Child and Adolescent Development: Stages and Nutritional Needs
Childhood Stages
Every human being under 18 years of age has rights.
Periods of Childhood
- Newborn
- Infant
- Toddler (2-3 years)
- Preschool (4-6 years)
- School Age (6-12 years)
- Adolescence (12-18 years)
- From birth to about a year, a child’s height increases by approximately 50%.
- Height increases by another 50% over the next 5 years.
Preschool
- Between 3 and 6 years, annual increases in weight are about two pounds, and height increases are about six inches each year.
- A decrease in growth can result in a poor appetite (distraction, preferring play over eating).
School Age
- This is called the latent period of growth because somatic growth rates are very stable, and body changes take place gradually.
- From age 10, noticeable differences between boys and girls begin to appear (girls are taller than boys by 1.5 to 1.7 cm from 11 years of age).
Beginning of Puberty in School Age
- Early maturation is clearly more common in females (starting at 10 years), whereas in males, it begins around age 12.
- Energy needs vary from child to child according to their own pace, physical activity, and body size.
- Nutritional recommendations serve only as references.
- When a child eats a varied diet that meets energy needs, they usually cover the needs of all other nutrients.
- In the preschool and school stages, habits and attitudes are formed that will prevail over a lifetime.
- It is very important for parents to get good guidance from physicians, nutritionists, and general health staff.
Adolescence
The WHO defines adolescence as the period between 11 and 19 years, considering two phases: early adolescence (12-14 years) and late adolescence (15-19 years).
It is a stage of life between childhood and adulthood that coincides with the beginning of puberty. Despite the WHO definition, the end of this period can be variable.
At the social level, adolescence can end with the beginning of adulthood, which is now considered to be 18 years.
Puberty
“Beginning of Biological Adolescence”
Applies to all physiological and morphological changes that occur during the growth of the child to the adult stage. Sexual maturation occurs during this stage.
At this stage, it is essential to provide the necessary conditions for genetic potential to develop at its best.
The statural growth of human beings depends on genetic and environmental factors. If genetic information is adequate and environmental conditions are suitable, growth and development will be optimal according to familial genetic potential.
Genetic potential is fully expressed when there is also good health and normal physical activity.
The relationship between nutritional factors and genetic potential explains the great variability in weight, height, and age of onset of puberty in populations of different ethnic groups or different socioeconomic levels.
Biological State
Anthropometric measurements, weight, height, and body composition are directly related to the degree of maturity attained and less with the age of the child at the time of evaluation (Tanner scale).
Biopsychosocial State
Among the major changes in a person during their teens are the development of abstract and formal thought, the establishment of sexual identity, the solidifying of relationships with peers, and probable experimentation with alcohol, tobacco, and even drugs.
Therapist’s Note
According to psychology, teenagers struggle with the identification of the self and structuring their lives based on that identity.
This is a self-learning process that usually appears surrounded by conflict and resistance, in which the subject seeks to achieve independence.
Closure of Epiphyses
The body is still growing during adolescence, which is when the bones are closed.
The closure of the epiphyses is, therefore, evidence that somatic growth ceases.
It is important to understand the nutritional requirements of teenagers, knowing food choices to ensure a diet adequate in energy and nutrients, organizing and structuring meals throughout the day. Finally, it is important to know those situations that can affect adolescents and for which some modification of the diet must be made.
Nutritional Needs and Recommendations
It is very difficult to establish standard guidelines for adolescents due to the individual peculiarities presented by this population group. Most of the recommendations are based on the establishment of rations that are associated with “good health.”
Protein, carbohydrates (HC), and lipid recommendations in quantity and quality are the same as for a healthy adult. HC: 50%, Protein: 15-20%, Lipids: 30-35%