Child Development

I’ll like to welcome you all specially to another series on Food, Nutrient and Health.

We’ll be discussing a very interesting topic titled “Child Development”.

Nutrition is fundamental for good health and development during the early years of life. If children do not eat the right amounts of macronutrients like protein, fats and carbohydrates and micronutrients like vitamin A, iodine, iron and zinc, they may become ill, have delayed mental and motor development that can have enduring adverse effects beyond childhood, or die.

Child development entails the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence, as the individual progresses from dependency to increasing autonomy.

There are various definitions of periods in a child development, since each period is a continuum with individual differences regarding start and ending. Some age related development periods and examples of defined intervals are;

Infant                             ages 0-4 weeks

Toddler                1 week – 1 year

Preschooler                    2-5 years

School aged child           6-12 years

Adolescent           13-19 years

Promoting child development through parental training among other factors promotes excellent rates of child. It encourages healthy development of the child.

For proper child development parents need to study the growth pattern of their children. It makes it easy easily detect when a child deviates from the normal growth pattern. The understanding will enable parents to correct and find solution to the problem of the affected child. Parents can support their child’s healthy development by

·        Responding to their child in a predictable way

·        Showing warmth and sensitivity

·        Sharing books and talks with the child.

·        Using appropriate discipline without harshness

Parents who use these practices can help their child stay healthy, be safe and be successful in many areas emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social.

Parents should also monitor how much their children eat and watch portion sizes. Young children’s stomachs are relatively small, so they should consume smaller portions. Therefore parents should teach the children to listen to their bodies and eat only until they are full. Parent should also provide healthful meal for a healthy child development.

Thanks for reading!

Article By:

Iyiola Grace Omowumi

Food, Nutrients & Health.

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References:

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_development