Mistakes made by adults that lead to malnutrition in children.
Mothers who don't know how to breastfeed properly, don't add oil or fat to porridge, and cook a large pot of porridge for the child to eat all day... are reasons why children become stunted.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, Deputy Head of the Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at the National Institute of Nutrition, malnutrition is common in infants and children of breastfeeding age. There are many causes, including:
The mother doesn't know how to breastfeed.
This is a leading cause of malnutrition in children. "Many mothers are afraid of having uneven breasts, so they frequently switch between the two breasts. In reality, the foremilk is very thin, while the milk at the back of each breast is thicker and provides the most micronutrients," the doctor said. When babies switch between breasts, they only receive the thin foremilk, leading to insufficient nutrient intake.
In addition, many mothers lie down to breastfeed. This position doesn't release much milk, leaving the baby hungry. Dr. Hung advises mothers to let their babies empty one breast completely before switching to the other to take advantage of this precious milk source. Furthermore, the more completely a baby empties their breast, the more milk is stimulated to be produced.
My mother doesn't know how to cook porridge for the baby.
When cooking porridge for their children, mothers often focus on the protein content but forget about other components, especially the amount of oil and fat. In reality, fat is a very important nutrient group, playing a major role in providing energy for children, helping to form adipose tissue that regulates body temperature, and providing fat that aids in the absorption of important vitamins in the body.
"Many people are afraid that adding oil or fat to porridge while cooking will cause children to have stomach aches or become obese. However, only adults need to worry about lipid disorders; children are in a developmental stage and therefore need these components," Dr. Hung emphasized. "When cooking porridge for children, mothers should add 1-2 tablespoons of oil or fat, either using both vegetable oil and animal fat at the same time or alternating meals."
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You should add 1-2 tablespoons of oil or fat when cooking porridge for children. In addition, you should vary the flavor of the porridge so that children don't get bored. |
Furthermore, due to busy schedules, many mothers often cook a large pot of porridge and feed it to their children all day, a very harmful habit. Porridge left out all day poses a risk to food safety and hygiene, and becomes monotonous, making children even more reluctant to eat. It's best for mothers to prepare 2-3 different meals of porridge/baby food each day with various ingredients, avoiding repetition.
The mother feeds her child processed foods.
Due to busy schedules, many mothers buy nutritious porridge and food from outside vendors. This is highly inadvisable because this porridge does not provide enough essential nutrients for children. Eating it continuously will lead to malnutrition in children.
According to Dr. Hung, to ensure adequate nutrition, children's food needs to contain four nutritional groups: carbohydrates (rice, noodles, corn, potatoes, etc.), protein from meat, fish, shrimp, crab, etc., fats from cooking oil which are essential for brain development, and finally, vitamins and minerals from vegetables and fruits to provide energy for the body. Mothers should prepare these at home for better and more reliable nutrition.
The mother only gave the child liquid food, not solid food.
Dr. Hung explained that the protein in meat, fish, shrimp, etc., remains in the meat residue. Vitamins C, E, A, iron, zinc, etc., in vegetables only dissolve in water in very small amounts. Therefore, if children only eat the broth and not the solids, they will lack protein and vitamins, leading to malnutrition and anemia. At the same time, they will suffer from constipation due to a lack of fiber. Furthermore, mixing porridge, flour, or rice with broth makes it easier for children to swallow, but over time, this can lead to a habit of not chewing, holding food in their mouths, and ultimately causing them to lose their appetite. Therefore, mothers should mash, grind, or finely chop all food for their children to ensure they receive adequate nutrients.
According to Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, mothers should ensure their children receive adequate nutrition according to their age under the guidance and advice of a nutritionist, while also increasing their physical activity. If children appear stunted or show signs of malnutrition, they should be taken to the hospital for early examination to receive appropriate treatment.
