Question

What guidelines should be followed when planning for health, safety, and nutrition activities (for toddler, pre-school, school-age children)?

Answer 1

Q)What guidelines should be followed when planning for health, safety, and nutrition activities (for toddler, pre-school, school-age children)?

Ans) Globally, ideas about health, disease and health care system have undergone significant change in recent years.Public attention is gradually shifting from a mode of dependency on the medical profession for treating diseases and chronic illness to a realisation that individuals must assume some personal responsibility for their own well being.

In part, this change being fueled by

- Escalating medical costs,

- lack of health insurance,

- disabling conditions which are not cure at present,

In addition, the positive health outcomes achieved by certain objectives. They are mainly:

1. Preventive health concept,

2. Help of National health programmes that address child health needs,

3. Understanding of interrelationships of health,saftey and nutrition,

4. Typical growth and developmental characteristics of Infants, toddlers, preschool age, and school age children,

5. Initiation of programs that teachers can be proactive in promoting children's wellness in the areas of injury prevention, dental health,physical activity and mental health.

Preventive health Concept:  The concept of preventive health recognises that individuals are able to reduse many factors that threaten personal wellness.

Examples of preventive health practices: A preventive health approach involves a combination of personal practices and national initiatives:

On a personal Scale: Eating a diet low in animal fats,

- consuming a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains,

- engaging in aerobic and muscle strengthening activities regularly,

- practising good oral hygiene,

- using proper hand washing technique,

- avoiding substance abuse ( alcohol, tobacco, drugs)

- keeping immunisation upto date.

On a National scale: regulating vehicle emissions,

- preventive chemical dumping,

- inspecting food supplies,

- measuring air pollution,

- providing immunisation programs,

- fluoridating drinking water,

- monitoring disease outbreaks.

Help of National health programmes that address child health needs : A number of large scale programs have been established in recent years to improve children's access to preventive services. They are namely:

1)Healthy People 2020 : the objectives of this program target certain areas for improving children's health include:

- physical activity and fitness,

- nutrition- Overweight and obesity,

- Substance abuse,

- mental health,

- sleep,

- elimination of lead poisoning,

- injury and violence prevention,

- immunisations and infectious diseases,

- oral health,

- material and infant health,

- accessed to health services,

- health education,

- vision, hearing and communication disorders.

2) Children's Health Insurance Programme ( CHIP),

3) Healthy child America,

4)National Health and saftey performance standards for child care : The comprehensive guidelines address areas of child care are

- staffing: Child staff ratios, Credentials, and training,

- activities for healthy development- supervision, transportation, behaviour management, partnerships with families, health education,

- health promotion and protection: sanitation, special medical conditions, illness management,

- Nutrition and Food services,

- infectious diseases - respiratory, blood born and skin,

- children with special needs,

- Administration,

- recommendations for licensing and community action - regulatory agencies, policy.

5) No child left behind,

6) The national Children's study : One of the most comprehensive studies of children's health ever undertaken in the United States is currently progress " National Children's study 2009". The National inistitute of Child health and human development is coordinating this longitudinal study. The components of this Study are:

- Health Education,

- Physical education,

- Health services,

- Nutrition Services,

- Counselling, psychological and social services,

- Healthy School environment,

- Health promotion for staff,

- Family community involvement.

Understanding of interrelationships of health,saftey and nutrition :

Health, Saftey and Nutrition are closely intertwined and dependent on one another.

  Toddlers ( 12 - 30 months): The toddler continues to make steady gains in height and weight, but at a much slower rate than during infancy,

- A weight increased of 6 to 7 pounds per year is considered normal and reflects a total gain of nearly four times the child's birth weight by the age of two,

- The toddler grows approximately 3 to 5 inches in height per year,

- Body proportions change and result in a more erect and adult like appearance.

- Eruption of baby teeth is complete by toddlers period,

- Special attention on providing foods that promote essential nutrients, Food from all groups like Fruits, vegetables,dairy, protein,whole grain should be part of the toddlers daily meal pattern.

- High activity levels essential for 10 to 12 hrs of uninterrupted sleep night time,

- saftey awareness and injury prevention continue to be major concerns that demand close adult supervision.

Pre schoolers / Early school age ( Age - 2 and half yrs to 8 yrs) During the preschool and early school age years, a child appearance become more streamlined and adult like in form,

- Head size remains relatively constant, trunk and extremities continue to grow,

- Gradually, the head separates from the trunk and neck lengthens ,

- Legs grow longer at a faster rate than arms,

- Adequate nutrition continues to be a prime consideration, High activity levels replace the rapid growth of earlier years as the primary demand for calories,

- a general rule for estimating a child's daily caloric needs is to begin with a base of 1000 calories and an additional 100 calories per birthday,

- Adequate sleep is also required for children's optimal growth and development, when days are long and tiring or unusually stressful, children's need for sleep,

- By the time children reach school age , they begin to enjoy healthiest period in their life,

- saftey in this age , about fewer colds and upper respiratory infections. This overcome by proper improved resistance and physical maturation,

- visual acuity continues to improve, gains in linear growth are fairly rapid and muscle mass increasing to give children a more adult like appearance.

9 to 12 yrs: eating proper time and energetic activities,academic challenges are by learning social customers is able to think abstract terms.