Supplementary Feeding For Children

Supplementary feeding means providing extra food to your kids over and above their home diet and has been used in populations that are food insecure and vulnerable to improve their health and quality of life. It’s important to remember that supplements are not a substitute for whole nutritious foods and should never be used as insurance against a poor diet. Here are some of the essential supplement that you should feed your child.

Vitamin D- Babies need vitamin D for healthy growth and development. It helps them build strong, healthy bones and teeth. When giving your baby liquid vitamin D, make sure you don’t exceed the recommended amount. Babies who don’t get enough vitamin D are said to have a deficiency. If the levels are low enough, they are at risk of getting rickets, a disease that affects the way bones grow and develop.

Vitamin B12 – Vitamin B12 keeps the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia that makes children tired and weak. Vitamin B12 is not present in plant foods, so breastfeeding moms who follow a strict vegan diet will need to supplement their diet with vitamin B12 to make sure that both they themselves and their babies are receiving adequate levels.

Iron- Iron is a nutrient that’s essential to your child’s growth and development, but some kids don’t have enough Iron. It can occur at many levels, from a mild deficiency all the way to iron deficiency anemia — a condition in which blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells. Untreated iron deficiency can affect a child’s growth and development.

Magnesium- Magnesium is one of the most abundant micro-minerals in the human body. Magnesium for kids is essential as it supports the functions of hundreds of enzymes, promoting healthy bone development. Without this mineral, your child may not thrive as well as he should during the growing years. Magnesium deficiency can be caused by a number of factors, but the main culprit is usually poor diet due to lack of nutritious food.
Calcium- Children’s bones keep growing throughout childhood. They grow fastest during toddlerhood and puberty. Their bones keep getting bigger and stronger until they reach what’s known as “peak bone mass”. Bones need foods from all the main food groups to stay strong and healthy. Calcium is particularly vital during puberty when the bones grow quicker than at any other time. If your kids aren’t getting enough calcium in their diet, you may need to give them a calcium supplement each day.