Once we open social media, hundreds of them are poured out, if not thousands of advice on feeding the child. These opinions and guidelines may be strange and sometimes irrational, unclear, and even contradictory.
To find out the latest information and recommendations about the child’s feeding, the island’s clinic, Professor Mohamed Atta Handous, hosted a first pediatric consultant.
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What food stimulates the growth of the child’s length?
It is a balanced diet. Among the balanced diet is the proteins found in meat and chicken, and of course in milk. People ask me a lot about what to do until the child is long, or the girl goes on. They ask me about nutritional supplements. I say no, there are no studies that prove the safety of these nutritional supplements of this age. We will only continue with the correct diet, adequate sleep and exercise.
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Years ago, a study on the effect of eating eggs along the child was published as it stimulates length. Is this study accurate?
Eggs are part of a balanced diet. Of course, the eggs contain protein, but it alone does not exceed length, but within the balanced diet will help. Eggs and milk contain protein and vitamins. They contain calcium and vitamin D, which helps bone growth, and of course length.
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What exercises stimulate the growth of the child, the length specifically?
All exercises help the child’s growth. When the child exercises, the right hormones are excreted. This allows the boy or girl to grow properly. As I mentioned, there is no specific exercise that stimulates the child’s growth. For example, basketball or swimming. Basketball and swimming can help the body extend, but they are the same as football, gymnastics or other sports. There are no studies that prove that these exercises that guarantee tension stimulates the growth of the child, but it improves his height.
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Since we are talking about sports, let’s talk about weightlifting or bodybuilding. Currently, it is very popular. Even children or adolescents under the age of 16 are weightlifting. We used to hear in our childhood that it made the person short. And do not allow a person to acquire the full range of length. Is this correct?
No, not accurate. But – in anticipation – it is better not to carry weights until 16 years old. Even after the age of 16, the exercise of this sport should be under the supervision of a coach.
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Is there a diet that makes the child speak quickly?
A balanced diet is what will help, there are many studies that indicate that foods that contain omega -3 and vitamin B acids develop the brain and thus develop pronunciation, but that is not guaranteed. Fish, seafood, eggs and oranges contain omega -3 and vitamin B and this helps the brain growth.
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Why do females speak faster than males? Is it intelligent?
No, it has nothing to do with intelligence or the development of the brain, but genes make females speak faster than males and the difference between them is not great.
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Why do children eat things that are not eaten like wood or paint, what is known as “Pika Behavior”?
The phenomenon of Becca is when the child eats something that is not eaten and it is a compulsive behavior, sometimes they eat paint, hair or dirt and may have effects on growth sometimes, if the child takes hair in large quantities, a blockage of the digestive system can occur, and in this case it needs surgery. Some children eat dirt that contains germs or worms and may affect its health.
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What drives the child for that?
This is a compulsive behavior and most children have iron deficiency in the body and sometimes lead is high, sometimes the child eats the paint that contains lead and its concentration increases in the body, and it is difficult for the doctor to know who came first, this compulsive behavior or bullet poisoning, so we are talking about a vicious circle.
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What is the therapeutic approach to breaking this episode and stopping behavior?
The first thing must be done to make the necessary checks in order to make sure that the child is not damaged, then we move on behavioral therapy by strengthening positive behaviors and rewarding the child and strengthening it when he performs positive behavior (positive feedback). And not to threaten the child or focus on negative behaviors.
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There are warnings about rice meals for children, as they contain arsenic, is this true?
The rice plant absorbs arsenic from the soil more than other plants such as wheat, it should not be frightened by parents because there is strong control that makes companies check that the level of arsenic in children’s food is safe and does not exceed the permissible limit.
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Is there a thing called redness of the stomach and is there anything that leads to this?
This term is used by people to talk about or irritate gastritis, and there are two types, a type of which is caused by bacteria and can be treated with an antibiotic, and the second type is treated with stomach protection. Factory eating and the materials it contains (colors and chemicals) that penetrate the stomach membrane that causes inflammation and irritation according to the study.
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What is the story of the red “E127” dye that America prevented two months ago?
Logic says everything abnormal can affect the body, all the colored substances affect the body, may cause hyperactivity and lack of attention and this is due to foods contaminated with dyes and others, while causing them to cancer needs to prove that more time. All dyes cause problems that may be cancer and may be otherwise.
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What is the cause of gases that occur in infants? Are there certain foods? How does the mother’s food affect the occurrence of gases on children?
Many mothers feel guilty because they eat something you think causes gases and thus the occurrence of gases for the child, and this talk is inaccurate. Most of the causes of gases are due to the lack of beef milk, some children do not tolerate the protein in the cow’s milk and sometimes soy milk (most people who do not tolerate cow’s milk do not tolerate soy milk).
We advise mothers to refrain from cow’s milk and its derivatives, and the results appear 10 days after the child. The mother can eat almond milk supported by vitamin D and calcium.
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How long does the child need to move from breastfeeding to drinking solid foods?
In the first 6 months of the child’s life, its feeding should be dependent exclusively on breast milk. After 6 months for a year, it is advised to continue breastfeeding while starting to enter solid foods, and we start to feed the child, and then their skill in eating develops, and here it is worth noting the importance of not comparing children to each other, because each child develops differently from the other according to the genes. It is possible to start simple at the age of 6 months, such as fruits, and then we increase food, after the age of 7-8 months, we increase the chicken.
Studies now say it is better to offer nuts and eggs to children at a age of less than a year, and the child is exposed to more foods that make him become less likely to be allergic. If the child is exposed to foods a year before the age of a year – when his immune system becomes strong – he will not feel it.
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How can eggs be presented the first time for the child?
The ideal verb is to enter any food alone for a week to ensure that there is no sensitivity, separating the yolk from the white and serving each one separately for a week, and it must be well cooked.
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Is fruit juice harmful to a child’s health?
The child before the year does not need sugar or salt. The child should not be fed honey a year before it may contain bacteria that may secrete toxins that may affect the child’s nervous or respiratory system at the age of less than a year. After the age of the year, the honey should be pasteurized from a reliable place, and it is not recommended to bring honey from the beshes directly. The ideal act is that this continues until the age of 12 years and after that the child can bear the normal honey. If it is difficult, they can start with normal honey after the age of 8 years.
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Is fruit juice a good choice for children over 5 years?
The juice is few, we prefer that the child get the most benefit as possible from one food. The juice contains a lot of sugar and this is the first problem, fills the child’s stomach and makes him feel full without obtaining great benefits. And the child gets a fish meal with a salad that gives him much greater benefits than obtaining a cup of apple juice, for example.
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Can children drink industrially sweetened drinks?
Industrially sweetened drinks (Diet) should not be used for children because they contain preservatives and processed materials, natural sugar is less harmful than industrial sweeteners.
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Is it correct to prevent their parents by coercion from eating ready -made foods?
The ideal act is to prevent them from eating fast food completely, but the practical way that gives children the opportunity to walk with their peers is to allow them to eat ready -made foods once a week. For sweets and small meals (snacks) it must be linked to exercise for a sufficient period, the time is enough to exercise for at least 45 minutes, and this ensures that sugar does not increase significantly in their bodies and burn calories in excess of the child’s need. Children’s body bears exercise 45 minutes, the problem that may hinder the achievement of this ideal goal is the lack of a suitable place to exercise.
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Is the fat cheese safe and suitable for children?
The belief previously was that the child should be granted “fat” to help them grow, this belief has changed now, and it is advised to give children low -fat milk, and children are advised to eat cheese made of low -fat milk, and not eating rotten or blue cheeses. Low -fat or skim milk is free of fat, but it contains calcium, proteins and vitamins that are beneficial to health, and thus the common belief that low -fat or skim milk loses its benefits is incorrect.
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Are the stimulants safe for children?
I do not recommend eating children any kind of caffeine, whether in soda, coffee, tea, or fast -prepared coffee, because we do not know how it can affect the child’s heart beats. Sometimes children suffer from involuntary urination, when caffeine drinks are stopped, this condition improves, and caffeine may cause disturbances in children’s sleep and this affects their growth. It is better not to expose children to stimuli until they reach adulthood, and then they can make the decision to take these drinks or not.
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How does sleep affect children’s growth?
Sleeping before the age of 18 years is very important for growth and length, increased sleep increases the secretion of hormones leading to growth, when sleep hours decrease, cortisol is more secreted and negatively affects their growth. At the age of adolescence, they should sleep 8 hours and in the younger ages they should sleep 9-10 hours.
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What is the most beautiful moment while treating children?
The most beautiful moments in the children’s clinic will be after the child returned to review and it is healthy and well -being, after a long hospital treatment trip that spanned weeks or even months.
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Pediatricians are accused of serving bribes for children, what do you say about that?
The child is afraid, or perhaps he cries or escapes when a strange person approaches him to examine or talk to him, so we need to establish an appropriate environment to communicate with the child, by building a friendship with the child. Giving him a gift or talking to him makes a bond with the doctor, which facilitates communication with children.
A final message to the family
My advice to the parents is to maintain a healthy and balanced diet consisting of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats such as avocado, and encouraging them to exercise in a club to ensure continuity, and to ensure the child’s sleep appropriately and that the parents are an example for the child in eating healthy foods.