to last until 8 months of age when iron-rich foods such as meats can be given).
As with other foods, offer only 1 new meat per week in 3 - 4 tablespoon servings -- use strained and finely ground meats,
frankfurters, or meat sticks. Serving sizes for fruits and vegetables increases
to 3 - 4 tablespoons, four times
per day. Eggs may be given 3 - 4 times per week, but only the yolk until the baby is 1 year old, as some babies are sensitive to egg whites.
By the age of 1, most children are off the bottle. If the child still uses a
bottle, it should contain water only.
1 YEAR OF AGE
After a baby is 1-year old, whole milk may replace breast milk or formula.
Children under the age of 2 should not be given low-fat milk (2%, 1%, or skim)
as they need the additional calories from fat to ensure proper growth and
development.
Children under the age of 1 should not be given whole milk as it has been shown to cause
low blood counts. Cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt, however, may be given in
small amounts.
The 1-year-old child should be getting much of their nutrition from
meats, fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, and the dairy group,
especially whole milk.
Providing a variety of foods will help to
ensure enough vitamins and minerals. Toddlers do not grow as rapidly as babies
do, so their nutritional needs relative to their size decrease during the second
year of life. Although they continue to gain weight, they no longer double
their weight as infants do.
Keep in mind, however, that toddlers are
becoming more and more active as they learn to crawl and walk. Toddlers and
small children will usually eat only small amounts at one time, but will eat
frequently (4 - 6 times)
throughout the day, so snacking is strongly encouraged.
Feeding tips:
·
Feeding
solids too early is not recommended and can result in overfeeding.
·
Offer only
one new food at a time. Offer the new foods for a few days. Watch for allergic
reactions (hives, vomiting, diarrhea).
·
Do not feed
solids in a bottle.
·
If your
child dislikes the new food, try giving it again later.
SAFETY DURING MEALTIMES
·
Feed the
baby directly from the jar only if you use the entire jar contents, otherwise
use a dish to prevent contamination with food-borne illness.
·
Opened
containers of baby's food should be covered and stored in a refrigerator for no
longer than 2 days.
·
Use a small
spoon to feed the baby.
·
A baby put
to bed with a bottle (milk, fruit juice, or sweetened beverage) can develop
bottle mouth, resulting in tooth decay. Use plain water if a bottle is
necessary.
·
Avoid foods
that may cause the baby to choke -- popcorn, nuts, potato chips, whole kernel
corn, berries, grapes, hot dogs, raw vegetables, raisins, dry flake cereals.
OTHER TIPS
·
Water can be
offered between feedings.
·
Feeding
sweets or sweetened beverages is not recommended, because they will spoil the appetite
and contribute to tooth decay.
·
Salt, sugar,
and strong spices are not recommended.
·
Caffeine
products are not recommended (soft drinks, coffee, tea, chocolate).
·
A fussy baby
may need attention, rather than food.
OLDER CHILDREN (வளர்ந்த குழதைகளுக்கு)
Throughout childhood and adolescence, it
is important that the diet include a variety of foods for proper development.
The principles of the food guide plate apply to a child's diet as well as an
adult's, although portions and number of servings per day are obviously less
for children.
After the age of 2, it is recommended that the diet be moderately low in fat, as
diets high in fat may contribute to
·
heart
disease
(இதய நோய்)
·
obesity (உடல் பருமன்)
and other health problems later in life.
In areas where water is not fluoridated,
fluoride supplementation is recommended. A diet that contains a variety of
foods from each of the food groups (breads and grains, meats, fruits and
vegetables, and dairy) will help prevent nutrient deficiencies.
Both the American Medical Association and
the American Dietetic Association recommend that healthy children should get
all their nutrients from foods rather than vitamin supplements.
The nutrients that are most likely to be
deficient in a child's diet are calcium, iron, vitamin C,
·
vitamin A (வைட்டமின்
A)
·
folic acid (ஃபோலிக்
அமிலம்)
·
vitamin B6 (வைட்டமின்
B6)
The American Academy of Pediatrics does
not support routine supplementation for normal, healthy children. However,
there is no significant risk if a parent wishes to give their child a standard
pediatric multivitamin.
Children who consume little or no dairy
products are at particular risk for calcium deficiency that can interfere with
bone growth and development. Foods that are good sources of calcium include
low-fat or nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheeses. Other foods such as broccoli,
cooked greens, and canned salmon (with bones) will also provide a source of
calcium in the diet; however, it is often difficult to get children to consume
adequate quantities of these foods.
Iron requirements vary by age, rate of
growth, iron stores, increasing blood volume, and rate of absorption from food
sources. Adolescent girls will have increased iron needs due to menstrual
losses. Food sources of iron include meat, fish, poultry, iron-fortified
cereals, spinach greens, and dried beans and peas.
==--==
