Md. Sazedul Islam :
The condition of under-five children is very risky in our country. The first five years is important as they fall to different diseases due to malnutrition. The first two years is time for their quick growth. Children who are deprived of proper care and balanced food turn sick and their cognitive development is hampered. If they get proper and balanced foods, their physical growth and talent is developed and they grow up properly. The demand for nutrition elements for the under-five children is more important than the grown up as their body weight increases at every six months till the age two.
According to nutritionists, underage children need protein for their quick growth and body formation. So, the amount of both quality and quantity of protein should be ensured in the food of children. Since six month, babies should be given other foods along with human milk. If the children are provided only breast milk or other milk and are not given the foods, then they may gradually become sick and thin due to lack of necessary protein and calorie.
On the other hand, various symptoms may ensue in child’s body due to lack of necessary protein if only carbohydrate are given to them. The symptoms include body swelling with water, disruption of body growth, slight reduction of body weight and lack of feelings and interest.
Many children turn blind due to lack of Vitamin-A every year. Intake of huge quantity of vegetables and yellow coloured fruits can solve the Vitamin-A deficiency. Many children also suffer from intestinal diseases due to living in unhygienic environment. Nutritionists advised mothers to breastfeed their children during first six months to keep their children free from intestinal diseases.
Child’s foods always should be safe and they should be always be given fresh food and not stale foods. Children should not be provided food now and then. Intake of excess foods may cause trouble in their liver and hamper digestive system. A child remains healthy with sound body if they get foods timely and as per quantity.
Underage children may turn into mentally handicapped due to lack of iodine. The children who suffer from iodine deficiency are less intelligent and they also become deaf, dumb and dwarf.
During pregnancy, a woman may fall to anamae due to rise in demand for iron. She may be affected by any disease for anamea and her death risk may increase during post-delivery bleeding for anamea. Weight of both mother and child is disrupted due to anamea during pregnancy. A premature baby may be given to birth with less body weight. The children who are born with less weight lack the necessary amount of iron like other elements, hence, they may be easily affected any disease and it enhance their death risk.
Before pregnancy, if a mother’s body weight remains below 40 kgs, she may give birth to a malnourished child. Hence, a woman adolescent till pregnancy should take adequate balanced food for keeping her health well and nutrition.
A baby is more likely to be given birth with less weight if a girl becomes pregnant at underage. Any girl should not marry before the age 18 and not be pregnant before 20 years of her age. Short, lean and malnourished mother only gives birth to baby with less weight, which in later life brings serious consequences for children.
Due to less body weight during birth, chances of child mortality and infection by diseases are more likely. They lose their resistance power against contagious diseases and they frequently fall to diarrhea and pain respiratory system. Children may grow up properly if they get sufficient breastfeeding at first six month after birth. After the first six-month, they should be given sufficient nutritious food for their growth. If they don’t get this, their growth is hampered that caused physical and psychological problem.
Rotten and stale foods contain germs of various diseases, so children should not be given these foods as its intake may cause different diseases. The children who suffer from iodine deficiency are more likely to fall to malnutrition than other children and their disease prevention capacity also get reduced. The death risk also increases for iodine deficiency.
An underage child needs more protein than aged man. On the other hand, pregnant woman need more protein and minerals during this time, because foetus take elements from the food of mother for its body formation. A pregnant woman needs more food than other time.
Expectant mother needs proper food for maintaining her natural body weight. If a pregnant woman’s body weight remains less than normal, untimely abortion may occur or she may be affected by complex diseases like toxema and eclampsia that may cause mother’s death.
During pregnancy, lack of nutritious food cause more damages to foetus. It hampers the physical growth of foetus, hence a immatured, disabled or a dead child is given birth. So, additional food is needed for the growth of foetus. A pregnant woman needs additional food for the growth of her future child. The amount of foods they take during normal time should be increased. The foods include rice, wheat, fish, meat, eggs, milk, pulse, small dried fish, green vegetables, molasses, vegetables and fruits.
Blood come out of mother’s body in different way till six week after birth, including during delivery, along with meeting the iron needs of her child. Hence, the demand for iron increases more during pregnancy. The demand for calcium of pregnant woman increases for bone formation of her child. If possible, a mother should take half kg of milk daily, because milk contains sufficient calcium and it easily fit into body.
Statistics said some 200-300 miligram calcium come out along with breastmilk daily. More calcium-rich foods such as small dried fish, cheese, cow milk, molasses and deep green vegetables should be given to mothers for meeting this additional demand. Mothers should take more vegetables and fruits for making vitamins and minerals in breastmilk while she breastfeed her child.
A normal working woman need 2200 calorie daily while 2500 calorie is needed during pregnancy. The amount of energy giving foods such as rice and wheat should be increased to meet the excess 300 calorie during pregnancy. The demand for daily protein for a pregnant woman enhances by 10 gram, which is used for increasing foetus, uterus and breast and blood making.
The demand of vitamin in mothers’ food rises for meeting the necessity of vitamins for the baby in mother’s womb. She should take more vegetables and fruits for solving the problems. The food which mothers take during normal time should be changed with the stoppage of breastfeeding. If it is not done, fat, obesity or symptom of over malnutrition may ensue.
A pregnant woman must take all types of foods in much quantity for getting a strong and healthy child. The women who suffer from iodine deficiency are more likely to face abortion and to give birth to dead or disabled child than other women.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
