Babies suffering from malnutrition lack sufficient nutrients for proper health and development. Malnutrition occurs in babies around the world. The World Health Organization associates 35 percent of diseases in children under 5 with malnutrition. Only one-third of breastfed babies between the ages of 6 and 23 months receive age appropriate dietary diversity and proper feeding frequency.
Poor Feeding
Poor feeding can cause malnutrition. It is a health condition specific to newborns and young infants. The babies show a lack of interest in eating enough food to provide an adequate amount of nutrition. Causes include genetic, metabolic and neurological disorders such as birth-acquired herpes, congenital hypothyroidism and premature birth. Contact a medical professional if your baby does not eat enough and consistently loses weight. A written feeding record helps your doctor make a proper diagnosis.
Maternal Diet
A poor maternal diet puts babies at higher risk for malnutrition, according to information from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, FIGO. A baby suffering from malnutrition has a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The FIGO emphasizes the importance of the mother's diet. She should eat good calories during gestation from nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains instead of bad calories from processed and fatty foods.
Iron Deficiency
Preventing an iron deficiency during the first six to 12 months of life is critical to your baby's development. An iron deficiency can delay the proper development of the central nervous system and can negatively influence brain development, according to an article by John L. Beard from Pennsylvania State University and published in the June 2011 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition." The negative effects of an iron deficiency can be irreversible. It can prevent your child's iron levels from ever returning to normal, even in adulthood.
Prevention
The World Health Organization outlines effective preventive measures to reduce malnutrition in babies. Promoting correct eating practices during the "window of opportunity" --- the first 24 months of life --- are the keystone of this preventative strategy. The WHO recommends exclusively breastfeeding for the six months -- starting within one hour of childbirth, proper nutrition for lactating mothers and a timely introduction of safe and nutritious foods as the baby weans off breastfeeding. After the first six months, the WHO encourages mothers to complement breastfeeding with age-appropriate foods for two years or more.
References
- Medline Plus; Poor Feeding In Infants; August 2009
- World Health Organization; Essential Nutrition Actions: Improving Maternal-Newborn-Infant and Young Child Health and Nutrition; May 2011
- International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; Poor Maternal Diet Can Lead To Malnutrition; June 2011
- World Health Organization; Infant and Young Child Feeding; July 2010
- "Journal of Nutrition"; Why Iron Deficiency Is Important in Infant Development; John L. Beard; June 2011
