CHFD 308 American Military University Week 6 Child Development Discussion

This week in our forum we are looking at things that impact the development of the child. We have two parts to our discussion.

Part one-

One of the things that impact a child’s overall development is nutrition.

Explain why nutrition is important for child development, and how it has evolved within the family unit. Apply this concept to the lifestyle of busy parents and the impact it has had on the child, and within the family. How has the food industry responded? How has our government responded? How have schools responded both with what they serve students and also what they teach students?

Part two-

How does infectious disease and immunizations impact a child’s health? What concerns should parents have? How do parents evaluate false claims, and what is the impact of false claims?

Minimum 250 Words

Classmate#1:

Hello everyone!

As our lesson 6 reading this week states, “Insufficient access to high quality food is an issue in U.S. for many children. This is also a problem in developing countries. A lack of access to high quality food may limit needed essential vitamins and minerals, causing lasting physical difficulties for children. Nutrients essential for the wellbeing of children include: Iron, calcium, zinc, Vitamin A, C. “- (APU- 2019). Nutrition is extremely important to a child’s development in so many ways. Cognition and brain development relies heavily on nutrition starting from pregnancy and infancy. When a family gathers around the table for meal time, this also brings bonding and traditions as well as form habits setting the foundation for valuing family time and nutrition. In today’s world, we have evolved into a fast-food culture. Everyone wants everything fast and often this comes at the expense of nutrition when a family who has baseball or soccer 5 nights a week, ends up hitting the McDonad’s drive thrus more often than not. This sets up the child to have a picky palette and prefer processed foods over the more nutritious whole foods. One way the government has responded was when Michelle Obama did a reinvention of the school lunch which was a healthier version and it was passed in 2010, “The standards increased the availability of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, increased the portion sizes of fruits and vegetables offered, required the selection of a fruit or vegetable, limited the amount of calories and sodium, and removed trans fats entirely.”- (Runestad, 2018)

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by the spread of bacteria and viruses. Bacterial illnesses can be treated with antibiotics, but viral ones can’t. Early childhood immunizations can help with these issues, but cannot prevent everything. There are many homeopathic parents who choose to not immunitize their children due to perceived threats of autism and others maladies from exposure to injections. The impact is certainly that children are exposed to disease and are not protected and it impacts everyone and can cause an epidemic all because they do not want to comply with the recommended shots and boosters from their pediatrician for unproven reasons.

References:

APU | Physical Growth and Motor Development (2019) https://edge.apus.edu/portal/site/416923/tool/936f…

Runestad, Todd (2018) Trump administration rolls back Michelle Obama’s healthy school lunch programrump administration rolls back Michelle Obama’s healthy school lunch program https://www.newhope.com/regulatory/trump-administr…

Classmate#2:

Proper nutrition is essential for optimal growth, both physically and emotionally. Good nutrition is important for children because it helps them lead a healthy lifestyle as they can maintain a healthy weight and reduce their risk of certain diseases, such as childhood diabetes. A child’s nutritional needs vary by age, so it is important for parents to make sure their child is getting the adequate nutrition they need. It is also important for parents to model good eating habits because parenting practices strongly contribute to whether children acquire positive or negative attitudes and habits towards food, meals, and eating. A child who regularly eats meals with his/her family, helps prepare food, sets the table etc., usually has a positive attitude towards food. On the other hand, a child who is fed separately, expected to eat all the food on their plate, or food is used as a reward, usually has negative attitudes toward food. Over the years it has become a necessity for both parents to work outside the home. This has caused family meal times to become non-existent and fast food, or prepared food to be on the rise. Many of these foods do not contain the proper nutrients that children needs and overall are not healthy. The food industry has responded by reformulating foods and modifying labels, while the restaurant industry had reformulated children meals and providing nutrition information on menus. The federal government has started to support children’s nutritional needs as well. They have created the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) etc. In 2018, the government spent about $23 billion to reimburse schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for children’s meals (USDA, 2019). Meals are free for students who meet income criteria and those who don’t pay a small fee. As an FCC Provider, I participate in the CACFP. We have certain guidelines that we must follow such as having whole-grain rich foods at least once a day, 1% milk for children 2 and older, no juice and meatless options at least once a week. The program is very focused on providing nutritious meals and the correct servings of food. Schools around the country have started to improve their menus. More fruits, vegetables and whole grains are being offered.

Infectious diseases can comprise the health of a child and their overall well-being. The introduction of immunizations/vaccinations have mostly eliminated some of the most harmful diseases, such as smallpox and measles. There are other infectious illnesses out there such as colds, flu, bowl-related illnesses etc. that could be harmful to a child’s health. These infectious diseases/illnesses are especially significant in children who do not get the adequate nutrition that they needs. Children who are malnourished or undernourished are more susceptible to serious illness with potentially severe consequences (APUS, 2019). Over the years there has been an influx in the number of children who are not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. Around 20 percent of infants in the US have not received the full series of recommended immunizations (APUS, 2019). There are many reasons why parents refuse to immunize their children, including access to health care, lack of information, inaccurate information and religious reasons. Many parents are influenced by other people and the media and the spreading notion that vaccinations are linked to autism or other developmental delays. Parents can evaluate claims by doing their own research. The overall impact is that these children are not protected and could catch diseases and spread it to others.

References

APUS (2019). Physical Growth and Motor Development. Retrieved from https://edge.apus.edu/portal/site/416923/tool/

USDA. (2019). Child Nutrition Programs. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/child-nutrition-programs/

Minimum 150 Words

https://edge.apus.edu/portal/directtool/936fd728-f…