Topic 10 - PART B Flashcards
(49 cards)
How does a baby’s weight change over time?
- doubles by 5 months, triples by about 1 year, then it plateaus out
- infancy (<12 months) most rapid period of growth
highest height velocity is in 1st year
Growth directly reflects . . .
nutrient intake
What is necessary for a child to reach their full height potential?
- nutrition
- good health
- thyroid hormones
Why do we monitor a child’s growth?
- it is an important marker of health and development
- best measure of nutrition
- helpful in determining underlying health / developmental problems
- quick, non-invasive
growth monitored against growth charts - compare a child’s height/length and weight w those of other children of same age + sex
What kinds of growth charts does Aus use?
WHO charts: birth - 2 years
CDC charts: 2 - 18 years
Healthy growth refers to a child . . .
whose weight and height tracks along percentile lines
WHO Charts describe what?
describe normal child growth under optimal environmental conditions (breastfeeding) and can be applied everywhere, regardless of ethnicity, SES, and type of feeding
What are the ENERGY requirements during infancy?
- 420 - 450 kJ/kh body weight (more than double that of adults)
- balance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein needed
- carbohydrate needed for brain function
- fat provides most of the energy
- protein esp important for growth + development; however, excess can cause organ stress
What are the Vitamin / mineral requirements during infancy?
- infants have more than double the needs of an adult in proportion to weight
- infants’ vitamin A, C, D, and iodine needs are esp high
infants need higher percentage of water compared to adults
NHMRC recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months and continued breastfeeding is encouraged until 12 months. What are some features of colostrum?
- Colostrum = first milk
- rich in immunoactive proteins, which changes to increasing concentrations of lactose, casein, and fat in watery “mature” milk
What are some features of mature milk?
- lactose - helps disaccharide absorption
- alpha-lactalbumin - an easy to digest protein
- fatty acids - arachidonic acid and docosahexanoic acid
- vitamin D levels depend on the mother’s vitamin D status
- calcium content is ideal and well-absorbed; also high bioavailability of iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 (but this also depend on mother’s diet)
- bacteria - unique microbiome
- immune factors
What percentage of infants in Australia under 6 months are receiving infant formula?
75 to 85%
What are the potential health risks for infants of formula feeding?
- increased risk of infectious diseases
- exposure to environmental / bacterial contaminants (i.e. Cronobacter sazakaii - can be fatal)
- nursing bottle tooth decay
- overweight / obesity in children + adolescents
Differences in composition of breastmilk vs infant formula
- infant formula has more protein, more carbohydrate
- infant formula has less fat
What is considered a pre-term infant?
babies born before 37 weeks of gestation
survival outside womb is possible from 24 weeks, but with risks
What are some special needs of preterm infants?
- high risk for nutritional imbalanced, because final transfer (mother to foetus) of several nutrients occurs in the later stages of the 3rd trimester, hence preterm infants suffer several nutrient deficiencies
What is preterm breast milk like?
- higher in protein so a smaller volume can support growth (for their little stomachs)
- preterm breast milk is often fortified with vitamins and minerals to maximise potential of the baby for full development
Australian Red Cross now has a milk bank, which supplies pasteurized donor human milk to hospitals for pre-term infants
Why shouldn’t cows’ milk be introduced to infants under 12 months of age?
- it has a high protein content
- can cause intestinal bleeding
- is a poor source of iron
Children aged 1-2 years should not be given REDUCED fat, LOW fat, or fat FREE milk varieties
TRUE OR FALSE.
Infants require additional iron at around 6 months - as body stores, breast milk, or infant formula do not provide enough
TRUE
What kinds of minerals should first foods contain?
should contain iron
- iron-enriched infant rice cereal
- pureed meat, poultry, fish
- cooked tofu and legumes
New foods should be of high nutrient density and try to include a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups
What are some issues with vegan / vegetarian diets for babies?
- risk of undernutrition
- vegetarian diet can meet requirements for growth IF adequate sources of iron and sufficient protein are present (pureed legumes, tofu, dairy, eggs)
- growth of vegan infants slows during weaning
- due to protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin B12, iron, and calcium deficiencies
- vegan diets that are high in fibre + water fill an infant’s stomach before fulfilling their energy needs
- infants on vegan diets should continue infant formulas beyond 12 months
Foods to avoid during infancy
- hard foods
- small, roundd foods
- juice or sweetened beverages (can cause dental caries)
- honey or raw egg (raw eggs may cause Salmonella poisoning and honey may contain Clostridium Botulinum, a toxin-producing bacterium)
Diets with too much fibre (e.g. vegan diets) may limit. . .
energy that is needed for growth
Why is protein needed during childhood?
- needed for muscle growth and production of proteins that perform vital functions (i.e. enzymes, collagen, hormones, antibodies)
