Question

The dad of a preschool-age child is worried that his daughter is not getting enough calcium. He would like to know how low calcium intake could affect his daughter, current recommendations regarding calcium intake for his daughter, and good sources of calcium. As the school nurse what would you tell him?

List at least four recommendations to reduce early childhood dental carries.

How should complementary foods be introduced to infants? Do commercially prepared baby foods need to be a part of an infant’s diet, or are there other alternatives?

Answer 1

Recommended calcium intake for pre school child:

• Baby Center says children between ages 1-3 years require 700 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily.
• Children between ages 4-8 years require 1,000 mg of calcium daily.

Low calcium level would cause:

• If a child doesn't get enough calcium and vitamin D to support important functions, it takes calcium from bones. This is called losing bone mass.
• Losing bone mass makes the bones become weak and porous.
• This puts you at risk for the bone disease osteoporosis
• Also causes dental carries

Good sources of calcium:

• Dairy products: Milk, cheese, and yogurt
• Oranges
• Boiled eggs
• Fish
• Almonds
• Green peas
• Drum sticks
• Calcium-fortified juice
• Vegetables and fruit like okra, spinach and figs
• Soya seeds and tofu
• Sesame seeds

Note: Without vitamin D, the body will find it hard to absorb calcium. An effective way for your preschooler to get vitamin D is to get a little sun every day as it is a best and natural source for Vit D.

Recommendations to reduce early childhood dental carries:

• Parents/carers of children who are assessed as being at high caries risk should be-

1. encouraged to brush their child’s teeth: with fluoride toothpaste containing at least 1,000 ppm F twice a day at bedtime and at one other time during the day using a small pea size amount of toothpaste
2. Children should be encouraged to spit out toothpaste and not rinse after brushing.

• Oral health education for parents/carers should encourage healthy eating, in line with national dietary guidelines.
• Parents/carers of children who use a baby bottle should be advised never to put sweet drinks into the bottle and not to let their child sleep with a baby bottle or feeder cup.
• Parents/carers should be encouraged to limit their child’s consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks.
• Recall of high caries risk children should be based on the Clinicians Caries Risk Assessment Checklist.

Complementary foods introduced to infants:

First stage: Before 6 months but after 4 months

• Smooth puries: beans, pulses, baby rice, soups
• Smashed foods: potatoes, cooked apple,pear

Second stage: 6-9 months

• Smashed foods with soft lumps: smashes lentils, pasta, cooked vegetables
• Soft finger foods: cheese cubes crust of bread

Third stage: 9-12 months

• Hard finger foods: meat, fish, small pieces of fruits
• Minced and chopped foods: oats, bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables

Commericially prepared baby foods will cause babies to miss out on vital nutrients for growth.

Example: Gerber baby food or other complementary baby foods claims their iron-fortified rice cereal,etc is just what babies need when they are ready to start eating solid foods. But according to Gerber's ingredients, the product is neither good nor safe. So making small recipes at home as complementary foods is best to meet the nutrients necessary for babies.