Health, safety and nutrition tend to be intertwined closely, and are also dependent on one another. They are also viewed as basic needs in regards to ensuring a healthy development among children. The status of each of them may directly affect the quality of the other two. For instance, children who are allowed access to essential nutrients have higher chances of attaining their growth potential, gain from the learning opportunities at an early age, experience a reduced number of illnesses and have their full energy potentials for laying. A nutritious diet may also play a significant role in preventing injury among children. This discussion will focus on the interrelationship between health, safety and nutrition and the importance in ensuring excellent growth among children (Marotz, 2012).
Health encompasses a sophisticated state, which is determined by the current interactions between a person’s genetic makeup and the daily encounters with the varied environmental factors. Safety, on the other hand, represents behaviors as well as practices, which protect children, and also adults, from unnecessary harm. The risks for harm are especially high among children since their developmental skills are still underdeveloped. Nutrition represents a crucial development factor among young children related to food used to feed children, and has a direct effect on the health and safety of a developing child (Marotz, 2012).
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Health, when viewed from a broader perspective, is affected by numerous factors among them safety and nutrition. Each of these (safety and nutrition) represents an interactive component that is assumed to make equally vital contributions to health. An unsafe and a stressful environment may contribute to a child’s may be contributing factors to a child’s frequent illnesses or headaches, and this in turn may have a profound effect on the well being of a child. In addition, the immediate and long-term health of a baby tends to be affected by the mother’s potential personal health, every day practices during pregnancy including the type of dietary intakes, use or avoidance of alcohol, use of certain medications, exposure to communicable diseases and routine prenatal check-ups. Mothers ignoring health practices may deliver premature babies, babies with low birth weight or babies with several special needs cases. On the contrary, children born healthy; consume healthy diets and live in a safe environment may lead a healthy life (Marotz, 2012).
Research has indicated that unintentional injuries are among the leading causes of death among young children. Also, experts indicate that many of these causes of injuries can be avoided. Every adult person working to take care of young children has the responsibility of ensuring environmental safety for children who are developing. Ensuring a child’s safety environment demands a careful awareness of the skills and abilities of a child’s developmental stage. For instance, having knowledge of the infant stage where they are prone to placing objects to their mouth is critical in monitoring such activities among children to avoid ingestion of poisonous substances. In so doing, a safe environment will be ensured for children and the child will have the chance of leading a healthy life while feeding on acceptable food stuff (Marotz, 2012).
Nutrients obtained from food material given to children play critical roles in different body functions including supply of energy, promotion of growth and development, improvement of resistance to illnesses and infections, and building are repair of tissues within the body. In addition, a child’s nutrition status tends to have a significant effect on behavior as well as the cognitive development. Children with an excellent nutritional status are usually more alert, physically active, and attentive and have better learning experiences. Poorly nourished children have higher chances of experiencing the opposite. They are also prone to accidents and injuries as opposed to well nourished children. Avoidance of physical injuries, physical activeness and good learning opportunities enable well nourished children to stay safe and health, and thus, have better chances of developing well (Marotz, 2012).
To sum up, health, safety and nutrition are both intertwined and dependent on each other. The status of each tends to have an effect on the other two. Also, while the three may appear to be basic growth elements among young children, they can always be overlooked or neglected. Therefore, it is the duty of caregivers to ensure children stay healthy, stay in safe environments and are well nourished since these are crucial in ensuring a better development among young children.
References
Marotz, L. R. (2012). Health, safety and nutrition for the young child. 8th Ed. Belmont. Cengage Learning.
