NUTRITION for INFANTS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

NUTRITION for INFANTS - Assignment Example Moreover, for INFANTS, easily digestible foods only have to be recommended. In the initial stages, they require liquid food in the form of milk. Mother milk is most ideal for INFANTS as it provides essential nutrients and vitamins and body resistance to diseases. It was found that breastfed infants have better vision than that of formula fed INFANTS (Gutierrez, 2007). In cases of non availability of mother milk, cow milk may be provided through bottle feeding. After 4 months, instant formula food which generally contains some cereals like wheat, rice etc. and essential minerals may be provided to INFANTS which prevent the incidence of any disease. Hence, for prevention of diseases in INFANTS, balanced nutrition is very important. Balanced nutrition results in assimilation of the food materials and release of energy that is required for metabolism i.e. growth and development. Balanced diet provides all the essential elements that are necessary for optimum growth and body building in INFANTS. The balanced nutrition also helps in supply of nutrients and energy required for optimum brain development and hence it is responsible for the mental growth and development of INFANTS. The nutrition rich in dietary fatty acids like omega 3 fatty acids may help in regulation of gene expression, intra cellular communication and energy homeostasis which in turn aid in optimum growth and development and learning of INFANTS (Innis, 2011). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children also emphasizes on the need of the breast feeding of INFANTS up to atleast 6 months and provision of complementary and nutrient dense and micro nutrient rich foods after 6 months for better growth and development in INFANTS (Wuehler et al., 2011). Hence, nutrition certainly affects the growth, development and learning in INFANTS. nutritional and health status of young children in the Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa: