Poor nutrition is normally associated with children from the poor families, but according to experts, that isn’t always the case. The truth is that even with well-to-do parents, not all of them know the right diet for children, especially those under the age of five. Good nutrition is especially important for children because it is directly linked to all aspects of their growth and development; factors which will have direct ties to their level of health as adults.

From 0-6 months

Rene Tabaro, a nutritionist at King Faisal Hospital, says it’s important for a mother to exclusively breastfeed the child for the first six months without introducing any other kind of food.

However, he points out that within this period, if a child is not well breastfed, they can still suffer from malnutrition.

"Generally some mothers, especially first time mothers, don’t know how a child should be positioned to get enough milk. They need to be guided on this so that the child is able to get enough milk from the breast,” explains Tabaro.

Again, if the mother is physiologically affected, the production of the milk will go down thus limiting a child from getting enough. For this reason, physiological health is essential for every breastfeeding mother.

Raymond Awazi, a pediatrician at Polyclinique de l’Etoile, however, says because most mothers are now working, even infants less than four months can be introduced to some foods since breastfeeding is done only in the morning and evening.

"For the busy mothers and those with low milk, some food supplements should be introduced to such infants. For instance, if the child is three months and above, start by giving them fruits, vegetables and juices, but all this should be given when blended finely,” says Awazi.

He explains that this is done because their digestive system is not fully developed, and when this kind of food is given to them, it helps in preparing them for hard foods.

But Awazi cautions that mothers should not introduce hard foods like cereals to infants because these will make them develop constipation.

When the child develops constipation, their appetite goes down and food intake will be low, which also results into poor nutrition.

Also, from five months and above, formula milk, yoghurt and egg yolk work well for the infants as they contain essential vitamins and proteins needed for their growth.

"Only the yellow part of the egg should be given to the infant until one year,” advises Awazi, adding that the egg white part should be given to children aged one and above.

He explains that the white part contains vitamin H, called biotin, which can block the formation of hemoglobin which later leads to anaemia.

7-12 months

Tabaro says at seven months, there is iron deficiency in the mother’s milk. Thus it has to be replenished by giving the child some other foods on top of breastfeeding.

"Foods such as porridge, egg yolk, ceralax, fish, potatoes, rice, and skimmed milk should be given to a child at this age for proper growth and also as a supplement for irons. However, the food should be well mashed,” he says.

Dr Achille Manirakiza, concurs with Tabaro’s view, saying that a balanced diet is needed for infants at this age.

"The diet should comprise natural sugars (carbohydrates), fruits, dairy products and proteins. It’s very important to limit the fats, salt intake and processed sugarly products such as chocolate and sweets,” says Manirakiza.

He says foods rich in natural sugars like cereals are ideal for kids at this age and should be mixed with milk, rice and sweet potatoes.

Manirakiza adds that fruits and vegetables are also vital.

He also points out that it is essential to identify a child’s primary allergies and try to repress them with the right foods. As is the case with adults, overeating can lead to obesity, so spacing meals is necessary.

From 12 -24 months

At this age, a child can be given the same diet as that for adults.

However, Tabaro warns that from this age, the child should not be made to depend on the breast milk.

"If the child is used to too much breastfeeding, it tends to lose appetite. This can make them malnourished because they depend on only breastfeeding and yet the milk doesn’t contain enough nutrients required for them to grow,” explains Tabaro.

He adds that mothers should always remember to include animal protein such as mashed meat or fish in their children’s diet daily as they contain essential proteins and amino acids for boosting immunity and growth.