Pediatric Nutrition, Gastroenterology and Child Development

Breastfeeding offers many benefits to a baby. Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help the infant grow strong and healthy. Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect infants against some common childhood illnesses and infections. It may also help mother's health. Certain types of cancer may occur less often in mothers who have breastfed their babies. Women who don't have health issues should try to give their babies breast milk for at least the first six months of life. 

Pediatric Nutrition is the maintenance of a proper well-balanced diet consisting of the essential nutrients and the adequate caloric intake necessary to promote growth and sustain the physiologic requirements at the various stages of a child's development. Pediatric nutritional needs vary considerably with age, level of activity, and environmental conditions and they are directly related to the rate of growth. Breast Feeding has important ingredients that are not found in any infant formula, to build the baby’s immune system. Pediatric nutrition must consist of essential Vitamins and Minerals which help for the growth and development. Proteins are the basic units required mainly for the construction of the body muscles and in all the metabolic activities of the body. To increase the calcium levels intake of dairy products are needed.

Food Industry is a complex, global collective of diverse businesses that supply most of the food consumed by the world population. Only subsistence farmers, those who survive on what they grow, and hunter-gatherers can be considered outside of the scope of the modern food industry. The novel technologies in Food Science alter the Food Sector to reinforce the standard of the eatables and drinks. New food stuffs embrace Biotechnology primarily based strategies food product e.g. genetically modified food, Organic crops and food stuffs, super molecule based mostly diet. Hence, the food that we consume every day is the result of intensive food analysis, a scientific investigation into a spread of foods’ properties and compositions.

The aim of the study of pediatric gastroenterology is to reduce infant and child rate of deaths, control the spread of infectious disease, promote healthy lifestyles for a long disease-free life and help ease the problems of children and adolescents. It can be acknowledged that this can be reached by learning the major and primary subject on gastroenterology. It includes the treatments involved for the betterment of gastrointestinal health in children. Gastrointestinal Tract is an organ system responsible for transporting and digesting foodstuffs, absorbing nutrients, and expelling waste. Gastrointestinal motility is defined by the movements of the digestive system, and the transit of the contents within it. When nerves or muscles in any portion of the digestive tract do not function with their normal strength and coordination, a person develops symptoms related to motility problems.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) arises initially during the process of gastrulation from the endoderm of the trilaminar embryo (week 3) and extends from the buccopharyngeal membrane to the cloacal membrane. The tract and associated organs later have contributions from all the germ cell layers. Digestion is the breakdown of food into smaller particles or individual nutrients. Obesity is the most prevalent nutritional disorder among children and adolescents in the United States. Approximately 21-24% of American children and adolescents are overweight, and another 16-18% is obese; the prevalence of obesity is highest among specific ethnic groups. Chronic abdominal pain(CAP) persists for more than 3 mo. either continuously or intermittently. Intermittent pain may be referred to as recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). CAP occurs any time after 5 years of age. Up to 10% of children require evaluation for RAP. 

Intussusception is the most common abdominal emergency affecting children under 2 years old. It happens when one portion of the bowel slides into the next, much like the pieces of a telescope. A hydrocele is a collection of fluid within the processes vaginalis (PV) that produces swelling in the inguinal region or scrotum. An inguinal hernia occurs when abdominal organs protrude into the inguinal canal or scrotum. Hirschsprung’s disease is a condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool. Intussusception is the most common abdominal emergency affecting children under 2 years old. It happens when one portion of the bowel slides into the next. An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin area when fatty or intestinal tissues push through the inguinal canal. The inguinal canal resides at the base of the abdomen. Atresia is a condition in which an orifice or passage in the body is closed or absent. Examples of atresia include: Imperforate anus, malformation of the opening between the rectum and anus.

Understanding child development is essential because it allows us to completely appreciate the cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and educational growth that children go through from birth to their early adulthood. There are five areas of child development: physical, social and emotional, approaches to learning, thinking, and communication and language.

Children during early years of age undergo rapid growth and development that is greatly influenced by certain factors. Exclusive breastfeeding, adequate complementary feeding, stimulation, safe environment and care need to be ensured for optimum physical, mental, social and cognitive development. Children who have a good start in their life will be healthier adults resulting better life promoting Gross National Happiness.

Young children can be naughty, defiant and impulsive from time to time, which is very normal. However, some children have extremely difficult and challenging behavior’s that are outside the boundary for their age. The most common disruptive behavior disorders include oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These three behavioral disorders share common symptoms, so diagnosis is difficult and time consuming. A child or adolescent may have two disorders at the same time. Other outside factors can include emotional problems, mood disorders, family difficulties and substance abuse.

A Case Report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports contain a demographic profile of the patient and usually describes an unusual or novel occurrence. Some case reports also contain a literature review of other reported cases. The session includes discussion on Pediatric Gastroenterology, Neonatal Gastroenterology, Pediatric Gastrointestinal disorders, Pediatric hepatology, Pediatric Nutrition and Pediatric Surgery.

Safe, long-term parenteral nutrition was first inculcated new-born by the starting 1972. Since that time, it has subsidized vitally to the survival of many children around the world. Soon the new changes in the parenteral nutrition, however, it added a serious problem associated with it. Uniqueness in the characteristics of the neonatal has added to the implementation of the pediatrics nutrition in itself.