Explain Infants and Preschool Children Growth?
In this unit we will be studying about one of the crucial phases of human growth and development i.e. infancy to preschool years. This phase is extremely significant from a nutritional point of view as during this stage, the vulnerability for various diseases increases, hence emphasizing the role of proper nutrition and care from the parents or caregivers. Undeniably, the most interesting, innovative and challenging phase in human feeding is meeting nutritional needs of infants and children, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The caretaker or the parent has to be imaginative, patient, interesting and devote undivided attention in feeding this age group. This period helps to build lifelong behavioural food habits and physiological growth patterns. Hence, this stage is very critical and of utmost importance. We will find a detailed discussion on this critical period including the nutritional needs and the dietary considerations for infants and children in this unit.