Proper Nutrition During Infancy and Toddlerhood Essay

Providing proper nutrition during infancy and toddlerhood is important for your child’s health. But how do you provide this? What diet is best for an infant? When does one introduce cow’s milk? What is the best diet for toddlers? These are some questions that come to mind when thinking about infant and toddler nutrition. I hope to answer these questions. I will also discuss some of the foods that should be avoided during infancy and toddlerhood and their potential dangers. According to Sheah Rarback, the growth rate in infants is rapid and the birth weight of an infant is often doubled by five months of age (Rarback, Sheah, 2011). The two main forms of nutrition during the first four months of infancy is either breastmilk or infant†¦show more content†¦There can also be some benefits to formula feeding. One benefit is that because formula is heavier than breastmilk it takes longer to digest so an infant who is fed formula will sleep longer (Langholt, Alice, 2011). Another benefit is that often vitamin D is not found in breastmilk, but it is found in formula so an infant on formula does not need extra sun exposure or vitamin D supplement (Jernigan, Kristie, 2009). You also know the exact amount of food that your infant is intaking (Brownlee, Sonja, 2011). It is also important to remember when formula feeding that you follow the preparation instructions and that the bottles remain sanitary (Rarback, Sheah, 2011). What about cow’s milk, when is it safe to introduce milk? Under one year of age milk is both indigestible and does not contain the nutrients that an infant needs (McCarron, Joshua, 2010). It has also been found that giving cow’s milk prior to one year of age can cause an iron deficiency (Rarback, Sheah, 2011). Also, according to an article on the Baby Center website it states that introducing cow’s milk prior to one year of age can damage the kidney’s due to the levels of sodium, potassium, and chloride being too high for an infant to digest (Baby Center, 2011). This is why it is best to wait till an infant is at least a year old prior to introducing milk. The next stage of nutrition is toddlerhood. This is the stage in which a child becomes more reliant on solid foods (Coila, Bridget,Show MoreRelatedThe Importance a Good Earlychildhood Nutrition Essay940 Words   |  4 Pagesprovide the best nourishment available to ensure your toddler’s early physical growth. Early childhood nutrition is crucial for development in the first two years, not only to protect health and support growth, but it can also introduce and reinforce beneficial eating habits. As your infant grows into a toddler, you will start to rely more on foods to include suitable solid foods to get the proper nutrients and calories to support healthy growth and development. Many parents will be faced with toddlerRead MoreChilds Functional Health Patterns Assessment3786 Words   |  16 Pageson the media influences (â€Å"Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health,† 2012). | | Toddlers may be malnourished because they are dependent on their parents to give them food and hydration. Toddlers may still be using a bottle for nutrition and should be weaned as soon as possible (Kids Health, 2012). | Preschoolers can be picky eaters and not achieve a healthy balanced diet because of this. Preschoolers are prone to choking on their food and may still need their parentsRead MoreMy : My Virtual Life Assignment10439 Words   |  42 PagesLife Assignment For this assignment, I have organized my responses into a report based on the following periods of development: infancy and toddlerhood (birth to 30 months), early childhood (3 to 5 years), middle childhood (6-11 years), and adolescence (12-18 years). The last section of my paper includes my responses to the personal reflection questions. Infancy and Toddlerhood 8 Months 1. How does your baby’s eating, sleeping, and motor development compare to the typical developmental patterns? DescribeRead Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 PagesConsultant, Child Development Division; for ongoing revisions and recommendations. During the lengthy development process, many CDE staff members were involved at various levels. Additional thanks are extended to members of the Child Development Division: Michael Jett,* Gwen Stephens,* Gail Brodie, Sy Dang Nguyen, Mary Smithberger,* Maria Trejo, and Charles Vail; Special Education Division: Meredith Cathcart; Nutrition Services Division: Lynette Haynes-Brown, Kelley Knapp, and Heather Reed; Professional