Child Development and Public Health - Nutrition/malnutrition

Part of being part of the Early Childhood Development field is wanting each and every child to have every opportunity to thrive and and experience happiness. A key this happening is the health and well being includes proper nutrition. Although malnutrition is not always a product of hunger a child cannot thrive and achieve great things if he or she is hungry or deprived of food that has the nutrients their bodies need because children are more susceptible to illness without the vitamins and nutrients their bodies require. Children with malnutrition are unable to grow as tall as are usually underweight making their bodies not as strong as kids with proper nutrition. I personally have a difficult time seeing a child that is not fed or worse yet fed improperly. It is totally out of their control so it is unfair to neglect their health in a way that is totally preventable. Especially since if the reason is lack of funds their are programs available to help like WIC which if the family qualifies can help buy healthy food like milk, cheese, bread, peanut butter, and some vegetables. I realize pride can come in the way of asking for help but parents need to consider what is the best for their children and if swallowing pride and asking for help is necessary then a parent should do just that for the child not for themselves.

This is not an issue only parents in the United States must face but malnutrition is also prevalent in Central America in places like El Salvador and Guatemala. The amounts of children effected by this in these places is comparable to the amounts in Africa and South Asia. Children born to poor families living in rural communities suffer the worst from chronic malnutrition usually setting in before the child is two years old with consequences that can be irreversible. "Healthy nutrition begins during pregnancy and is a cornerstone to survival, health, and development, healthy women run fewer risks during pregnancy and childbirth and well nourished children perform better school giving them the opportunity to grow into healthier adults and offering a better start in life to the generations to come" (The World Group, 2001). There is an increase of programs being introduced in many Central American countries and it is proving to be affordable and effective in helping with prevention, targeting specific demographics, and helping in educating parents in the best ways to help their children.

When I am working directly with children in the future I will be observant to signs of children not receiving the proper nutrition. I want to help in anyway I can so making sure they receive a couple healthy snacks during their time with me could be just one way I can help those little ones. As well as teaching them the importance of proper nutrition so that they can then teach their families. I believe education is vital to help such a serious issue like malnutrition be overcome and it will be one of my goals as a member if this important field to do everything in my power to help the children and families within my community learn and apply the steps necessary in improving the nutrition for the children that are the future of our community.

Reference

The World Group. (2011). Fighting Malnutrition in Central America. Retrieved September 13, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://web.worldbank.org