WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Sushil Kumar Jangid and Dr. Kirtibala Tawde*

ABSTRACT

Nutrition and especially infant and childhood nutrition is one of the most highlighted and discussed matter in pediatrics, because childhood is the formative period which lays the foundation of adult life. Thus the wellbeing of these children, on the threshold of physical and mental maturity is vital for development of nation. The health of children is directly related with the important aspect of childhood i.e. growth and development, as they are the parameters of health and diseases. The dramatic growth of infants during the first year of life imposes unique nutritional needs so, mother’s breast milk is ideal for a newborn. The World Health Organization recommends that children in developing countries should be exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age after that weaning is to be started gradually but breast feed should continue to be the main food of the baby even when weaning is started. Milk amongst the Ahara dravyas is reffered as jivaniya. Hence, it is the only primary source of nutrition and diet to the infant due to Satmyatva. Classical texts of Ayurveda, advises the intake of Stanya from the day of birth continued until the age of two years. After 6 months of age introduction of fruit and fruit juices recommended as phalaprashana samskara because mother’s milk is deficient in vitamin C, D & iron. Fruits & fruit juices help in supplementing this extra nutrition along with the agnideepaka property (increases the digestive capacity) and relieve constipation. Thereby the growing infant requires adequate amounts of milk as it the only factor for causing deha pushti, dhatu vardhana and bala vardhana. In Ayurveda, phalaprashana & Annaprashana Samsakaras advised as weaning. As children develop, they require the same foods as required in adults i.e. whole grains, a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, calcium for growing bones, healthy proteins, healthy fats (MUFA, PUFA) are needed to support the growing body of a child. Ayurveda gives lot of importance on good nutrition at every season; daily routine and every stage of a life (i.e. since fetal life to old age) in order to preserve health of a person.

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