We are done with conception and pregnancy, as promised we will walk the journey of life with you…
Follow us on VitabioticsKe as we take you through the nutritional requirements for children from birth to 5 years
INTRODUCTION
As parents, we have many ambitions for our children but for most of us, the foremost desire is that they will be healthy and happy. We know how important our children’s diets are for their health and wellbeing but getting this right can be a daunting prospect.
From the beginning, many parents feel they don’t know where to start and others are overwhelmed with suggestions from many sources including family, friends, healthcare professionals but often with conflicting messages as to which is the best advice.
This guide will help provide you with up to date information on the best foods and drinks for your child from birth to five years. It is in sections for each of the key stages when their needs change.
The guide starts with suggestions for mum’s diet in the first 6 months. It is generally based on breastfeeding but still has useful information for mum if the baby is formula-fed.
Weaning is then covered, when to start, which foods to introduce, in what order, and why. The very start of food introduction is where we can lay down our children’s dietary foundations for life. Our attitudes to food are shaped not only by the flavor but also by many other factors. How we introduce foods to our children may influence how they feel about food and the choices they make throughout life. Weaning should be done at your baby’s pace but the advice is given to help you introduce foods when the digestive and immune systems are most likely to be ready.
The following sections explain which nutrients growing toddlers and children need, which foods provide these and roughly how much young children should be eating at each age stage. There are also some suggestions on how to entice fussy eaters into eating the foods they need to be well.
Infant and Young Child Nutrition (0-5 years)
• Infants and young children shall be appropriately fed during the first 5 years of life, with specific attentiontothefirst2yearsoflife, to prevent undernutrition and over nutrition, including obesity
• Newborn babies should be initiated to breastfeeding within one hour from birth and health workers or birth attendants should give no prelacteal foods like water or glucose.
• Mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
• Exclusive breastfeeding should be recommended for all infants during the first 6 months of their life unless otherwise medically indicated.
• Continue to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding from 6-24 months or beyond with timely, appropriate, and adequate complementary feeding.
• Where use of breastmilk substitutes is required, procurement, distribution, targeting and use, should comply with the Breast Milk Substitutes (Regulation and Control) Act.
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Idah Muthama – VitabioticsKe
