What are nutritional risks in Indian kids?

Tisha: Hey Mom, what are you making for lunch?

Me: Vegetable sandwiches, so that you can get the right nutrients for a healthy body!

Tisha: Oh! That’s great Mom!

After lunch I was quite happy to see her put the empty plate in the kitchen sink. But the real surprise for me was when I found the same sandwiches in the waste bin! It didn’t take time for me to understand that she had done all this so that I would believe that she had eaten her lunch.

We, as parents always try to ensure each and everything is best for our child, be it the food they eat, the education they get or the room they sleep in, so that they can enjoy life to the fullest. Don’t we? But as children are quite choosy when it comes to eating, making them eat the right food which contains all essential nutrients required for a healthy body becomes a difficult task. When a child doesn’t get the right amount of nutrition it can have an adverse effect on their body and can make them prone to nutritional risks.

Kinds of Nutritional Deficiencies

Mainly, there are two types of malnutrition viz., protein energy malnutrition and dietary deficiencies.

Protein energy malnutrition is further classified in two severe forms: marasmus (a lack of protein and calories) and kwashiorkor (a lack of just protein). It is not just the total amount of calories that matters but specific nutritional deficiencies are also a cause of worry.

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) are some of the major nutritional problems that affect children when they don’t get the requisite nutrition for their body. Protein and energy malnutrition and deficiencies of specific micronutrients (including iron, zinc, and vitamins) increase susceptibility to infection in kids since their immunity becomes low.

Malnutrition can also be caused when a child derives too much of his/her diet from a single source, such as eating almost exclusively corn or rice.

As I mentioned, kids are quite choosy, so many-a-times they like to eat only a particular food. Consequently, the immune system gets weak and it increases the risk of infection and infectious disease. Children suffering from infections are less able to perform the daily tasks due to lower energy levels and impaired function of the brain.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is yet another nutritional risk common in children, which can result from a child not eating for 4 to 6 hours. Lethargy, limpness, convulsion, and loss of consciousness are some of the symptoms if a child is suffering from hypoglycaemia.

One of the ways to prevent such nutritional risks in children is by ensuring that they get adequate nutrition which is a key factor for their ideal growth and development. Fruits, veggies, milk, pulses do contain the required nutrition but it is not always easy to get children to eat healthy home cooked meals!

How could I ensure that she was getting complete and balanced nutrition?

 

When I realized that my daughter is not getting the necessary nutrition, I discussed this problem with one of my close friends. She recommended PediaSure to me. On her advice I started giving it to my daughter and the results were quite satisfactory.

A nutritional supplement, PediaSure provides complete, balanced nutrition for children in those special years of rapid growth and development. It is wholesome with 37 nutrients and helps in increasing height and weight. It also reduces the chances of infection and sick days. Now, whatever nutrition is missed out through diet is made up for.

I am giving PediaSure with milk to my daughter on a regular basis and she loves its taste, especially the chocolate flavour. Because of chocolate flavour, I always get the milk glass empty. Now that’s truly a plus point. I also noticed that she has started gaining height as well. So, even if the plate is not always completely empty, I still need not worry too much.

I am quite relieved that I am ensuring the right nutrition and strong immunity for my daughter. I would definitely recommend this product to you so that you too can ensure your child gets all the requisite nutrients. This will not only help reduce nutritional risks in Indian kids, but also help in boosting their immunity.

Do not forget to share your queries and experiences in the comments below.

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/malnutrition
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=hypoglycemia-in-children-90-P01960

https://indianpediatrics.net/oct99-2.htm