Nutrition is a huge topic and in this issue we have chosen to concentrate on one of the most important stages of nutrition – the early years of life when a child learns to share in the family diet. This is a dangerous time for many young children. Two thirds of the deaths of young children aged 0–4 years in Third World countries are associated with malnutrition. The types of food given and the way in which babies are encouraged to eat are so important. Healthy and well-nourished babies grow into strong children better able to fight off disease.
A recent report by UNICEF called We the Children found that in India, for example, nearly half of all children under three years of age suffered from malnutrition.
Ann Ashworth is a world expert in nutrition and provides many good and practical ideas. Breast-feeding always used to be the very best way to feed a baby. However, with the knowledge that the HIV virus can be passed from mother to baby through breast-feeding, many people are unsure how to advise mothers. We provide an update on the real risks to help people make an informed judgement. Home gardens can be used nearly everywhere, including urban areas and can really help improve the intake of vitamins and minerals.
We hope this issue provides a variety of ideas to help improve nutrition in your community.
Spoon Sizes
In this issue:
- 1 teaspoon is equal to 5ml or 8g and is similar in size to a soda bottle top.
- 1 tablespoon is equal to 15ml or 25gm and is similar in size to half of an empty plastic film canister (1 film canister is similar in size to 2 tablespoons).
Isabel Carter