A balanced diet rich with all vital nutrients, which help in the roper growth and development of human body, holds great significance. In the absence of growth enhancing nutrients like iron, vitamin A, vitamin D etc. body functioning gets hampered and you become susceptible to certain diseases caused by the deficiency of these nutrients. Proper supply of nutrients is a must for all but when it comes to kids; the need becomes a little more prominent.
This is primarily because in their growing stage, kids need more of these vital nutrients in order to regulate their body growth and functioning.
Let us here understand what are the different types of nutritional deficiencies and, what diseases they cause and how you can keep your kids safe from these deficiencies.
1. Iron Deficiency
Disease Caused: Anaemia
Iron deficiency is known as the most prevalent nutritional deficiency, which causes anaemia; a condition wherein the number of red blood cells (which carry oxygen to different body parts) goes very low. Iron helps the body in making red blood cells and if level of iron goes down, the RBC count gets affected. In the absence of iron, body produces smaller and paler RBC’s as compared to the healthy ones.
Prevention
Iron is found abundantly in dark and green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, red meat, nuts, pulses and fish. To make sure that your child doesn’t suffer from iron deficiency, it’s very vital that you take care of iron content in their diet. Infants must be breastfeed until they are 1 year old because iron from breast milk gets easily absorbed in baby’s delicate body as compared to the iron which is found in formula milk. For the older kids, you must provide a balanced diet constituting all the foods items rich in iron.
2. Vitamin A Deficiency Disease Caused: Gastroenteritis, Poor Eye Conditions and Respiratory infections
Vitamin A is very important for proper functioning and health of eyes, reproductive health in both men and women, as well as healthy functioning of immune system. A deficiency of this vitamin in kids results in gastroenteritis (inflammation of intestines) and respiratory infections. It even weakens their eye power leading to partial blindness. Growth and development of bones too get affected when kids suffer from lack of vitamin A.
Prevention
For the newborn babies, mother’s milk acts as the best source for vitamin A. As for the older kids, you will have to ensure that they are given a diet that’s rich in this vitamin. Rich sources of vitamin A are spinach, green vegetables, orange, sweet potatoes, chicken, eggs, beef, carrots, milk, and mangoes.
3. Vitamin B Deficiency
Disease Caused: Dermatitis, anaemia and beriberi
B vitamins are important for the proper development of brain and nervous system in growing kids. These even help the body in absorbing carbohydrates, fats and proteins from the food as eaten. The B vitamins also maintain health of hair, skin, blood cells, immune system, nerves, various hormone-producing glands and digestive system. The B group is made of water-soluble vitamins, namely? vitamin B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B6, Folic acid, and B12. Deficiency of this vitamin can lead to many disorders ranging from the rigorous but uncommon disease called beriberi, to common conditions like dermatitis and anaemia.
Prevention
In order to make sure that your child stays away from deficiency of B vitamins, you will have to ensure that he gets a balanced diet rich in all vitamin B group members. You can find them all in various foods such as meat, nuts, whole grains, fish, dairy products, bananas, avocadoes, pulses, milk, dark and green leafy vegetables.
4. Vitamin C Deficiency
Disease Caused: Scurvy
Vitamin C helps human body to form collagen which is necessary for the proper maintenance and repair of various body tissues, including skin, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, teeth, ligaments and tendons. A deficiency of this vitamin in kids leads to scurvy. It’s a condition that prevents forming of collagens and causes formation of spots on skin, spongy gums, as well bleeding from mucous membranes.
Prevention
To prevent vitamin C deficiency, you will have to ensure that your child gets a balanced diet rich with food sources that contain vitamin C. These can include citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and vegetables such as red and green peppers, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes and cabbage. Watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries are also rich sources of vitamin C.
5. Vitamin D Deficiency
Disease Caused: Rickets and Defective bone growth
Vitamin D is necessary for healthy growth of bones and it even aids in helping the body maintain proper levels of calcium, which is vital for development of teeth and bones. A deficiency of this vitamin in kids can hamper the growth of bones, resulting into defective bone growth. If both calcium and vitamin D are lacking then it can lead to Osteoporosis, a condition when bones become porous and fragile.
Prevention
To prevent the deficiency of vitamin D, ensure that your child eats a diet rich in vitamin D. The best sources of vitamin D apart from sun exposure are fish liver oil, egg yolks, fortified grains, salmon, and dairy products.
6. Calcium Deficiency
Disease Caused: Poor Bone Growth
Calcium helps in the growth of strong bones and teeth in kids. It even helps in the proper functioning of heart, nerves, and muscles. The deficiency of it leads to severe health problems over time. Calcium deficiencies often lead to low bone mass, weak bones due to osteoporosis and abnormal heart rhythms.
Prevention
Though calcium deficiency will not show any immediate symptoms, but as said, in the long run it can be very harmful for your kids. They will have weak bones and many other health issues. To prevent the deficiency, provide them with calcium rich foods such as dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese; vegetables such as broccoli, and calcium-fortified foods such as cereals and grains.
As parents, you must ensure that your child is not deprived of any of the vital nutrients. A balanced diet will boost their growth and keep diseases at bay!