"The first thousand days in a child's life - including the nine months he spent in the womb - represent a great opportunity, you can always change the course of your food, but if you are on the right track from the beginning, your life will be easier in terms of public health, and early feeding will bring him great benefit. At low cost. " (1)
This is how Bertold Collitzko, a doctor at the metabolism and nutritional department at the Dr. von Hawner Children's Hospital in Munich, says about our relationship to food, which is established at a very early age, as specialists tell us, that we have learned eating habits from the beginning of supplementary feeding - after breastfeeding - and affect many years later. Studies in recent years that our children's diet determines their cognitive abilities and their level of intelligence, so how can we reduce the problems a child faces by relying on good food? (2)
Far-reaching effect
New imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have enabled us to know how the brain works based on early nutrition, and recent discoveries linking child food, cognitive abilities, and behavioral problems in childhood and later in adolescence are increasing, and a European study conducted in 2008 indicated Until the mother’s nutrition during pregnancy and the type of diet of the child in his early years can determine the child’s cognitive and behavioral development, the study tracked the effect of taking vitamins such as folic acid and omega-3 fatty acids and proteins and micronutrients like iron and iodine on cognitive, emotional and behavioral development of children, The project, led by Christina Campoy, a researcher at the University of Granada, aimed to establish a solid scientific base to develop nutritional recommendations for pregnant women and mothers to improve the cognitive development of young children and prevent the emergence of behavior disorders, and has tracked more than 17,000 mothers and 18,000 children from different regions in Europe. (3) ) - (4)
The study focused on feeding the mother during pregnancy and feeding the child until the age of nine, and stated that eating the mother folic acid during the first three months of pregnancy can reduce the possibility of behavioral problems during early childhood, and that eating omega-3 fatty fish is useful in building brain cells, as well That it contains iodine, which is considered a micronutrient, has a positive effect on children's ability to read by reaching the age of nine, while the study confirmed that the lack of some nutrients at an early stage of a child's life has far-reaching consequences at an advanced age. (5)
Irreplaceable insufficiency
Nutrition specialist Dr. Rand Al Disi, in agreement with Bertold Collitzko's opinion, tells us that the most important stages in child feeding are the first 1,000 days in which the basic structure of a child's body is formed, and in it we can - somewhat - control the child's food and focus on integrated and diverse nutrients, and later on The child is often selective in his food, focusing at some point on certain foods and then moving on to others, and she assures Meydan the possibility of compensating the nutritional deficiencies in the subsequent stage by reversing the first thousand days in the child’s life in which we cannot compensate for the nutritional deficiency.
Disi recommends focusing on maternal nutrition during the pre-pregnancy period, as several recent studies demonstrate its impact mainly on children's genes for non-communicable diseases or chronic diseases that occur at an advanced age, and are also linked to maternal nutrition during pregnancy, and indicates that the increase should be The mother’s weight is normal. Excessive weight gain increases the risk of maternal diabetes during pregnancy and high blood pressure that may herald a premature birth. It also increases the likelihood of high blood pressure in a child at an advanced age, and shows that a lower than normal increase in the mother’s weight means Also, the increased risk of the child from developing type 2 diabetes and obesity at an advanced age, so the mother is advised to reach normal weight if the pregnancy is planned.
She explains that the most prominent elements that must be obtained during pregnancy are the protein, which provides the amino acids necessary for growth, vitamins and minerals, and the required quotas differ according to the weight, height and age of the pregnant woman, but they are almost four times what the mother's body needed before pregnancy, especially in the three months The last for pregnancy in terms of protein, as protein plays a major role in building the tissues and muscles of the fetus, enzymes and hormones.
Finally, it indicates the importance of obtaining carbohydrates from sources with low sugar levels and foods called low glycemic index, such as oats and whole grains, are called for a gradual increase in sugar, and confirms that obtaining folic acid, especially in the first three months of pregnancy and three months before pregnancy by 400 to 600 micrograms daily protects the fetus from multiple diseases called neural tube defects, which can occur in some fetuses and children, and cause spinal cord problems that may lead to paralysis.
Lack of attention and thinking problems
According to dietitian Clara Rojas, iron deficiency (or nutritional anemia) can cause attention deficiency in children, and she stresses that 25% of children worldwide suffer from learning problems, so Clara recommends consuming foods such as red meat, liver, beans, and legumes For children over two years old, and confirm that the ideal diet is breastfeeding for up to six months, followed by a complementary diet with specialized supervision (6)
Several studies also revealed that the lack of some nutrients can directly affect the mental abilities of school-age children. For example, iron deficiency in the early stages may reduce the transport of dopamine, which negatively affects cognition, and the lack of vitamins and other minerals such as thiamine, vitamin E, vitamin B, iodine, and zinc limits cognitive abilities and mental focus. (7)
A study conducted at the University of Illinois in the United States also found that a diet that contains a high degree of saturated fat and a high level of cholesterol affects the cognitive development of children, their mental capabilities, their reactions and their ability to solve problems and alternative thinking. The amount of saturated fat in a child's food is translated into time Longer reactions to tests requiring greater cognitive flexibility, which reduces his ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously. (8)
The researchers stress the importance of knowing these relationships, which can affect the child's daily life and analytical ability, and may expose him to various problems such as the difficulty of adapting to any change, taking into account what is recommended by pediatrician German Garathon to go to a specialist when problems emerge in attention, as the reason is Often a problem with the sense of hearing or sight, and not because of a lack of a nutrient. (9) On the other hand, amino acid and carbohydrate supplementations improve cognition, intuition, and inference ability, and nutrient intake also increases cognitive ability and intelligence levels of school-age children. . (10)
Iron deficiency causes anxiety and impairs brain development
Dr. Rand explains to "Meydan" that iron is one of the most important minerals that the mother must obtain good proportions from, especially since it forms the child's iron reserves until the age of 6 months after birth if the breastfeeding is natural - since the mother's milk does not contain significant iron levels - She explains that iron deficiency may affect the mental development of the child, and causes mental development problems that lead to increased anxiety in the child, weak focus, problems in educational capabilities and low levels of brain development, and exposes him to the risk of depression, and confirms that we are talking about an error if An irreplaceable event, as iron plays a role in wrapping the nerves with an insulating material to communicate in the correct way, and its deficiency leads to problems in the nerves of the brain in these children, and here the importance of awareness emerges during pregnancy, and the child may need to take nutritional supplements under the supervision of a doctor if the food supplementing milk The mother does not contain good levels of iron due to its importance in the mental development of the child.
It also indicates the importance of omega-3 fatty acid - especially in late pregnancy - in mental development in children and the packaging of nerves and microscopic membranes, in addition to vitamin D and the role it plays during pregnancy in the accumulation of calcium in the bones of the fetus, and mental development, in addition to To strengthen the immune system, and confirm that there are very few sources, including oily fish, and exposure to the sun sufficiently, and explain that a lack of vitamin D translates to problems in the child in increasing the risk of broken bones, poor growth after birth and weakening of the immune system in general, and it shows There is a general recommendation for children for the first three months to give them vitamin D in the form of 400 IU in the form of drops to ensure that the stock is good if breastfeeding is natural or artificial.
Improve behavior in school
Studies show that a lack of thiamine or vitamin B1 leads to aggressive behavior in adolescents, that eating sugar has a negative impact on a child’s behavior, and that malnutrition leads to behavioral problems that can be overcome when children consume a balanced diet that includes protein, fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Researchers between eliminating the sale of soft drinks in schools and replacing other drinks with it, and having a positive effect on behavioral outcomes such as delay and disciplinary referrals. (1112)
Al-Disi warns against consuming sugars that increase the risk of weak immunity and poor growth and reduce the child's concentration and limit his ability to sit to learn, and advises to prevent the presence of sugar at home and resort to sweets for children if there is purchasing power that has lower sugar levels, or give the child a little candy only Outside the house with schoolmates, and preventing eating at home, indicates that juices are not of great benefit to children, they are full of sugar and low in fiber, so it is advised to reduce them or give the child juices with low sugar levels and prepare them mixed with milk.
The intelligence levels of children and adolescents with a very poor nutritional status can be improved with micronutrient supplementation. In general, good regular eating habits are the best way to ensure optimum mental and behavioral performance. It helps students attend school at fewer interruptions throughout the school year, and thus they get more time in class and are ready to learn, as well as it improves student behavior so it decreases. Class disturbances, which creates a better learning environment for every student in the classroom. Every student has the ability to do well in school, and not providing good nutrition puts them at risk of losing that ability. (13) - (14)
Children with ADHD
Studies show that a diet rich in protein and vitamins contributes to controlling symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, while avoiding sugar and artificial flavors. Minerals such as zinc improve the brain's response to dopamine, and lower levels of it are linked to problems of inattention in these children. Iron is also necessary to make dopamine, and one study has shown that most children with ADHD have low levels of iron associated with cognitive deficits and increased symptoms of disorder, and that magnesium, zinc and iron have a positive effect on attention and concentration, and a calming effect on the brain.
Ned Hallowell, founder of the Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in the United States, advises his patients with ADHD to think about the contents of their dishes well, recommends half of the plate be filled with fruits or vegetables, a quarter with protein, and the last quarter with carbohydrates, and recommends eating whole grains rich in fiber every A day to prevent blood sugar levels from rising and falling. (15)
Good diseases or health in the future
A growing body of evidence reveals a long-term problem that a child's food may also cause, namely the chances of being overweight or having diabetes later in life, as it can be strongly affected by what we ate during the first months of our lives, and there is evidence that the diet For our mothers during pregnancy we have already set a path, in terms of our health and well-being, along with the genetic traits and environmental factors that interfere as well. Prof. Bertold Colletzko of the Department of Metabolism and Nutrition at the Dr. von Hooner Children's Hospital in Munich says that the types of foods that the mother consumes during pregnancy may affect the child's future risk of obesity. Pregnant mothers are advised to eat a lot of lean meat, fish, and folic-rich vegetables such as spinach during Pregnancy to improve a child's long-term health (16)
Christina Campoy has made clear that long-term studies are necessary to determine the true effect of diet in the first years of a child's life, as the brain takes a long time to develop, along with other factors that can affect cognitive development in children, such as the age of parents, the educational, social and economic level, And genetic factors. (17) Parents are advised in this regard to teach their children good eating habits that establish a good or bad relationship for the child with food, and specialists suggest replacing a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains with processed and sugary foods, as it is a good source of vitamins, and provides natural sugar and fatty acids , Such as omega-3, essential for the body. (18)
The relationship of the child to food
Dr. Rand Al-Disi told Meydan that, according to the World Health Organization, the recommended breastfeeding period is between 4-6 months, without any other food or drinks, as the digestive, immune or kidney systems are not able to absorb the food, and the child is in This period does not need water or other fluids that can be harmful because it is replaced with a quantity of milk. After that, it is advised to sequentially enter the food for the child, for example we offer vegetables before fruits so that the child accepts the salty taste and then the sweet taste, and then fish, chicken and meat, even the crushed nuts, and confirm that there are recent studies that indicate that whenever the child begins eating earlier (after 4) -6) The first months) he decreased the risk of food allergies, his ability to accept different flavors increased, his dependence on food increased, and his nutritional choices improved.
Conversely, the delay in serving solid food means more chances of food allergy appearing, the child's lack of acceptance of the different consistency of different foods and his tendency to pureed food, his rejection of protein and his tendency to starch as a food source. She recommends that the mother provide one type of food every three days, to ensure that it does not cause an allergy to the child, and then we start providing another food, but if the child shows signs of food allergy, it is preferable to refrain from serving it for 6 months or a year and then re-serve it, so Ensures that we do not offer a mixture of food for the first time so that we can identify the cause of allergies if it appears in the child.
And Dr. Rend several tips for establishing a good relationship with the child at a young age, confirming that there is room for changing habits, including:
- To allow the child to touch food at an early age, to discover its texture, taste and love.
- Tables of times to make it easier for the child's brain to absorb food.
- The period of eating does not last long, until the child becomes tired and receives less food.
- Studies show that in the first 5 or 10 minutes the child is happy and ready to eat, then the child gets bored and anxiety increases for the mother, so it is best that the eating time does not exceed 20 minutes.
- Eating in a family atmosphere, not in front of the TV or while the mother is running behind the child.
- Not to put too much food that is not suitable for a child.
- The proportion of carbohydrates in food should approach protein.
- Reward the child if he ends his food, not to threaten him with punishment.
- Avoid the constant pressure on the child to eat his food and understand that the child may be ill with diarrhea, stomach pain, or others.
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