Nutrition and child development

Nutrition supports child development

Nutrition that is adequate, complete and balanced is a powerful part of supporting child development.

Plentiful research has been conducted on the effects of nutrition on child development and growth.  Poor nutrition has been shown to negatively impact child development significantly.

It is important to understand your child’s nutritional needs, which can be difficult when there are many different views as to what constitutes a good diet.

The United States Department of Agriculture has published extensive material on this subject providing a wealth of information on how to properly feed children.  In addition, when you have questions regarding nutrition you can consult a pediatrician or child nutritionist specifically.

Some children have food sensitivities.  It is important to rule these out if your child has been having any difficulty with development, or if you have any reason to suspect that your child is not digesting his or her food well.  Sometimes food sensitivities can have a negative affect on learning, and growth.  Many parents have reported after eliminating problem foods from their children’s diets, the children reached goals and objectives much faster.

If you have difficulty feeding your child the variety of food needed for a healthy diet due to picky eating, please have your child assessed by a speech-language pathologist who specializes in feeding. Your child may have an underlying oral motor sensory problem that can be treated.

If you have further questions, we are happy to answer your questions.  Please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Happy mealtime!