lactating mom


 NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR EXPECTANT AND LACTATING MOTHERS, CHILDREN, ELDERS AND SENTANTARY WORKERS AND SICK PEOPLE

Nutritional requirement differ for the different groups of people, the ratio of nutrients various depending on the sex, age, health and the amount of the activities or state of the body, the following are some groups of people and their special nutritional needs


EXPECTANT AND LACTATING MOTHER

Expectant and lactating mothers (breastfeeding) need to get enough nutrients, they should eat a balance diet because they require nutrients for themselves and the growing foetus or babies

PROTEIN is needed for the buildup of the mother’s muscles, breasts, uterus, bloody supply and the baby’s or foetus’ tissues and organs

FOLIC ACID and VITAMIN B help to lower the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, spina bifida is a spinal disorder characterized by a hole in the spine, it results from incomplete formation of the spinal cord and the bones of the spines, often the spine protrudes through the hole and sometimes a fluid filled sac may surround the protruding spinal cord,

CALSIUM help in the development of the foetus’ or baby’s bones, if the mother’s diet does not contain adequate calcium, it is derived from her bones for the foetus or baby, this weakens the mother’s bones

ZINC is important for the proper progression of labour and proper growth and development of the baby, the mother to be require iron for her blood supply needs, the foetus also needs to store iron for use during the first few months after birth

Expectant mother requires adequate amounts of dietary FIBRE to reduce the likelihood of constipation, which is a common complaint during pregnancy, also expected mother need to drink plenty of water, water is a major constituent of breast milk, in addition, some hormones produced during breastfeeding increase thirst

 

CHILDREN

Young children are still growing and they are generally more active than adults, their diet needs to provide them with adequate nutrients to ensure growth and enough energy to learn and play

PROTEIN is required by the children for the growth and development of the body tissues, inadequate supplies of protein can lead to stunted growth generally like calcium is necessary for the formation of strong bones and teeth

ZINC is important for body growth, zinc resources in the body can be depleted by vigorous physical exercise

VITAMIN B12 is required for the formation of red blood cells because a growing body needs more oxygen and more blood) and for growth while VITAMIN C help children to build their immunity

Children also require MORE ENERGY giving foods because they are more active than adults

ELDERLY

Elderly people require less energy giving foods because they are generally less active than young people, nevertheless they still require adequate amount of vitamins and minerals to maintain their health. Old people require adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D to counter the loss

The elderly often has problems of chewing tough food because of weakened teeth and swallowing because of the decreased production of saliva, it is therefore important to ensure that they get foods that are nutritious as well as easy to chew and swallow for example they can get protein from eggs or liver instead of meat

They also need mineral such as iron, zinc and calcium. Iron is necessary because anemia is frequent problem in old age, zinc is required for a healthy immune system and to increase the rate of healing of wounds

SEDENTARY WORKERS

There are individuals who stay in one place for a long time while performing their daily occupation activities, they include tailors, weavers, clerks, receptionist and doctors. Sedentary workers are encouraged to balance their diets with physical exercise, due to their lifestyle and occupation, obesity is increasingly common among them, therefore it is recommended that they limit their intake of foods rich in lipids

THE SICK

Sick people require plenty of nutrients to help recover their health, those who have incurable diseases such as HIV and AIDS should get food that will help them to manage their conditions

Proper nutrition helps to keep their immune system strong and helps the body to fight opportunistic infections and diseases

Rapid weight loss is a major problem in the late stages of AIDS. It is therefore important to get enough nutrients so that the body can compensate for this

Proper nutrition helps the body to withstand heavy medication

Proper diet and exercise helps to combat symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and high blood sugar

Excess caffeine, sugar, fried foods, spicy foods and alcohol should be avoided because they are harmful to a body whose immune system is already weak

They need to take plenty of fruits and water; fruits provide vitamins which are required to fight diseases water replaces the amount lost through diarrhea or vomiting

 

 

 

 


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