The first 3- 5 years[this varies from country to country, though] of life is one of the most important and crucial period in a child’s life! These are the foundation years which decide / shape the future of the child both in terms of mental and physiological well being.
During this period,one of the major concerns for a parent is if the child has achieved the growth and development that is right for the age.Healthy growth of the child [/children] becomes the first priority of the family.
There are plenty of factors that affect the normal growth and healthy development of the kid. Some of them being -Environment and emotional situation of the family, Health issues,Parental influence, Social influence. Genetics too plays a role, not much can be done to set it right. Socioeconomic conditions of the family also affects the growth of the child.
While most of the above reasons can be taken care of / be modified,the major worry for a mother / a parent is if the child is getting enough nutrition to sustain her / him during the growing years.
Nutritional deficiency can be due to illness,under eating, eating foods that have little / no vital nutrients in them,consuming foods that are too rich in sugars,fats etc,eating disorders , poverty etc.
What ever be the reason,when nutrition is affected, growth is affected and it leads to ill health ,anemia, lack of energy, tooth decay,weight loss, osteoporosis etc.Apart from this it also affects his / her performance in school and also the participation in social activities.
So catching up on the lost growth is very essential and corrective measures have to be taken at the earliest and in the right way.[‘Catching up on lost growth’-Well,the term itself is self explanatory.]
One should not overhaul the system by making the child eat more than he/she can so that the lost nutrition can be gained fast. It does not work overnight like that!
A good way to start on catching up with the lost growth can be as follows
- Setting an example to the kids . The kids do follow what the parents eat[well, most of the times!] and when we eat right they follow.
- Serving foods from all the food groups and spreading them across the day so that they don’t get bored and at the same time get a balanced diet.
- Getting the child to understand the importance of home cooked nutritious foods.Of course if the kid is very small then we just have to come up with innovative ways to get the kid to eat!
- Introducing them to healthy snacks
- And supplements like Horlicks Growth +, ensures that the lost growth is caught up in the right way.
Horlicks Growth+ is a nutritious healthy drink clinically proven to
nourish children who have fallen behind with their weight and height. It
contains whey protein, and also contains essential amino acids
Arginine, Glutamic acid, Leucine and Lysine.It also provides immunonutrients like Vitamins A, C and D, which are all known to support a healthy immune function.It is recommend for kids aged between 3-9 years.
Children are the back bone of the future and we, as a parent, must ensure that we do everything in our means to give them a healthy start in life by not only providing the right food / nutrition but also by guiding them to make wise choices in food as they grow up.This will thereby ensure that they lead a happy and healthy life in the years to come.