NUTRITION AND NUTRITION

REQUIREMENTS
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The following are the requirements
of the infants and young children
per day.
(a) Water 150ml/kg/day
Water though strictly not nutritional
but is the most essential requirement
for life.
It is only second to oxygen.
Daily requirement 150m/kg.
(b) Energy 110Kcal/kg/day
Energy is necessary for all activities of
the body such as:
i. Breathing
ii.Heart beat
iii.Food absorption
iv.Thinking
v. Physical activities etc.
Energy protein foods include:
i. Carbohydrates - All starch foods
ii.Protein 1.2 2g/kg/day
The protein must supply all
essential amino-acid.
So far 24 amino acids have been
identified.
9 of them have been found to be
essential for infants and young
children
Essential amino acids cannot be
synthesized in the body. They must be
supplied in the diet. They include:
Threonine
Valine
Leucine
Isolencine
Lysine
Tryptopham
Phenylalamine
Tristidine for infants
methionine
Additional amino-acids have been found
to be essential but only for low birth
weight newborns (infants).
Arginine
Cystine
Faurine
New tissue cannot be formed unless all
essential amino-acids are present in the
diet simultaneously.
Hence the absence or deficiency of only
one amino-acid will result in negative
nitrogen balance.
Non-essential amino-acids can be
synthesized in the body and need not
be supplied in the body.
(iii) Fats
Must supply all fatly acids which
cannot be synthesized in the body vz:
Linoleic acid
Linolenic acid
Arachidonic acid
CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEIN AND
FATS CONSTITUTE ENERGY OR
PROTEIN ENERGY FOODS.
(c) Vitamins
i. Vitamin A 5,000 I per day
ii.Vitamin B
B1 Triamin
B2 Riboflavin
B3 Nicotinamide (Niacin)
B6 Pyridoxine
B12 cynocolamine etc.
iii. Vitamin C 50ml/day
iv. Vitamin D 400 I./day
v. Vitamin E
Vi. Vitamin K synthesized in the
colon by bacteria
(d) Mineral - >100mg/day
Calcium
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Sulphur
Trace elements
< 250 g/d
Iron
Iodine
Selemium
Copper
Molybdenum
Chromuin etc
(d) Fibre
For normal function of the git
prevents constipation obtained
from cereals, vegetables, fruits and
dried beans.
1. INFANT FEEDING
Infant feeding should provide the
infant with all nutritional
requirements. The following are the
WHO recommendations regarding
infant feeding.
Exclusive breast feeding for 4-6
months
Breast feeding alone is enough in
quantity and quality for the first 4-6
months of life. If provides all the
nutritional requirements to the body.
Advantages of breast feeding
1. Safety
Breast milk is clean and delivered
directly to the body at the right
temperature.
2. Low risk of infection
Breast milk contains ant-infective
factors:
Secretory IgA, lysozymes and
antibodies against bacterial and
viral infections
Growth factor for lactobacillus
bifidus
Low PH
PABA against malaria
3.Metabolic
Breast milk has a low protein
concentration compared to cows
milk (1.2%vs 4.5%). Therefore,
Less solute for the kidney reduced
incidence of allergy.
It contains mainly lactalbumin and
little caseinogen. Therefore it is
better absorbed than cows milk
which contains only caseinogen.
4. Social economic
Breast milk is readily available and
costs nothing.
5. Emotional
Breast feeding increases physical
contact between mother and child.
Hence:
Greater satisfaction for both mother
and child
Less emotional problem compared
non-breast feed infants.
6. Protection
Breast feeding provides some
protection against breast cancer to
mothers.
2. WEANING
The process of gradual stopping to
feed a baby with its mothers milk
while introducing it to solid food.
This is necessary because breast
milk is no longer able to meet the
childs nutritional requirements after
4-6 months. In order to avoid
problems it is advisable:
a)To continue breast feeding until the
age of 1-2 years.
b)To introduce mixed feeding
gradually
c)Not to use force in giving the feeds.
d)Never to stop breast feeding
abruptly (but gradually)
Principle
Use a three plank to prevent
malnutrition vz:
1.Continue breast feeding
2.Use all available animal proteins
3.Use all available vegetable
proteins.