Core tip: According to child health experts, short stature begins in the first year of life and continues into the second year. Breastfeeding, maternal illiteracy, maternal care, diarrhea and family income are factors that affect children’s height, while breastfeeding and complementary feeding play an extremely important role in the intake of optimal nutrients for children.
Breastfeeding, maternal illiteracy, maternal care, diarrhea and family income are the factors that influence children’s height, while breastfeeding and complementary feeding play a very important role in the optimal intake of nutrients for children.
Exclusive breastfeeding from 4 to 6 months after birth can meet the caloric and nutrient needs of infants for growth and development. If a sip of water or other diet is added during this period, the infant will have one less sip of breast milk and also increases the likelihood of diarrhea.
A study of 10,000 children in 1998 showed that the risk of short stature was 2.2 times higher in non-exclusively breastfed infants than in exclusively breastfed infants, and the risk of diarrhea was 2.7 times higher. The incidence of short stature in exclusively breastfed infants was 25% lower than in breastfed infants mixed with water or with other foods, especially grain-based foods.
After 4 to 6 months of age, infants must begin adding complementary foods. Some young parents give their children a complementary diet based mainly on rice and flour, with insufficient intake of eggs, lean meat and legumes. Due to the small capacity of the infant’s stomach, this rice, noodles and other foods can easily make the infant feel full, but the energy and nutrient content cannot meet the requirements of the child’s growth and development. Research and practice have confirmed that the caloric energy and nutrients required for growth and development of children plus zinc and iron mainly come from animal foods and vegetables.
If the proportion of animal food added to the food of infants and children from 18 months to 24 months increases by 10%. The incidence of short stature was reduced by 2.6%, and similar results were obtained with the addition of vegetable and fruit foods.