Introduction to the fastest growth and development period of children

The fastest growth and development period for children is infancy. Although babies are small during this period, they also grow and develop the fastest. Parents should pay attention to providing more nutritious foods to their babies. Children will be healthier and taller in the future if they are properly nourished during the fastest growth and development period. So what should you pay attention to and eat during the fastest growth and development period for children? Friends who have just become parents can come in and take a look. The following is an introduction to the nutrients that should be consumed during the fastest growth and development period for children.

Infancy is the period of fastest growth and development for children. They need to take in an appropriate amount of nutrients to ensure normal growth and development and prevent malnutrition, rickets, anemia, etc. However, the digestion and absorption functions are not yet perfect at this time, and are not adapted to the intake needs. Therefore, digestive system diseases such as diarrhea are prone to occur, and may lead to growth and development disorders in children. It is extremely important to provide breastfeeding and add complementary foods in a timely and reasonable manner during this period.

Infancy is the fastest growth and development period. The energy metabolism characteristics of children and the requirements of various nutrients. Children's energy needs are divided into the following five aspects:

⑴Basal metabolism: higher than that of adults. Calculated based on per kilogram of body weight per day, children under 1 year old need about 230.2KJ (55KCal), 12 years old need 184.2KJ (44KCal), and after 7 years old, it is similar to that of adults at 104.6~125.6KJ (25~30KCal).

⑵Activity requirements: Newborns can only cry and suck milk, so their needs are relatively small, about 62.8 to 83.7 KJ (15 to 20 KCal/kg·d) for infants. The requirement increases with age, and is about 125.6 KJ/kg·d (30 KCal/kg·d) at the age of 12.

⑶ Required for growth: This part of heat energy consumption is unique to children. The required calories are proportional to the growth rate. If the calories provided by the diet are insufficient, growth and development will stagnate or slow down. This calorie intake for infants accounts for about 25-30% of the total calorie intake. The body temperature of infants in the first few months of life reaches 167.4 to 209.3 KJ (40 to 50 KCal/kg·d), and at one year old it is 62.8 KJ (15 KCal). Every increase of 1kg of body weight requires 18410 to 23849KJ of energy.

⑷ Specific dynamic effect of food. Although the proportion of protein in infants' diet is higher than that in adults, the specific dynamic effect of children's food is low, averaging 6% of total calories, which is similar to that of adults.

⑸ Excretion consumption: The food consumed every day cannot be fully absorbed, and part of the food is excreted from the body without being digested and absorbed. This heat loss does not exceed 10%, but when diarrhea occurs, this heat loss increases significantly. To sum up, the calories required by infants to maintain a quiet state (including basal metabolism and the special dynamic effects of food) account for about 50% of the total calories, the calories required for growth and development account for about 25%, and the calories required for activities account for about 25%. Calculated per unit body surface area, infants have the highest energy requirement.

Through the article's introduction to the nutrients needed for children's fastest growth and development period, I believe parents will know what to feed their babies more during this period and what to pay attention to. If the baby has proper nutrition during this period, he will grow up more healthily in the future. Parents in need may wish to try the nutrient intake method provided in the article to pave the way for the baby's future healthy growth.