Summit Up for Youth

Good Nutrition Helps Kids Grow-Up Healthy

by Molly Stenberg
Registered Dietician, Missoula county WIC Program
Governor's summit on Youth

05/06/98 BOZEMAN -- At no point in life is nutrition more important than in childhood. Children have a remarkable ability to flourish in a healthy environment. Like a bulb waiting to peek out of the earth, a child is a world of possibilities just waiting to grow. Given proper care and nourishment, you'll see beautiful results.

Most infants double their birth weight in six months and triple it in a year. To support this growth, babies require a large amount of calories, consumed frequently throughout the day. Infants who receive adequate nutrition will grow normally and tackle developmental milestones in stride. Unfortunately, not every baby is nourished appropriately. Hungry babies do not grow to their full potential. If nutrition therapy is started soon enough, catch up growth can be achieved, but the loss of height may never be regained. Malnutrition can also impede mental development.

What better way to nourish your child than to breast feed? Recent studies on breast-feeding are showing that it is the best form of nutrition you can give your baby. Breast-fed babies have fewer middle ear infections, fewer food and skin allergies, less tooth decay and a reduced risk of childhood lymphomas and diabetes mellitus later in life. Breast-fed babies also have a reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). While it's almost impossible to overfeed a breast-fed baby, parents can overfeed formula, leading to overweight children later in life.

Many children spend 40 hours a week in day care. A day care that is supportive of breast-feeding and is willing to feed expressed breast milk is ideal. Children should receive healthy meals and snacks. Day care providers that participate in the Adult and Child Care Food Program are required to follow national guidelines for food composition and portion sizes. Often, children will eat better in a day care setting due to increased social interaction and working up an appetite.

Some infants and children do not get enough iron in their diets. Children suffering from iron-deficiency anemia are tired, lethargic and listless, and do not learn as well in school. Instead of eating iron-rich foods such as whole grains, iron-fortified cereals or red meat, these children may be over-consuming convenience foods such as cookies and candy. Too much milk in place of solid foods can cause "milk anemia." The use of whole milk in infancy can also lead to anemia. Infants should remain on breast-milk or iron-fortified formula until one year of age.

Good nutrition and plenty of rest build strong immune systems. A tired, hungry child lacks the ability to fight off infections that a healthy child would. With many children in day care, the exposure to potential infections is tremendous.

Wise food choices are fundamental for healthy teeth and bones. Oral health is important in the development of chewing and speaking skills. The 20 primary teeth that erupt in the first two and a half years are present at birth in the baby's jawbones. At birth, the crowns of the primary teeth are almost complete, and the chewing surfaces of the permanent molars have begun forming. Primary teeth are needed not only for chewing and language development, but for holding space for permanent teeth. Children with tooth decay are at increased risk for poor nutrition.

Parents need to regularly brush or wipe off baby teeth as soon as they appear. Help your child brush until he develops the dexterity to clean the back teeth correctly (ages 5-6). If you live in a city, find out if your community has fluoride added to the public water supply. If not, give the children a fluoride supplement. If you live on a well, test your water to find out flouride content.

Toddler and preschool years are challenging ones at the dinner table. Arm yourself with patience and a sense of humor. Your toddler is not growing as fast now as she did as an infant. With this slower growth comes daily changes in appetite and food preferences. Toddlers have small tummies with limited capacity, so snacks between meals are important.

It is the parent's responsibility to provide healthy food and to decide when, where and how to present it. It is ultimately the child's decision if he will eat and how much he will consume. Children know their hunger signals best. They will eat when they are hungry. The nutrients they fail to get one day will be made up for the next. As you prepare the food, you are nurturing not only her growth, but also introducing her to a healthy relationship with food.

Governors' Summit on Youth Held in Billings

Good nutrition early in life is critical to good overall health. A healthy start is one of the five resources being promoted by the Governors' Summit On Youth: Montana's Promise to be held June 14 - 16, 1998 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Billings.

All funds for the Summit are being raised privately. If you would like to contribute to the Summit, contact Marilyn Frazier, finance director, at 406 444-4173. For more information on the Governors’ Summit, contact: Kirk Astroth, Summit Coordinator, at 406 994-3501 or visit our web site at: http://www.mt.gov/mcsn

Send questions or comments to carolf@montana.edu.

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