Early stages of infant nutrition

Child nutrition, the part of dietetics closest to my heart, begins with the foetus being nurtured in a mother’s womb. Thus the mother’s health even before conception is of great importance to the health of the child. Everyone is aware of the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. But though tobacco should be totally abjured for the health of a growing foetus, it’s not the only danger. Inadequate or ill-informed nutrition” even strong negative emotions can be detrimental to the foetus. Of course the human body with its in-built defensive mechanism will, upto a point, protect the unborn child. Thus if the mother doesnt get adequate nutrition (the rule rather than exception in poverty stricken India), nature will draw from the mothers reserves, including her bones, to feed the life in her womb. Hence the ancient adage: “For every child, the mother loses a tooth.” This doesn’t of course apply if an expectant mother is eating well and living in conformity with nature’s laws. I don’t intend to get into the specifics of an expectant mother’s ideal diet because each month this column covers different aspects of healthy nutrition, the natural way. If you haven’t been reading it, you can begin now because in the future too the focus of this column will be just that” to make healthy, natural nutrition a part of the Indian awareness. Nutritious food means different things to different people. Which is why reading this column or logging onto www.conscious food.com is important if you want to learn more. And if you wish to differentiate fact from fiction in today’s confusing world where information is bombarded upon you from all sides. Before getting into the specifics of good nutrition for infants, another marvel of nature is the nausea which generally manifests in early stages of pregnancy. This is nature’s way of cleansing the womb in preparation for the foetus to have a perfect growth environment. If expectant mothers understood this clearly, they would give the body food-less rest for a few hours after drinking lemon-juice (nimbu-pani) or coconut water. As the body is cleansed, it becomes ready for fresh seasonal fruits and simple vegetable soup. Later in the day brown rice and other non-spicy food would be ideal. Such a dietary regimen abates nausea and allows the body to adjust more rapidly to pregnancy. If we reflect upon how beautifully nature has planned for perfection, we would never doubt her. So whether it is for us or our children, we need to presume that food in its whole form, with as little mutation as possible, is the best food. The first food of a new born child of course is colostrum, the secretion produced in the mother’s breast. Colostrum is rich in anti-bodies and nutrients essential for an infant. Subsequently too, it should only be breast milk with which the baby should be nursed upto five months. Even water is superfluous if the mother nurses her infant as and when required i.e if a child is breastfed…