Nutrition/Malnutrition
Effects of malnutrition can be devastating and permanent. Whether during the pregnancy or first year of life, it can have a profound effect on a child's health as well as their ability to learn, communicate, socialize, reasoning and the way they adapt with their environment.
We have to secure their survival, but ensure that they have a healthy and stimulating childhood. This will prepare them for the future and help them to contrubute to the social and economic development of their countries and communities. There were 925 million hungry people in 2010 abd 578 million are in Asia and the Pacific. (pdfcast.org)
In South Asia, 78 million out of 150 million childrenin developing countries are still malnourished. The leading causes of mortality are respiratory infections, diarrhea and birth related conditions.(Unicef, 2000). South Asia is the worst off among all the regions in the developing world including Sub-Saharan Africa. One-third of children in South Asia suffer from low birth weight. Low birth weight is inextricably intertwined with and is indeed a manifestation of maternal under nutrition.
I have learned that if a child comes to my classroom that could possibly be malnutritioned, that could be a leading cause of him or her to have not developed properly. As an early childhood professional, I must help to get the word out that no child should be hungry and no family should have to worry about not being feed properly or at all.
http://www.worldhunger.or/
http://www.pdfcast.org/
http://www.unescobkk.org/
http://www.unicef.org/
Hey Lori,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you posting this information on your blog. I was speaking with a close friend of mine that just received her MPH and she noted to me this morning about child obesity. According to research more children are beginning to have more related conditions as do adults such as diabetes and hypertension due to malnutrition and the various health hazards posed by our society. I notice as an educator, more physical acitivities are becoming extinct. Children are involved in less physical activities and focused more on technology. I have a student in my class that has been placed on a "diet" due to recent gain over the past year. He is very receptive to his calories and amount of daily sugar intake and he's only in the SECOND GRADE!
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ReplyDeleteLori,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that no child should be hungry. When childern enter our center and they ask to eat immediately we know that it is a strong possibility that the child has not eaten properly the night before.
When childern are are hungry it is true that children could have development problems due to the lack of proper nutrition.
Lori I do feel that as educators we need to look at the whole child's need and that is not only their cognitive development but also their health development. We should provide adequate meals and also teach the children about healthy foods and the importance of eating vegetables instead of McDonald's fries. Thank you for providing the statitics from the World Hunger Organization.
ReplyDeleteLori I read your post and I feel the same about getting the word out if you have a child that is hungry (malnourished). It is a shame in this world that we live in as much food as we waste and as many food stamps are given that I child should go hungry..it's a sin!
ReplyDelete