Baby boom prompts advice on First 1,000 Days
Baby boom prompts advice on First 1,000 Days
September is officially the baby
arrival month, with more children born in September than any
other month and 30th September the most common birth date in
New Zealand[1].
Around 60,000 New Zealanders are born every year and the Early Life Nutrition Coalition is highlighting that the first years of life provide a critical window of opportunity to shape a child’s long-term health.
ELN Coalition spokesperson Associate Professor Clare Wall of Auckland University says, ‘While many new, and soon-to-be, parents are focussed on installing baby capsules, assembling flat-pack furniture and preparing for late-night nappy changes, they also need to keep in mind the important link between nutrition and long-term health.
‘Fortunately, unlike the directions that come with flat-pack furniture, getting nutrition right in the First 1,000 Days – from conception through to toddlerhood – is straight forward and easy to follow.
‘There is a growing body of evidence that diet and lifestyle factors in this period are key to reducing a child’s risk of developing obesity, type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and allergy in later life.’
According to the Early Life Nutrition Coalition, to
maximise nutritional intake, pregnant women and women who
are breast feeding should be advised to incorporate a
balanced combination of the key food groups into their
diets, including:
• Proteins – a source of lean
protein should be eaten every day, this includes poultry
(without the skin), meat, fish, beans and tofu
•
Carbohydrates – foods such as bread, pasta and potatoes
provide a good source of energy and fibre, wholemeal sources
are less processed and provide more nutritional
content
• Dairy – foods such as cheese, yoghurt
and milk are a good source of calcium
• Fruits
and vegetables – these foods are a vital source of
vitamins and nutrients
• Avoiding too many foods
with high levels of saturated fat, sugar or salt.
Clare Wall highlights that when it comes to introducing solids, there remains considerable confusion in the community. ‘In large part this confusion can be attributed to the significant change in recommendations in recent years,’ she says.
According to the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines, introducing solid foods at around six months is necessary to meet the infant’s increasing nutritional and developmental needs. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) recommends introducing solids when the infant is ready, at around six months, but not before four months, this includes introducing a variety of solid foods, starting with iron rich foods, while continuing breastfeeding. The ASCIA guidelines recommend all infants should be given allergenic solid foods including peanut butter, cooked egg, dairy and wheat products in the first year of life. This includes infants at high risk of allergy.
When it
comes to introducing solids, the Coalition
recommends:
• Around 6 months of age, foods should
be smooth and easy to swallow. These include iron-rich baby
cereal mixed with either breast milk, formula or water;
cooked and pureed vegetables such as pumpkin, potato, sweet
potato or zucchini; and cooked pureed liver and meat. Iron
dense foods are particularly important, as without
additional iron infants run a greater risk of developing
iron deficiency, anaemia or even permanent IQ damage.
•
From six-to-eight months, children should progress to
lumpier textures. Food options during this period could
include pureed or mashed vegetables, legumes, pasta and
fruits, minced or finely shredded cooked meat and fish,
cereals, wholegrains and porridge.
• From
eight-to-twelve months, parents should start introducing
finger foods. Unsweetened, full-fat yogurt can be given to
infants during this period, but cow’s milk should not be
introduced before the first birthday.
• From twelve
months onwards, babies can enjoy all family foods, excluding
low-fat dairy and choking hazards such as whole nuts. Honey,
cow’s milk, goat’s milk and soy milk can also be
introduced from twelve months.
The
Coalition supports the recommendation of introducing known
allergens to babies, including those with a high allergen
risk, in the first 12 months, but not before four months of
age. Another key aspect in infant nutrition is the
importance of breast feeding.
Clare Wall adds ‘Breast feeding for as long as possible is also very important, there is a great deal of evidence that exclusive breast feeding to around six months of age, if possible, and then continued “any” breast feeding for even longer is associated with a number of important health benefits to both the baby and the mother.’
About
the Early Life Nutrition Coalition
The Early
Life Nutrition Coalition is a formal sub-committee of the
Perinatal Society of Australia & New Zealand and its
membership comprises: Australian Diabetes Educators
Association; Australian Diabetes Society; Caring and Living
as Neighbours; The Children’s Nutrition Research Centre,
University of Queensland; Nutricia Early Life Nutrition;
Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Society;
Dietitians Association of Australia; The Liggins Institute;
Menzies Institute for Medical Research; Murdoch Children’s
Research Institute; Pharmaceutical Society of Australia;
United Way Australia; and the University of Auckland.
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[1] https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/most-common-birthday-in-new-zealand