Nutrition is an important aspect of life, especially with regards to the key stages of life. The key stages of life include pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. It is important for a person to receive the right kind of nutrition at each stage of life as nutrition influences the maintenance, health, disease, growth, and reproduction of an organism. This is because nutrition is a science that helps with the interpretation of the interaction of nutrients and other food substances. Nutritional needs change over the course of an individual’s life, thus the need to be precise about the same at different stages of life. There are specific nutritional requirements that influence maintenance, health, disease, growth, and reproduction of an organism at every stage of life, thus the need to meet those nutritional requirements (Machogu & Miller, 2015). There is a general way of meeting regular nutritional needs such as the consumption of adequate proteins for cell maintenance and repair, as well as consuming a wide variety of nutritious foods. However, every stage such as the infancy stage has specific nutritional requirements. At infancy, there are certain nutritional requirements that facilitate the maintenance, health, disease, and growth of an infant. The aim of this essay, therefore, is to describe and discuss the nutritional requirements at infancy and its implications when such requirements are not met.
Infancy is the earliest stage in life, which is that period of a child’s life, between birth and 12 months of age. In the initial year, when most of the growth and development of an infant occurs, breast milk is the best source of nutrition, especially from birth up to six months of age. As a result, it is highly recommended as the only source of nutrients for infants (Szajewska & Horvath, 2007). After the first six months, an infant’s diet can be gradually changed from complete liquid food to solid food as the child continues to grow. However, it should be noted that the longer a child is fed with breast milk, in addition to the introduced solid food, the better it is for that child concerning the promotion of growth and development. It is important to feed an infant with the required balance of vitamins, proteins, minerals, as well as calories to ensure maintenance of their proper growth and development. Therefore, in addition to giving infants solid foods that contain the required nutritional supplements, it is also vital for a mother to continue breastfeeding their infant for as long as they can. According to experts, breast milk also strengthens the immune system of an infant, keeping them healthy and strong during this stage in life (Szajewska & Horvath, 2007). However, the mothers who are unable to breastfeed their infants only, as is the requirement, should feed them infant formula, which will provide the same nutrients as breast milk.
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Proper nutrition at this stage in life, which is infancy, is crucial because it facilitates the child’s emotion, physical, as well as cognitive development. This is because, in the first year of a child’s life, babies triple their birth weight. As a result, they need more nutrients at this stage in life than in any other. Each nutritional requirement at infancy serves a particular function concerning a child’s maintenance, health, disease, and growth (Machogu & Miller, 2015). The nutritional requirements of an infant can be met by feeding the child with certain nutrients and food substances. There are four main types of nutritional requirements for infants namely proteins, Carbohydrates, fats and fatty acid, and micronutrients such as calcium, Iron, and magnesium among others.
Carbohydrates play a crucial role in fulfilling the part of the nutritional requirements of an infant. This is because carbohydrates maintain the overall health condition of an infant by promoting certain activities that are vital to an infant at this stage of life. Carbohydrates fuel the metabolism of infants promotes the continuation with regards to the functioning of their nervous system, as well as support the growth and development of infants. Therefore, carbohydrates are important for infants because they are the main source of energy used in infancy for growth and development, as well as for playing. The absence of carbohydrates during infancy can result in stunted growth of the child, thus the negative implication of the deficiency of carbohydrates (Szajewska & Horvath, 2007). Stunted growth may negatively influence emotion, physical, as well as cognitive development in subsequent stages of life. The sources of carbohydrates for infants include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, as well as whole grains. These can be incorporated into an infant’s diet in the solid or semi-solid form that can be safely ingested and digested by the infant. However, mothers and caregivers should be on the lookout for allergies that may be caused by certain foods and those should be eliminated from the infant’s diet, as they may be detrimental to the infant’s health.
Fats and fatty acid also play a vital role in the satisfaction of the nutritional requirements for infants. During infancy, the consumption of quality and healthy fats are important because they are a source of the necessary energy needed for an infant’s liver, brain, and heart. Human milk is among the primary sources of fats during infancy and they provide babies with both energy and essential fats such as linoleic and linolenic acids. Fats in human milk are also a source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, among other fats that are of nutritional value to infants. Fatty acids are responsible for the absorption of the essential nutrients, as well as for building the cells and immunity (Machogu & Miller, 2015). Fats are important for infants because they are high in energy, thus the need for mothers who do not breastfeed their infants to have a supplementary source of fats.
Owing to the fact that a baby’s stomach is small and cannot hold large amounts of food at a time, they require foods that are high in fat to provide the needed energy. The fat should be in a form that is concentrated enough to provide the needed energy, as well as be in quantities that an infant’s stomach can hold (Machogu & Miller, 2015). Alternatively, infants should be regularly breastfed so that they have a constant supply of the necessary amounts of fats. Infants on infant formula require essential fatty acids that are rich in omega-3, which is known to support neurological development, as well as visual acuity among infants.
Overall, Fats are also a nutritional requirement among infants because they promote good health among babies, as well as promoting eye and brain development. Fats protect infants from infection, as well as maintain healthy hair and skin, thus the reason for being a nutritional requirement (Machogu & Miller, 2015). Essential fats are not produced by the body, thus the need to introduce them through foods rich in them for the promotion of proper functioning of cell membranes among infants. Sources of fats and fatty acids include eggs, yogurt, as well as milk. Regarding Omega-3, some of its sources include salmon, ground flaxseeds, as well as walnut halves.
Protein is an essential nutritional requirement among infants because of the vital role it plays in supporting a baby’s growth and development. Protein is essential as a nutritional requirement for infants because it forms part of all body cells and is needed in new cell generation, thus promoting growth among infants. Protein is essential because it replaces body tissue, which is vital for repair and development of tissue among growing infants (Szajewska & Horvath, 2007). In addition to that, protein is a nutritional requirement for infants because it strengthens their muscles. The learning of some of the language skills occurs during infancy, which requires the presence of protein in their diet. This is because protein supplies brain cells with the need nutrients for the same thus should be incorporated into an infant’s diet.
All cells found in the human body, such as eyes, skin, nails, and hair among other body organs contain protein, thus the need to incorporate it into an infant’s diet. At infancy, protein requirement is higher than during the adult stage of life since infants undergo rapid and gradual growth and development in as far as protein tissue is concerned (Watson, Grimble, Preedy, & Zibadi, 2012). Therefore, infants should be given the needed amount of protein, without fail to ensure that their growth and development happens at a normal rate. However, mothers should not be tempted to give their infants too much protein as this could result in detrimental implications on their health. Human milk contains the necessary amount of protein required for growth among infants, thus should be the primary source of protein at this stage of life. The different sources of protein include fish, meat, eggs, yogurt, as well as infant formula, which should be given to infants in the required amounts to avoid giving them too much protein.
Infant nutritional requirements also include micronutrients such as micro-minerals, also trace elements, as well as vitamins. Some of the micro-minerals that infants require for nutrition include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and potassium. The vitamins that infants require for nutrition include Vitamin A, D, C, B, and E. Each of the micronutrients mentioned plays a vital role in the growth and development of an infant, and each has certain sources. Calcium is vital for infants because it promotes the building and maintaining of health and strong bones and teeth (Watson, Grimble, Preedy, & Zibadi, 2012). Calcium also supports muscle function since it is responsible for the promotion of healthy nerve, as well as aids in the signaling and communication of the cell. Some of the sources of calcium include dairy products and fortified products such as soymilk, dark leafy greens, as well as tofu and orange juice. Iron is a nutritional requirement for infants because it is responsible for the support of supply of oxygen through the red blood cells to all part of the body (Machogu & Miller, 2015). Iron is also vital because it generates hemoglobin, which also promotes the supply of oxygen and elimination of carbon dioxide, which promotes good health among infants. Some of the sources of the iron necessary for the provision of nutrients among infants include leafy green vegetables, shellfish, beans, red meat, as well as eggs.
Magnesium is a nutritional requirement for infants because it helps with the functioning of the muscles and nerves, as well as maintaining the strength of bones and steadiness of the rhythm of the heart. Magnesium for infants can be found in whole grain products, bananas, almonds, kiwifruit, soybeans, peanuts, as well as leafy green vegetables. Foods that contain allergens should be avoided to prevent detrimental health implications. Phosphorous is another nutritional requirement for infants that is recommended to them for some of its benefits (Szajewska & Horvath, 2007). Among them is its ability to help n the formation of bones and teeth among infants. Magnesium is also important because it helps in energy building among infants, which is needed for their rapid and gradual growth and development. Magnesium also helps the red blood cells in the delivery of oxygen, thus promoting the healthy functioning of the cell and overall growth and development of infants. Some of the foods that contain magnesium include daily product, chicken, whole wheat bread, eggs, and beef.
Experts recommend that the nutritional requirements of an infant should include zinc owing to its nutritional benefits. Zinc is responsible for the support of growth among infants, as well as supporting the immune system. This helps in preventing diseases among infants, thus promoting and maintaining normal growth. Zinc also supports the functioning of the nervous system and is crucial for various internal processes including reproduction (Watson, Grimble, Preedy, & Zibadi, 2012). Potassium is essential among infants because it promotes a healthy balance of water between the blood and body tissues. Potassium also aids in muscle function and the functioning of the nervous system in infants, thus promoting their healthy growth and development. Sources of potassium include tomatoes, orange juice, leafy green vegetables, and bananas.
Vitamin A is required for healthy bone growth and eyesight, as well as being essential for the regular working of the immune system. Its sources include sweet potatoes, cod liver oil, leafy green vegetables, and carrots. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium as well as maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Its sources include cheese, milk, egg yolks, and sunlight. Vitamin C helps with the promotion of a healthy immune system, repair of red blood cells, bones and tissues, and the holding of cells together. Its sources include potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, and spinach. Vitamin B helps an infant’s body to transform food into energy and in the formation of red blood cell (Watson, Grimble, Preedy, & Zibadi, 2012). Some of its sources include fish, poultry, meat, and dairy products. Vitamin E prevents infants from contracting germ-related infections and strengthens the blood circulation system in addition to improving the immune system. Its sources include nuts, raw mango, and spinach.
Conclusion
Proper nutrition is indeed an important aspect of every stage of life including infancy. Owing to the different roles played by the different nutritional requirements among infants, it is important for mothers and caregivers to provide the same in the right amounts. Infants undergo rapid and gradual growth and development, hence the need to meet their nutritional requirements. Among the nutritional requirements of infants are protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fatty acids, micronutrients. Each of the nutritional requirements for infants plays a vital role in the growth and development of infants and come from various sources. Breast milk is among the primary sources of nutrition for infants and should be replaced with infant formula in the event a mother is unable or unwilling to breastfeed her child.
References
Machogu, E., & Miller, T. (2015). Nutrition in Infancy. In Nutrition in Cystic Fibrosis (pp. 87-100). Humana Press, Cham.
Szajewska, H., & Horvath, A. (2007). nutrition in Infancy. Current Pediatric Reviews , 3 (4), 293-300.
Watson, R. R., Grimble, G., Preedy, V. R., & Zibadi, S. (Eds.). (2012). Nutrition in infancy (Vol. 1). Springer Science & Business Media.
