Nutrition Review -Child

Summary of Recommendation and Evidence

Population	Recommendation	Grade (What's This?)
Screening of both Genders	This screening is recommended for children.	B

OVERVIEW

A child nutrition health checkup refers to regular visits to a pediatrician or a child nutrition specialist to ensure a child’s proper nutrition. These checkups are recommended for all kids regardless of age, and are similar to regular pediatric checkups but focus on the child’s eating habits and nutrition. Taking a child to these appointments at least once a year will help make sure that he or she is receiving full nutrition at his age. It also helps doctors to identify and manage any nutritional deficiencies before they put the child’s health at risk.

How Much Food Do They Need?

Depending on their age, size, and activity level, toddlers need about 1,000–1,400 calories a day. Refer to the chart below to get an idea of how much your child should be eating and what kinds of foods would satisfy the requirements.

Food Group	Daily Amount for 2-Year-Olds	Daily Amount for 3-Year-Olds	Help With Servings
Grains	3 ounces, half from whole-grain sources	4-5 ounces, half from whole-grain sources	1 ounce equals: 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked pasta, or cooked cereal.
Vegetables	1 cup	1½ cups	Use measuring cups to check amounts. Serve veggies that are soft, cut in small pieces, and well cooked to prevent choking.
Fruits	1 cup	1-1½ cups	Use measuring cups to check amounts.
Milk	2 cups	2 cups	1 cup equals: 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1½ ounces of natural cheese, or 2 ounces of processed cheese.
Meat & Beans	2 ounces	3-4 ounces	1 ounce equals: 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked dry beans, or 1 egg.

Possible Risks and Complications

A child nutrition health checkup is a routine nutrition check that involves only a physical exam and consultation. Thus, it is 100% safe and poses no risk to a child. It also helps a parent protect a child from the health risks and possible complications of nutritional deficiency and weight-related diseases, especially malnutrition and obesity.

Malnutrition puts the child at risk of the following:

Reduced body mass
Decreased stamina and energy
Breathing difficulties
Chest infection
Respiratory failure
Compromised immune response
Delayed wound healing
Susceptibility to all kinds of illnesses

On the other hand, malnutrition is linked to the following risk factors:

Poverty resulting in lack of food
Culture/location
High-calorie diet
Conditions affecting the teeth, mouth, or a child’s ability to swallow
Being a picky eater
Existing illness
Eating disorders
Digestive illness or malabsorption syndrome

Children who meet the above risk factors should be taken to child nutrition health checkups more often and may need continuous medical treatment and supervision for as long as necessary.

Who Should Undergo and Expected Results

A child nutrition health checkup is recommended for all children, from infants to adolescents, who will later on transition to adult checkups. Since a child’s nutritional requirements change each year as he grows older, it is best to seek a nutrition checkup once a year. These visits may be arranged with the child’s primary care provider or pediatrician.

The goals of a child nutrition checkup are as follows:

To check whether the child meets his nutritional requirements
To check whether the child is in good physical health
To check for early warning signs of health problems so that they are addressed at an early stage
To help parents create a healthy diet plan for their children.
The pediatrician or pediatric nutrition specialist will watch out for signs of weight-related problems, such as:
Malnutrition – A child is malnourished if he lacks proper nutrition. It can be caused by a lack of food or either not eating enough of healthy, nutritious foods or eating too many unhealthy foods.
Obesity – A child is overweight or obese if he weighs a lot more than he is supposed to at his age. This is different from being big-boned and is mostly associated with being overly fat.

Parents usually seek a child nutrition health checkup when they observe the following symptoms:

Poor weight gain
Sudden or dramatic weight gain/loss
Failure to grow at the normal expected rate (in both height and weight), given the child’s age
Behavioral changes, such as being sluggish or irritable
Changes in skin color
Abnormal or disproportional body mass index
Recurrent infections

A child’s nutrition is very important, as it can impact the state of his health as an adult. A child nutrition health checkup can help ensure that the child receives balanced nutrition and stays healthy.