Pediatric Nutrition, Gastroenterology and Child Development

Pediatric Diet

The diet provides adequate nutrition for the child of any developmental age and aids in establishing good eating habits. These are based on the basic food groups with considerations of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for age. Food group quantities may be divided to include between-meal snacks. The one-year old’s begin to show a decrement in appetite and interest in food which should not be interpreted as “poor” appetite but rather normal for this age with a decrease in growth rate. To ensure that the diet is adequate in nutrients, one should select the toddler’s food carefully. Whereas the nutritional needs during adolescence vary individually and according to gender. The period of greatest nutritional need coincides with the peak rate of growth during adolescence. The greatest need for girls is between 10 and 13-1/2 years, and for boys between 12 and 14-1/2 years. Since the growth and sequence of sexual development are related, it is useful to consider an adolescent’s state of maturation to assess nutritional needs accurately.