NUTR2003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: What Where, Junk Food, Food Security
NUTR2003 LECTURE EIGHT
Objectives:
To recognise the changing nutritional needs of developing children, from infancy to adolescence
To understand that nutritional recommendations for children vary by age, stage of development and
gender
To recognise that nutritional and dietary behaviours learned in children can have a significant impact on
adult health concerns such as obesity, CVD and osteoporosis
Interpreting growth charts
Importance of nutrition
• Energy for everyday living
• Maintenance of bodily functions
• Growth and development
• Therapeutic benefits: healing and prevention
Key concepts:
1. Children continue to grow and develop physically, cognitively and emotionally during the toddler
and preschool age years, adding many new skills rapidly with time.
2. Under-nutrition impairs cognition and ability to explore environment
3. Learning to enjoy new foods and developing feeding skills and important components of this period
of increasing independence and exploration
4. Children have an innate ability to self-regulate food intake
5. Parents and caretakers need to provide children nutritious foods and let children decide how much
to eat
6. Parents and caretakers have tremendous influence on children's development of appropriate eating,
physical activity and other health behaviours and habits formed during the toddler and preschool
years
7. The lessons are mainly transferred by example.
Toddlers: 1-3 years
Characterised by rapid increase in gross and fine motor skills
1-2 years: grows 12cm, gains 3-5kg
Rate of growth slows by 4 years: 6-8cm/year, 2-4kg/year
Brain growth triples by 6 years from birth
Physiological Development:
Walking begins as a 'toddle', improving in balance and agility
Progress by months:
15. Crawl upstairs
18. Run stiffly
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24. Walk up stairs one foot at a time
30. Alternative feet up stairs
36. Ride a tricycle
Cognitive Development:
Toddlers orbit around parents
Transitions from self-centred to more interactive
Vocabulary expands:
10-15 words at 8 months
100 words at 2 years
3-word sentences by 3 years
~2 temper tantrums
Development of feeding skills in Toddlers
Gross and fine motor development improved
9-10 months: weaning bottle begins
12-14 months: completely weaned
12 months: refined pincer (biting and chewing)
18-24 months: able to use tongue to clean lips and has developed rotatory chewing
Adult supervision vital to prevent choking
12-18 months: increased independence, bottle > spoon (teeth shape)
18months - 2 years: growth slows, less interest in eating. Encourage utensils self feeding.
2-3 years: intake various, exerts control
Appetite and food intake of toddlers
• Slowing growth results in decreased appetite
• Toddler-sized portions average 1 tablespoon per year of age
• Nutrient-dense snacks needed but avoid grazing on sugary foods that limir appetite for basic foods
at meals
Common problems:
Child fussy, won't eat at meal times
Cow's milk:
Skim milk? Cow's milk early? INAPPROPRIATE BEFORE 1 YEAR, AND FORTIFIED MILK UNTIL 2 YEARS OLD
Preschool-age children: 1-6 years
Characterised by increasing autonomy, broader social circumstances, increasing language skills, and
expanding self-control.
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
To recognise the changing nutritional needs of developing children, from infancy to adolescence. To understand that nutritional recommendations for children vary by age, stage of development and gender. To recognise that nutritional and dietary behaviours learned in children can have a significant impact on adult health concerns such as obesity, cvd and osteoporosis. Importance of nutrition: energy for everyday living, maintenance of bodily functions, growth and development, therapeutic benefits: healing and prevention. Characterised by rapid increase in gross and fine motor skills. Brain growth triples by 6 years from birth. Walking begins as a "toddle", improving in balance and agility. Progress by months: crawl upstairs, run stiffly, walk up stairs one foot at a time, alternative feet up stairs, ride a tricycle. 18-24 months: able to use tongue to clean lips and has developed rotatory chewing. 12-18 months: increased independence, bottle > spoon (teeth shape) 18months - 2 years: growth slows, less interest in eating.
