Children lack fiber, this is a sign and bad health effects

Perhaps, many mothers are wondering, what nutritional intake should be given to children over the age of 1 year. The number of nutrients that need to be fulfilled can sometimes make mothers forget to provide one important nutrient, such as fiber. In fact, fiber is very important in child development.

Based on data from the 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), it is said that 95.5% of the fiber consumption of the Indonesian population for those aged over 5 years is still limited. This is because children are not accustomed to eating fiber. Therefore, it is very important for parents to introduce fiber-rich foods as early as possible.

If your little one does not have enough fiber, the health of the digestive system can be disturbed, it can even interfere with your little one's growth and development.

A sign of a child lack of fiber

Fulfillment of daily fiber for children is very important for the health of their digestive system. For that, you must pay special attention to this.

There are several signs that your child will show if their fiber needs are not fulfilled, including:

The frequency of defecation (BAB) is not smooth or constipated
Bloated
Often complains of stomach pain
Experiencing inflammation due to insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals.

The impact that occurs if the child lacks fiber

Lack of fiber in the long term will certainly have an impact on the overall health of the child. Some of the consequences that arise if a child's fiber needs are not met, among others:

1. Constipation and flatulence

Children who lack fiber will usually experience hard bowel movements and even constipation. This prolonged condition will make the child experience pain around the rectum.

In fact, children can also experience trauma because of the pain they feel when defecating. As a result, children defecate less frequently, resulting in a buildup of feces. Stool that has accumulated in the intestines can cause children to complain of abdominal pain and bloating.

2. Decreased endurance

When children lack fiber, their intake of vitamins and minerals is automatically not fulfilled. Even though both of them play an important role in protecting your little one's immunity. As a result, the immune system decreases and the child is prone to inflammation which makes him sick easily.

3. The risk of colon cancer

Vitamins and minerals in fiber help maintain your little one's immune system, including smoothing the digestive system. Long-term deficiency of these two important elements can increase the risk of colon cancer.

As a parent, you certainly don't want the long-term effects above on your child. In order for your little one to always be healthy, cheerful, and enthusiastic about doing activities, make sure you meet your child's fiber needs through their diet.

4. Cholesterol levels increase

Fiber can help reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. If the condition of the child who is lacking in fiber is continued, in the long term in the future, the child is at risk of developing coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and stroke.

Sufficient fiber needs for children

The daily fiber requirement for children based on the nutritional adequacy rate for children aged 1-3 years is 16 grams per day. To fulfill this, you can provide foods rich in fiber, such as fruits and vegetables.

For example, one medium apple with the skin contains 4.4 grams of fiber. One banana contains 3.1 grams of fiber and one whole orange contains 3.1 grams of fiber. You can give these fruits after your little one has finished eating or as a snack.

To meet children's fiber needs, I recommend parents give children a breakfast of oats mixed with fresh and dried fruit pieces. As a snack, apples or bananas can be good choices.

For lunch, you can give him whole wheat spaghetti with spinach. Meanwhile, for the evening, you can provide brown rice complete with vegetables and carrots. Don't forget to vary the menu and complete it with protein and fat, so that your little one doesn't get bored.

Even though you have made various efforts, sometimes children aged 1-3 years still find it difficult to eat fibrous foods because they are not used to eating vegetables. For that, you can also provide high-fiber milk. Apart from being easy to eat and your little one likes, high-fiber milk helps meet your child's daily fiber needs.

In order for optimal absorption of nutrients from milk, you need to pay attention to the right amount of milk for your little one. Based on recommendations American Academy of Pediatrics, the amount of milk consumption for children aged 1-2 years ranges from 800-900 ml or the equivalent of 3-4 glasses per day. While children aged 2-3 years as much as 700 ml or 3 glasses per day.