Malnutrition in children, Learning effects
Introduction
Malnutrition in infants is the consequence of insufficient food consumption (in quantity and quality), the lack of adequate care and the appearance of infectious diseases. At present, despite the great advances and developments that the planet has had, child malnutrition is a problem that has not been resolved.
The right to food must be part of the minimum rights that every company must guarantee in order to move towards a more equitable distribution of opportunities and a full citizenship order for all. It is the right to life the first to be guaranteed, and it is the most chronic damage that requires an earlier intervention. Focusing interventions in children under 3 years, pregnant women and infants, as well as in their families.
At least 1 in 5 children under five years of age have a size for age, that is, chronic malnutrition. 12% of children have global malnutrition, that is, low weight for age. 16% are born with low weight. Six out of 10 pregnant women and 7 out of 10 children under 1 year suffer from iron deficiency anemia. These figures almost double in rural and indigenous populations, for example in Chimborazo, with a high indigenous population, malnutrition reaches 44% while the national average is 19%.
These are some indicators that show the seriousness of the problem and the urgency of increasing efforts to combat it. (UNICEF Ecuador) In this essay, the problems in learning that a child with malnutrition will be demonstrated, I will check it with studies carried out. A child who suffers from malnutrition is affected by his survival, the proper functioning and development of his body and his cognitive and intellectual abilities.
Developing
Malnutrition (DNT) in the first years of life can lead to permanent deficit in growth, psychomotor development and child learning ability. The effects of the DNT seem to have more important consequences of what was believed a few years ago and this terribly affects the potential for human development of millions of children in third world countries.
Good nutrition has an essential effect in the first thousand days of the child’s life, and by the time around 80% of his brain has already developed. Learning is related to malnutrition and this can be affirmed with various studies that tell us that: malnutrition in the first months of life has serious consequences on the intellectual potential and behavior of animal models subject to study.
In the case of man, implications of inadequate food are less clear, but there are sufficient data to confirm that poor nutrition delays growth and development. The effects of malnutrition on the early stages of life are more serious if that coincides with critical growth periods. Malnutrition is evidenced at several levels and in the most serious cases, it causes nerve disorders.
In less serious cases, a poor state of nutrition causes the least response to the environmental stimulus, which interferes with learning. Unfortunately, even more than 7 million children under five suffer chronic malnutrition in Latin America, according to the World Bank. In the region and in the world, child malnutrition has a series of negative consequences such as a higher mortality rate, under performance during the learning stage of cognitive, social and emotional skills, under school performance and limited labor productivity in ageadult.
This process collaborates with the intergenerational transmission of poverty and inequality in scarce families. (The future of children who are poorly fed, 2015). According to María Victorina Aguilar Vilas, director of the Department of Nutrition, Bromatology and Toxicology at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid: a brain tired or with lack of nutrients, can lead them not to perform an exam with all the concentration that is necessary.
The brain is a very sensitive organ that controls emotions, thought, perception, moods, and behavior. It depends completely on the nutrients and energy supplied by the blood. The brain has a protective barrier that selectively transports nutrients and substances that are suitable for its operation. If nutrients are inappropriate, it causes neurochemical imbalances, which cause alterations in thought, perception, emotions, or behaviors.
An excess of meat or protein, can lead to a more aggressive character in our children (and in us) Sandra Navó (health coach) Other studies point out that, those children who do not have breakfast or whose breakfast is very light have 68% more ofrisk of suffering metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Some pediatricians affirm that hyperactivity or lack of attention can be the cause of excess sweet or "fast" food abuse. Other nutrition professionals even begin to affirm that sugar is a legal drug.
This malnutrition in children can be fought in the following ways: access to health care when health care is scarce and children do not receive the attention they need for their age, it is very difficult to detect possible cases of malnutrition. Routine weight and stature reviews are one of the main tools to diagnose if a child is malnourished. Therefore, if health care is extended, the incidence of this scourge can be reduced.
Formation of mothers and fathers in countries with high levels of malnutrition, food is scarce. However, it is proven that teaching parents what foods at their disposal are more beneficial for their children. It helps to combat malnutrition. Therapeutic food is a peanut concentrate paste that contains the necessary nutrients for the recovery of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Its use has been extended in recent years, driven by the possibility of using it at home. It is estimated that 3 out of 4 children with severe acute malnutrition can recover in their homes with this preparation.
Breastfeeding milk produced by mothers is one of the most effective ways to end malnutrition. When a baby does not receive the benefits of breastfeeding, the probability of dying is multiplied by 14. Access to water and sanitation to consume water in good condition and have access to adequate sanitation helps prevent infectious diseases, one of the main causes of child malnutrition. For this reason, a tap and a toilet play a fundamental role in the fight against malnutrition.
conclusion
In conclusion we can observe with the studies presented that malnutrition affects children in their locomotor development mainly in their first 5 years of life because that is where 85% of the development of their brain is given and realizing how important agood food because it intervenes in development not only in the growth of height but also in learning.
In the world there are sufficient foods to meet the needs of all men, women and children who inhabit it. Therefore, hunger and malnutrition are not only consequences of lack of food, but also of poverty, inequality and errors in the order of priorities. Dr. Abel Albino. President and founder of Conin.
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