Nutrition Flashcards
What are the nutritional requirements of a baby?
0-3 months: Calorie intake of 100kcal/kg/day
3-12 months: 95gcal/kg/day
How long should infants ideally breastfeed for?
First 6 months of life
What is the alternative to breastfeeding?
Formula milk = cow’s milk protein preparation with added iron and vitamins A,C and D
What are the risks of making the formula milk too strong?
- Constipation
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte imbalance
What are the normal feeding habits of a baby between 0-2 months?
- 2-4 oz each feed
- 6-10 feeds per day
- Total vol= 800ml
What are the normal feeding habits of a baby between 3-5 months?
- 5-6 oz each feed
- 6-7 feeds per day
- Total vol= 1050ml
What are the normal feeding habits of a baby between 6-8 months?
- 6-8 oz each feed
- 5-6 feeds per day
- Weaning should begin so total daily vol dependent on solid foods
How should weaning be carried out?
- Home prepared food with no added salt/sugar
- Baby should sit upright
- Eating with hands
- Should not be left alone when eating
What is baby led weaning and why is it reccomended?
Baby led weaning allows baby to use own motor and social skills to pick up food and eat it - this encourages hand-eye coordination.
Should not put food into baby’s mouth and persuade them to eat more than they want - let baby eat at their own pace.
When will baby begin to eat 3 meals per day?
8-9 months
Should not require frequent breastfeeding at this point.
What are the risks of introducing solid foods too early, and too late?
- Too early: may cause gut irritation/ choking as swallow reflex has not developed
- Too late: may cause feeding difficulties and nutritional deficiencies
What foods should all babies avoid in first year?
- Honey - may cause infantile botulism
- Salt
- Sugar
- Raw shellfish
- Raw egg
Why should gluten and nut products be avoided in first 6 months?
May be allergy/ intolerance risk - need to be careful with food introduction, especially if parent has allergy/ atopy
When can a baby drink full-fat cow’s milk?
1 year - they should also be eating meals with the family at this point.
What vitamin supplements do children require?
Vitamins A,D,E daily up until 5 years of age.
What is the healthy start scheme?
- All pregnant women <18 y/o or receiving income support/ JSA qualify.
- Receive healthy food vouchers to spend at participating supermarkets.
- Incentivises healthy eating and tries to address health inequality.
How is malnutrition assessed?
- Measure dietary intake
- Anthropometric calculations e.g. height, weight, mid upper arm circumference, skin fold thickness
- Biochemical tests: low albumin, low WCC and low mineral concentrations (potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium)
What signs of malnutrition are seen in children?
- Reduced growth
- Behavioural changes: irritable, slow, anxious
- Low energy levels - more tired than ususal
- Wrinkled appearance to the axillae
- Wasting of buttocks
What is marasmus? How does it present?
Occurs in severe malnutrition (> 62% of body weight lost) - where there is inadequate energy intake of ALL forms.
Presentation: muscular wasting, loss of subcutaneous fat
What is kwashiorkor? How does it present?
Caused by protein deficiency, but there is still adequate energy intake.
Presentation: oedema and ascites due to protein deficiency.
What is the range for obesity under 12 years of age?
- Overweight = BMI 85th -95th centile
- Obese= BMI > 95th centile
- Very severe obesity = BMI > 99.6th centile
Management of obesity in children…
Conservative:
- 60mins physical exercise per day
- Reduced portion sizes
- Discouraging snacking
Medical: (severely obese/ complications)
- Orlistat
- Metformin
*Bariatric surgery is not considered until child has reached full maturity.
