ABU DHABI // Poor nutrition and unbalanced diets are putting children at risk of digestive problems and delayed development, experts warn.
They said that youngsters who have an inadequate intake of nutrients are prone to significant short-term and long-term health issues and disease.
“Even if a child’s weight is OK they might be deficient in nutrients and vitamins,” said Dr Mohammed Miqdady, the chief of paediatric gastroenterology at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC).
“This can lead to iron deficiency – a major factor, not only in anaemia, but also for the brain development and neurological development of the children. This is very important. Some of these changes may be irreversible.”
Children need a wide range of nutritious foods with a high intake of important minerals and vitamins, such as calcium and iron, said Dr Miqdady, speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of the paediatric gastroenterology conference organised by SKMC.
“The health of the child starts before conception, so it is important the woman is in perfect health before she gets pregnant.
“Nutrition during pregnancy is very, very important, as well as the first few years of life,” said the 44-year-old Jordanian.
The conference was attended by experts in paediatric gastroenterology, nutrition and liver diseases. They discussed issues including nutrition, stomach, intestinal and liver diseases, autism and its relation to diet, and genetic disorders
Michael Wilsey, 44, an associate professor of paediatrics at the South Florida College and Medical Clinic, said good nutrition was important for the cognitive and neurological development of children.
“This is even more important for children who already have an illness, such as liver disease, pancreatic disease or bowel disease, as we know nutrition predicts outcome,” Dr Wilsey said.
Children with autism are often likely to experience gastrointestinal disorders, which can be improved with a healthy diet, he said.
“Half of your plate should be fruit and vegetables – then a little bit of meat and a little bit of starch.
“Often we tend to fill our plates with meat and very little fruit and vegetables. But that is where a lot of vitamins and minerals are, as well as fibre. Bodies are designed to have a high-fibre, low-fat diet. But often there is so much food available it is a high-fat, low-fibre diet. [This] leads to high blood pressure and obesity, as well as cardiovascular diseases in later life and is associated with colon cancer and a whole host of other adult diseases relating to our diet lifestyle.”
He said early education helps children to avoid health issues later in life.
“The beautiful thing about working with children is that they are malleable,” said the American. “We get to change their outcomes by teaching them healthy habits early on.” Athos Bousvaros, president of the North American Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, said breast milk was the best diet for babies. For children and adolescents, they should be encouraged to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, some starch and some protein.
“It is a global health problem trying to get the right amount of food and the right amount of nutrients for every child that needs them” said the 54-year-old paediatrician. “Children who appear underweight are a warning sign of poor nutrition, he said. A pale complexion, diarrhoea and unexplained fever are other red flags.
Regular visits to a paediatrician will also determine if a child is growing at a healthy rate, he said.
Benjamin Frank, the chief executive officer for SKMC, said improving children’s health in the UAE was a priority.
“How are we to be able to get ahead of some of these diseases,” he asked.
“We would like to see more of a focus on exercise, a change in diet and more of an education about long-term effects of these diseases.”
jbell@thenational.ae
