Serious mistake when mothers supplement micronutrients for healthy children
According to the National Institute of Nutrition, the situation of children lacking micronutrients includes groups of vitamins (A, B, C, D, E…) and groups of mineral elements (calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, selenium). , copper…) is increasing.
Many mothers are dumbfounded and do not understand why they still supplement daily micronutrients for their children, but the baby is still stunted and weak.
Here are the common mistakes when parents supplement micronutrients for their children:
1. Supplementing with nutrients is not right for the child’s needs
– Nutritional needs in each children are all different. However, the majority of families supplementing micronutrients for their children are based on experience and are passed on between mothers. Such a supplement has no effect, even some children have anorexia than before, due to the incorrect addition of the missing nutrients.
“Arbitrarily supplementing with inappropriate nutrients for children may not bring benefits but also harm children. For example, if supplementing with the wrong type of micronutrients children are lacking, there will be no improvement effect. Diet and health, but also may be in excess, if not excreted but accumulated in the body, it can cause poisoning (for example, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, .. .) The addition of unbalanced nutrients, empty energy can cause excess energy leading to obesity but still lack of micronutrients” – Doctor Dr. CKI Dao Thi Yen Thuy, Head of Dietetics Department, Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
Want to supplement micronutrients for children, parents should consult with professional doctors. (Illustration)
– Parents should see if their child lacks any substance, then supplement that substance accordingly and help the child fully absorb the counseling substances.
For example: For children with rickets and malnutrition, they need to eat more foods rich in calcium, vitamin D, A, phosphorus, … while children with weak immune systems need to be supplemented with vitamin C to strengthen resistance against diseases.
Premature babies have weak health, nutrition issues must be paid more attention. In addition to breast milk, children need to be provided with enough calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin E… to avoid rickets, malnutrition, anemia, increase fat absorption,…
– In some cases, parents who want their children to grow tall should regularly give them calcium. But parents do not know that calcium does not have to be absorbed by the body. Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium absorption. To get enough vitamin D, the body must get it from three sources: daily food, sunlight and vitamin D taken directly.
Children should not be forced to eat foods they do not like. (Illustration)
2. Choosing the wrong food
– Mothers often think that giving their children a lot of pumpkin, carrots… will have a lot of vitamin A. However, if the child eats too much, the dose of beta carotene exceeds the allowable threshold, which will lead to the child’s jaundice. There is no iron in beets, so it is wrong to eat beets to supplement iron for children.
– Some children have weak stomachs, but mothers often supplement vitamin C for their children by giving orange juice every day. This makes the digestive system in general and the baby’s stomach in particular very vulnerable. For sour fruits, it should be used after meals and divided in a moderate amount in accordance with the needs of the baby.
– Parents should not force their children to eat things they do not like, just because they think that the food provides adequate micronutrients for their children. Because this way only makes me afraid and become anorexic. Instead of using foods your child hates, try changing to other foods that your baby likes more. For example, instead of giving children orange juice, parents can give them spinach, spinach, and cauliflower. Foods such as eggs, avocados, cereals, … are rich in folic acid, while collard greens, amaranth, tofu, oats, … contain very high calcium content.
Another problem parents often face is feeding their children the wrong age food. For example honey, eggs… are not recommended for children under 1 year old.
3. Improper processing
Improper food processing not only affects the taste but also loses and degrades the nutrients available in the food. Most vitamins are very sensitive to heat, easily lost during processing and cooking. Meanwhile, some mothers soak or cook food for too long, opening the lid many times when cooking, causing micronutrient loss. Improper cooking can lead to a 50% loss of vitamin C; vitamin B1 reduced by 30%; 20% carotene. Cutting vegetables into too small pieces, mincing vegetables and meat before processing also lose nutrients. For foods rich in protein and protein such as meat and fish, they must be cooked at a temperature of 70-100 degrees Celsius.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: Afamily.vn – Read the original article here
