Child Development and Nutrition/Malnutrition
Week 2
Proper nutrition is very important to the development of a child and it is not only a problem in underdeveloped countries. Families who cannot afford or lack the knowledge of proper nutrition can also be causing problems for their children's overall development and learning skills. In order for children to participate basic needs must be meet in order to lead the way for development to happen.
In my program we participate in the USDA food program offering balanced nutrition meals daily and snacks to the children in our care. We offer additional snacks in between meals to younger children since they need to eat a little more often than the older preschool children. This practice noticeably helps the children concentrate more on the daily activities of the day when they are not hungry I have a Toddler, Maddox who gives me the signal that the teacher has not given that in between snack and if I am walking through or at my desk I stop and let the teacher know, it's time for there snack, that's why he is crying and cranky and after that it always settles him down.
In the Philippians malnutrition is a big problem due to food shortages and the poverty in this country. Malnutrition is not limited to just children with the lack of food, half of the deaths of infants are linked to breastfed infants of mothers with poor nutrition. The long term effects of malnutrition are impaired learning and development and reduced income earning potential as adults (UNICEF)
http://www.unicef.org/philippines/reallives_19053.html#.Un61Q_nFWH4 Retrived on November 9th 2013
Hello Jo,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important topic and you have made some very valid points. It is so sad that before when we thought of malnourished children we would always think of children in third world countries but not anymore. Here in the U.S we are experiencing a growing number of children whom are not able to get easy access to food therefore are suffering from the consequences of malnourishment. We have many programs in our country that are able to assist with this problem but with the economic downfall more and more programs are beginning to dwindle.