Sharing about nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child's life

Ensuring nutrition for children from conception to over two years old

Sharing on the sidelines of the Vietnam - Japan Expert Workshop on Nutrition for Mothers and Children in the First 1,000 Days of Life held in Hanoi on September 30, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Dien, Director of the National Children's Hospital, Chairman of the Vietnam Pediatric Association affirmed the importance of nutrition in the first days of life for children.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Dien said: The time when a child is formed in the mother's womb is a very important early stage in life for the development of organs, especially the brain. Not only that, to ensure the physical and mental health of young children, ensuring nutrition for children from conception to over two years old is very important. Therefore, to ensure the health of young children, breastfeeding during the first 12-18 months of life is very important. Along with that, children eating a variety of foods at each stage in the first 1,000 days of life will help children develop more comprehensively and intelligently.

Regarding nutritional practices, mothers need to have an appropriate diet to provide enough nutrients for both mother and child. In particular, mothers need to have a rich diet to ensure adequate absorption of nutrients from foods such as fat, protein, starch, vitamins and nutrients. The development of the functions of young children during pregnancy depends a lot on the diet of pregnant mothers. Therefore, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Dien, mothers need to pay attention not to eat only one dish or focus on only one group of nutrients.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Dien emphasized that after a child is born, nutrition needs to be divided into stages to help the child develop appropriately. The first 6 months is the period when the child needs to be fed exclusively with breast milk, to provide the best nutrients and antibodies for the child. After that, the child can eat some additional foods suitable for the child's digestive system such as nutritional powder. From 6 to 18 months, the child needs to supplement solid foods with breast milk. During this time, locally available foods are also a source of fresh foods that provide good nutrition for the child. In addition, mothers in the city who do not have much time to cook for their children can also refer to some types of pre-processed products according to the stages of brands that have been researched specifically for children.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health has issued guidelines on nutritional care practices for the first 1,000 days of life for children, health care for pregnant mothers, etc. However, in reality, the implementation of the guidelines is still very inadequate. Therefore, to ensure the implementation of the set goals, the government has been perfecting guidelines, policies and recommendations for children and women. The media also plays an important role in spreading the guidelines to the community.

Focus on how young children eat proactively

On the sidelines of the workshop, Mr. Kastuaki Ishi - Senior expert on child nutrition, Asahi Group Foods Joint Stock Company (Japan) said: Japan has guidelines for pregnant women and food for young children. In particular, the guidelines for pregnant women are as follows: "A balanced diet, including three types of food in a meal: 01 main food (rice, vermicelli, pho noodles...), main food and a side dish". According to him, specialized guidelines on balancing nutritional index are often difficult to understand, but with this Japanese guideline, mothers will easily understand and can create a suitable menu for themselves.

Regarding weaning instructions for young children, according to Mr. Kastuaki Ishi, Japan not only focuses on nutrition but also on how young children eat actively; feeding children must go hand in hand with the development of chewing function.

Speaking more about this, Dr. Fumiyo Tamura - Nippon Dental University, Japan said that chewing thoroughly helps stimulate brain development in children, increases cerebral blood flow, secretes saliva, stimulates digestive juices, creates a feeling of fullness and prevents obesity. In Japan, the issue of foodeducation is very important. In particular, the goal of food education is to increase the proportion of people who eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

"Chewing thoroughly brings many health benefits. Studies also show that chewing skills help develop the brain's neural network in young children. Chewing thoroughly helps stimulate saliva secretion, increase cerebral blood flow, stimulate digestive juices, create a feeling of fullness and prevent obesity. This is a skill that not only helps the development of young children but also adults need to practice this skill," said Dr. Fumiyo Tamura.

Sharing at the workshop, Mr. Hiroshi Kawahara - Representative Director of Asahi Group Foods said: “We think that children and pregnant women in each country have different physical conditions, so for Japan's guidelines, this may be one of the references for Vietnam. Therefore, Vietnamese experts need to base on the current situation and give appropriate guidelines for Vietnamese people. Based on the guidelines of the government and experts, we hope to provide suitable weaning foods for the Vietnamese market”./.

Source