most rapid period of growth
- infancy, peak growth rate is in 1st year
- weight triples
- length increases by 50%
differences in body composition changes between males and females during adolescence
- for females: % body fat increases
- for males: % lean muscle mass increases
result of iron deficiency during infancy
- impair cognitive development and delay speech
based on BMI percentiles, children are overweight if
- BMI > 85th percentile and < 95th percentile
based on BMI percentiles, children are obese if
- BMI > 95th percentile
height and weight in failure to thrive
- the rate of weight gain usually slows first, decrease gains in length/height occur later
- any drop or flattening of the weight or length/height curve warrants thorough investigation
brain growth
- rapid, linear growth and development occurs during the first year of life
- brain and peripheral nervous tissues are especially sensitive to nutrient deficiencies
critical nutrients for brain growth
- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
- choline
- taurine
- folate
- iron
result of excess folate from dietary supplements
- may worsen a vitamin B12 deficiency
most common nutrient deficiency
- iron
- can result in delayed speech, impaired growth, delayed cognitive development and anemia
introducing solid foods
- infant usually reaches this stage around 6 months
- look for cues of readiness when an infant doubles their birth weight AND weighs at least 6kg (13 pounds)
- cues of readiness include: disappearance of extrusion reflex, hand-to-mouth movements, ability to sit with support, drinks from a cup, displays a chewing motion, reaches for foods
transition to a mixed diet
- introduce iron-fortified cereals first
- then strained fruits and vegetables
- then strained meats and dairy products gradually increasing textures at each stage
risk of completely liquid diet beyond 6 months
- increase the risk of iron and zinc deficiencies
gold standard for treating diarrhea in children
- oral rehydration therapy (ORT): solutions specifically designed to utilize the SGLT-1 transporter to replace fluid and electrolytes rapdly
oral rehydration solution should contain
- 75 mg/L sodium
- 13 mg/L carbohydrates
- osmolarity of 245 mOsm/L
two processes that can generate non-essential AA
- transamination and amination
vitamin B6: pyridoxine deficiency
- severe deficiency slows growth and damages cerebral and peripheral neurons
marasmus
- lack of protein and lack of overall caloric intake
- emaciated appearance, apathy, lower body temperature
Kwashiorkor
- caloric intake is adequate but protein intake is lacking
- distended abdomen, edematous limbs
defective enzyme in PKU
- phenylalanine hydroxylase
symptoms of PKU
- accumulation of toxic metabolites in brain and other tissues with excretion in urine
- severe, irreversible dementia if the condition is not treated immediately after birth by reducing the intake of phenylalanine
defective enzyme in homocysteinemia
- cystathionine beta-synthase
symptoms of homocysteinemia
- developmental eye abnormalities
- mental retardation
- thrombosis
- CV disease
- osteoporosis
defective enzyme in maple syrup urine disesae
- branched-chain alpha-keto acid deyhdrogenase complex
- cannot catabolize valine, isoleucine, or leucine
symptoms of maple syrup urine disease
- severe mental retardation and other defects unless they receive a special diet with a reduced content of these amino acids
factors determining the quality of protein
- AA composition
- ability to sustain growth
- effect on nitrogen retention
- presence of anti-nutritive factors
symptoms of iron deficiency
- microcytic anemia
- increased cancer risk
- delayed growth and brain development
- altered hair and nail texture
- impaired immune function
symptoms of copper deficiency
- impairs brain function
- vascular and bone integrity
- metabolic control
zinc deficiency
- growth retardation
- delayed wound healing
- immune dysfunction
- skin lesions
- general malnutrition
- anemia
- cognitive development
- delayed sexual maturation
- hypogonadism
- impaired taste
- decreased appetite
vitamin A deficiency
- visual impairment
- loss of appetite
- susceptibility to infections