Smart nutrition for pre-school kids

One of the more exciting episodes of a child’s growing-up years is when he is of schooling age. How parents seem to burst with pride and joy at the sight of their little child all ready to go to pre-school, then come home to eagerly show the new things he has learned. It only seems like yesterday that he slept in mommy’s arms, started crawling and talking and finally leaning to walk on his own.

For the people around him, a child seems to grow faster than you can say, "My, how big you are!" And with the many advancements in science today, parents are also learning more about the various ways to enhance their child’s growing capabilities.

One of the best ways to boost a child’s growth is by proper nutrition. Indeed, today’s market is filled with different kinds of food supplements to aid in a child’s development. Parents also encounter more and more studies that give advice on what particular nutrients children need in the early stages of growth.

In many studies, the frequent buzzword is DHA or docosahexaenoic acid, a nutrient said to boost brain development. But what exactly is DHA? Dr. Arturo Ludan of the Philippine Pediatric Society explains, "DHA is a long chain of polyunsaturated fat that makes up a large part of the human brain and retinal tissues. Simply put, it is the building blocks of our brain."

Ludan further explains that this nutrient encourages the development of synapses, the little connectors in the brain responsible for transmitting its many functions to the different parts, such as seeing and feeling.

Because of its importance in brain development, DHA should be a part of a child’s diet from infancy onwards.

With a DHA-rich nutrition, pre-school children are brighter and smarter. Because of their well-formed minds, they easily pick up school lessons. Ludan adds that DHA also enhances memory retention. Because most children don’t really like DHA-rich foods like fish and eggs, he suggests giving kids milk formulas with DHA, like Mead Johnson’s Enfakid.