The most important component of growth and development in children, especially in the first 2 years, is healthy nutrition. Healthy nutrition is a process that starts from birth and even in the mother's womb and continues with complementary foods given on time. Babies should be fed exclusively with breast milk for the first 6 months from birth. For the first 6 months, especially 4 months, babies should not be given any additional food, including water, except for the doctor's recommendation.
Postpartum breast care and breastfeeding should be provided as soon as possible, except for medical necessity. In cases where breast milk is not available or cannot be given, the most appropriate choice is formula. Breast milk meets all the needs of the baby, except for vitamins D and K. Vitamin K is administered as an injection at birth, and vitamin D is administered to the baby as 400 units per day orally as drops. While breast milk helps babies grow, it protects them against diseases with the antimicrobial agents it contains.
Nutrition problems in children start with delaying the first feeding with breast milk, giving unnecessary formula, feeding with cow's milk at an early age, and then continue with unbalanced and unhealthy nutrition. Giving babies unnecessary formula can lead to excess weight in the future, while removing the baby from breast milk. For this reason, it should not be forgotten that the amount of breast milk will gradually increase according to the baby's stomach capacity in the first days, mother-baby adaptation will take time, frequent feeding and skin-to-skin contact will accelerate this process.
Early started complementary foods can lead to allergic problems, delayed supplemental nutrition can lead to delayed tongue and tooth development and food intolerance. Animal milk should not be given to children at any age, especially in the first year, as a breast milk maintenance. Animal milk, especially cow's milk, causes allergies, digestive problems such as diarrhea/constipation, diseases such as tooth decay and iron deficiency.
There are 5 nutrients that we base our nutrition on. These are vegetables, fruits, meat products, eggs/dairy products and grains. Every child should consume these nutrients regularly, especially vegetables and fruits of all colors, in decreasing proportions. All kinds of vegetables and fruits grown in healthy soil, pesticide-free and harvested in season are the main elements of nutrition. should be. These foods are indispensable in terms of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that the body needs. For this reason, when starting complementary feeding, the first products to be tried in the appropriate order should be vegetables and fruits. Meat and eggs of animals that are fed by grazing in their natural environment, not fed with grain feed, without hormones and drugs are the primary source of protein and fat that our body needs. If possible, milk and other dairy products should be added to the child's diet in a timely manner, such as yoghurt and kefir. Frequent consumption of cereal group foods leads to insulin resistance as they contain intense carbohydrates (sugar), and digestive and allergy problems because they contain proteins called gluten that we cannot digest.
Healthy nutrition in play and school age directly affects children's attention span, perception and learning skills, and school success. An unbalanced and unhealthy diet can lead to obesity or growth retardation, recurrent infections and autoimmune/allergic diseases.
In order to ensure healthy nutrition of children and to prevent nutritional problems that may occur from birth, healthy child follow-up should be done well. For this purpose, it is very important to encourage all babies to be fed with breast milk, to closely monitor growth and development, and to inform families adequately and effectively about complementary feeding.
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