Editor's note:The physical and mental health of children has always been the softest part of parents' hearts. Her smiles and frowns, her well-being and well-being all affect parents' sensitive nerves. People's Health Network has launched the "Health Knowledge Early Knowledge" column, which collects and organizes health knowledge that you usually ignore, and serves as your health think tank. Today, we will talk to you about children's health topics and work with you to keep healthy!

Six types of additives affect children for life

Certain chemicals in food coloring, preservatives and packaging materials can interfere with children's hormone growth and development, and even increase the risk of childhood obesity. Since the 1970s, the childhood obesity rate has tripled. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently called for some common food additives to pose a serious threat to the health of infants and young children, and it is best to stay away from them.

1. Bisphenol compounds. Bisphenol A and other bisphenol compounds are mainly used to harden the lining of plastic containers and metal cans. Common items containing such additives include plastic milk bottles, plastic water cups, take-out lunch boxes, canned food inner wall coatings, barreled water containers, etc. Bisphenol A has potential reproductive toxicity and has similar effects to estrogen in the human body. It will interfere with the normal sexual development of children, easily lead to precocious puberty, and affect the nervous system and immune system. At present, China and EU countries have explicitly banned the use of bisphenol A in children's milk bottles, straw cups, and mineral water bottles. Fang Zhifeng, director of the Guangxi Nutrition Society and food safety and hygiene expert, suggested that it is best to choose milk bottles and water cups made of safer materials such as glass and silicone; do not use plastic tableware to hold food or microwave heating; and canned infant food should be eaten as little as possible.

2. Phthalates. This substance is a plasticizer used in industrial production to make plastics and vinyl tubes more flexible. It will affect the normal development of boys' genitals, cause girls to develop prematurely, and increase the risk of childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease. Excessive exposure to phthalates can also increase the incidence of testicular cancer in men and breast cancer in women. In 2017, the United States banned the use of phthalates in child care products such as teething gum for babies. Other items containing phthalates include toys, food packaging materials, shampoo, shower gel, mousse, nail polish and other personal care products. Experts recommend that toys should choose infant and toddler products from regular manufacturers with better safety guarantees, and minimize children's exposure to inferior plastic toys and stationery and other products.

3. Perfluorinated compounds. This compound has oil-proof, anti-fouling and waterproof effects, and is often used in food packaging, non-stick pans, waterproof gloves and other products. Its hazards include reduced immunity, birth weight and fertility. Studies have shown that perfluorinated compounds may also affect the thyroid, metabolism, digestion and other systems, and are also not good for muscle control, brain development and bone strength. Long-term exposure to this substance will also increase the risk of metabolic syndrome in obese children, and will also reduce the effectiveness of vaccinations. Experts recommend using less waterproof and oil-proof food packaging, and using less products containing perfluorinated compounds.

4. Perchlorate. This chemical additive is a new type of pollutant, mainly to prevent tea, fruits and vegetables, grains, meat products, some milk powder or rice noodles and other dry foods from generating static electricity. Its hazards include disrupting thyroid function and seriously affecting the normal brain development of infants and young children. Excessive intake of such additives can easily lead to developmental delay and low IQ. Experts recommend ensuring that children drink healthy water, not letting children touch fruits and vegetables that have not been thoroughly washed, and choosing big brands of infant milk powder and infant rice noodles with safe quality.

5. Artificial synthetic pigments. Artificial synthetic colorants (artificial pigments) are brighter than natural pigments, less likely to fade, and cheaper, so they are widely used in a variety of processed foods such as juices, beverages, desserts and biscuits. Many studies have found that amaranth, carmine, lemon yellow, sunset yellow and other commonly used artificial pigments can aggravate the symptoms of children with ADHD. After strictly controlling artificial pigments in the diet, the symptoms of children with ADHD have been significantly reduced. Experts recommend that when buying food, you should read the food labels carefully and try to avoid eating processed foods containing artificial pigments.

6. Nitrates and nitrites. These compounds are mostly used to preserve and color food. They are found in the highest concentrations in canned food, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, ham, bacon and other pickled and processed meats. Excessive consumption of these chemicals can interfere with the production of thyroid hormones, affect the body's ability to transmit blood oxygen, and increase the risk of stomach and intestinal cancer. Experts recommend that children eat less canned food and processed meat; for the health of mothers and babies, try to eat less food containing nitrates and nitrites during pregnancy.

Vitamin D supplements from childhood to old age

Surveys show that people of all ages in China are generally deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is one of the most familiar nutrients. A deficiency can affect the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, such as leading to rickets.

Foods such as salmon, sardines, egg yolks, and animal livers contain vitamin D, but the total amount is very small. Vitamin D can be met through sufficient sun exposure. Children and adolescents are generally recommended to exercise outdoors for 1 hour every day. Therefore, if they can do this, vitamin D is not lacking, and additional supplementation is not recommended at this time. If the sun exposure time is insufficient, vitamin D supplements can be taken under the guidance of a doctor.

What you need to know about adding 3 "W"s to baby complementary foods

Complementary foods are transitional foods of various properties (liquid, solid) other than breast milk and formula milk before babies eat solid foods. At present, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines complementary foods as: any food and/or beverage other than breast milk (including infant formula, formula milk for older infants and water).

How to add complementary foods scientifically, you need to pay attention to the three "Ws".

Why? Why add complementary foods?

Breast milk is the natural and ideal food that babies can get. Babies under 1 year old are in a stage of rapid growth and development, which is characterized by "small appetite and large demand". The baby's stomach capacity is limited, but the rapid growth and development has a high demand for energy and nutrition, so it needs food with high energy density. As the digestive system such as the gastrointestinal tract gradually matures, and various sensory perceptions and cognitive abilities develop, relying solely on breast milk or formula milk can no longer meet the nutritional needs of the baby's healthy growth. Even if breast milk is very sufficient, complementary foods need to be added at this time.

When? When is the best time to add complementary foods?

The World Health Organization recommends "adding complementary foods no earlier than 6 months of age"; in 2016, the Chinese Nutrition Society pointed out in the "Guidelines for Feeding Infants and Young Children Aged 7-24 Months" that breastfeeding should continue, and complementary foods should be added after 6 months of age; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that complementary foods can be added when the baby is 4 months old and weighs more than 13 pounds (about 5.9kg).

What kind of eating ability does the baby need to achieve before adding complementary foods? First of all, you need to be able to control the movement of your body, that is, you need to be able to prop up your upper body when lying prone, and you need to be able to sit up with support; secondly, you need to have basic swallowing ability, that is, when the spoon is close to your mouth, you can open your mouth to receive food and swallow it; finally, you need to express hunger and fullness, that is, when you see food, you are very happy, your body actively approaches the food, and when you are full, you will turn your head to one side.

Generally speaking, when the baby's weight increases to twice the birth weight and the interval between breastfeeding is getting shorter and shorter, parents can add complementary foods to the baby based on the baby's age, eating ability, interest in food, etc. We recommend that the time to add complementary foods should be no earlier than 4 months of age and no later than 6 months of age. Adding complementary foods too early or too late is not advisable and will cause certain harm to the healthy growth of children. For example, adding complementary foods too early may increase the risk of infection, allergies, indigestion, obesity, etc. for babies, and adding complementary foods too late may increase the risk of nutritional deficiency diseases, allergic diseases, diabetes, etc., and it is easy to develop bad eating habits such as picky eating and partial eating.

What, what to eat?

The ingredients used for complementary food should be natural, safe, fresh and diversified. Seasonal ingredients should be used as much as possible, and the production should be kept clean and hygienic. Since the iron stored in the baby's body will be almost exhausted at 6 months of age, the baby's first choice of complementary food is generally recommended to be iron-fortified high-energy food, such as iron-fortified infant nutritional rice cereal. On this basis, gradually introduce different types of food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dark vegetables and fruits) to achieve food diversification. Each time a new food is added, it should be adapted for 3-5 days. Observe whether the baby has adverse reactions such as vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. If the symptoms are serious, seek medical attention in time. After adapting to one food, other new foods can be added.

Complementary food should keep its original flavor. The main cooking method is steaming and boiling, avoid frying, and add vegetable oil in moderation, because the original food can let the baby experience the taste of different foods, increase the chance of accepting food, and reduce the occurrence of picky eating and partial eating. The natural sodium content in breast milk, formula milk and complementary foods can meet the needs of baby's growth. It is not recommended to add salt, sugar and other condiments to babies under 1 year old, which helps reduce the risk of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in childhood and adulthood. In order to meet the needs of young children, babies over 1 year old should also eat light-flavored family meals.

The purpose of adding complementary foods includes the following points: ¢Ù Supplement the various nutrients needed for baby's growth; ¢Ú Promote the development of baby's gastrointestinal tract, so that the baby can digest and absorb solid food normally and avoid indigestion; ¢Û Exercise the baby's chewing ability and promote the development of the baby's oral muscles and maxillofacial region; ¢Ü Let the baby develop good eating habits, develop an interest in food, and avoid picky eating.

Adding complementary foods can not only provide children with the nutrients needed for growth, but also allow children to develop good eating habits from an early age, laying a good foundation for their lifelong health. I hope that every parent can add complementary foods to their babies scientifically and reasonably.

Are there instant dissolving agents in milk powder?

Yun Wuxin, a doctor of food engineering from the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University, said that milk powder is a solid powder that needs to be mixed with water to make it liquid to drink. The ingredients in milk powder can be dissolved or evenly dispersed in water. The proportion of dissolution or dispersion in water is measured by "solubility" in food technology. As far as infant milk powder is concerned, "solubility" is not a problem, close to 100%. "Instant solubility" refers to the ease with which the powder is dispersed in water. If the instant solubility is good, it can be completely dispersed by pouring it into water and stirring it gently; if the instant solubility is not good, it needs to be stirred quickly for a long time to disperse it.

The instant solubility of different milk powders may vary greatly. The instant solubility of a solid powder is mainly determined by three factors: the surface hydrophobicity of the powder particles, the density of the powder particles and the size of the powder particles. Spraying a layer of surfactant on the surface of the solid powder particles helps to improve the instant solubility. Infant milk powder is a relatively special food, and the national standards have strict regulations on its ingredients. Adding unapproved ingredients to improve solubility is not allowed, regardless of the safety of the additives.

Carbohydrates are needed in milk powder to provide calories. The main carbohydrate is lactose, and some maltodextrin or starch is also allowed to be used instead. From a digestion perspective, lactose is better than maltodextrin, which is better than starch. However, maltodextrin and starch help to increase the density of milk powder particles, thereby improving solubility. Therefore, some milk powders use a small amount of starch or maltodextrin to replace lactose. If maltodextrin or starch is called a "fast dissolving agent", some milk powders may contain it. However, they are still reasonable food ingredients in themselves, and they do not become problematic just because they are labeled as "fast dissolving agents".

In fact, the solubility of "instant milk powder" is mainly achieved by increasing the size of powder particles. The last step in milk powder production is spray drying. The particle size obtained by spray drying is closely related to the construction and operation of the spray dryer. The spray dryers widely used in the production of milk powder now have the function of "granulation" - that is, to make the dried powder present relatively large particles, so as to have better instant solubility.

Feed some ginseng, Poria cocos and Atractylodes macrocephala porridge for children drooling

Children from 6 months to 2 years old often drool, and some even get their bibs soaked after a short time. Although drooling in infants and young children is a normal physiological phenomenon, Chinese medicine believes that saliva also has a health-preserving function. The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic believes that "the five internal organs transform into liquid, the spleen is saliva", "the mouth is the orifice of the spleen", and "the spleen governs saliva". The spleen and stomach are the foundation of the human body. Children often have excess liver and insufficient spleen. If the baby's drooling is more serious, the saliva is clear and thin, and is accompanied by loss of appetite, pale complexion, pale lips and tongue, easy diarrhea, and cold limbs, it may be caused by spleen deficiency. It is recommended that babies with the above symptoms drink some ginseng, Poria and Atractylodes lancea porridge, which can not only strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, consolidate saliva and control saliva, but also increase appetite and aid digestion, which is helpful for growth and development.

Take 15-20 grams each of Pseudostellaria heterophylla, Poria cocos, and Alpinia oxyphylla, 10-15 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 20-30 grams of fresh ginger, and 50 grams of rice. First, put Poria cocos, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Alpinia oxyphylla in an iron pan to dry, stir-fry them slightly, and then grind them into powder; wash and peel the ginger and mash it into juice; wash the rice and add oil and salt. Put the rice and Pseudostellaria heterophylla in a clay pot and cook them into a thin porridge. When the porridge is about to be done, add the powder and cook it, add the ginger juice later, turn off the heat after boiling and season it. This porridge can be eaten in 2-3 meals a day, and can be eaten for 7-10 days.

This recipe is basically based on the famous recipe for strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi-Sijunzi Decoction. Pseudostellariae Radix (also known as baby ginseng) is most suitable for children. There is a folk saying that "Pseudostellariae Radix will not harm the prince". It has a mild, sweet and mild tonic effect. Alpinia oxyphylla is pungent and warm in nature. It enters the spleen and kidney meridians. It can warm the spleen and control saliva, warm the kidney and consolidate the astringent, and is good at treating symptoms such as excessive salivation and enuresis. Ginger is pungent and warm in nature. It enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It has the effects of warming the middle and dispersing cold, strengthening the spleen and warming the stomach. Before making porridge, Yunling, Baizhu, and Alpinia oxyphylla are roasted and slightly fried, which means that the "scorched fragrance enters the spleen", which can enhance the spleen-strengthening effect.

The whole prescription is simple and mild. It starts with protecting children's stomach. It warms the spleen yang and nourishes without being dry. The spleen and stomach are actually well-consolidated and well-transformed, which is beneficial to the growth and development of children.

What should I do if my child is picky about food?

Yang Qin, a physician at the Children's Health Department of Xiamen Children's Hospital, said that there are many reasons for children's picky eating, such as a small variety of food, a single preparation method, food texture that does not meet children's needs, and the time of adding complementary foods misses the sensitive period of taste development and the critical period of chewing development. It may also be due to a lack of trace elements such as iron and zinc. First of all, it is necessary to monitor the child's physical growth, understand the dietary intake, and do trace element, hemoglobin, food allergy and other tests when necessary. If it is due to illness, timely treatment should be given to the disease. Secondly, it is necessary to improve the family eating environment. Parents need to set an example of not being picky or partial. Avoid distractions during meals, do not watch TV, tell stories or play; do not chase to feed, and encourage children to eat by themselves. Finally, the dining time should not be too long, no more than 30 minutes; do not eat snacks between meals, and do not drink beverages before meals.

Preventing myopia in children, starting with a low-sugar diet

Excessive sugar intake will not only increase the risk of dental caries and obesity in children, but may also increase the risk of myopia.

What are the hazards of excessive sugar intake to the eyes? The refractive system of the eye is composed of a transparent cornea, aqueous humor, lens and vitreous body, which can aggregate light, refract the light reflected from external objects, and then focus on the retina to form an image. The love of sweets is one of the main risk factors for myopia in children. Eating a lot of sweets affects the blood oxygen binding function, increases the pressure of intracranial blood vessels, and affects the blood supply to the eyes.

Excessive intake of sugar can easily lead to a significant increase in the blood sugar concentration in the human body. Excessive blood sugar concentration will lead to a decrease in the osmotic pressure of the aqueous humor in the eye, which will cause the lens to deform and become convex, and the eye axis to elongate. As a result, less light enters, and the retinal imaging effect will become worse, which will lead to refractive myopia or aggravate myopia.

Sugar metabolism requires a large amount of vitamin B1, which is closely related to the function of the optic nerve. Eating too much refined rice and flour will lead to insufficient intake of vitamin B1. Once vitamin B1 is deficient, it will hinder the production of acetylcholine, thereby causing optic nerve conduction disorders, affecting the normal function of the cornea and refractive adjustment muscles of the eyes, and leading to vision loss.

Sugar can be converted into acid after metabolism. Acid combines with calcium, causing calcium deficiency in the body, increasing the excitability of the optic nerve muscles, and the extraocular muscles are in a highly tense state, increasing the pressure on the eyes, and the eye axis is easily elongated to form myopia.

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)" pointed out that the sugar intake of Chinese residents mainly comes from processed foods. Among children and adolescents, sugary drinks are the main source of added sugar.

Added sugar refers to sugars artificially added to food, which have sweet characteristics, including monosaccharides and disaccharides, and common ones are sucrose, fructose, glucose, fructose syrup, etc. The common white sugar, soft white sugar, rock sugar and brown sugar in daily life are all sucrose. In addition, the sugar content of most beverages is about 8% to 11%, and some are as high as 13% or more. Although the sugar content of sugary drinks is within a certain range, if the amount of consumption is large, it is easy to unknowingly exceed the daily sugar intake limit of 50g recommended by the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)".

Therefore, in order to prevent and treat myopia in children, we should first start with developing good dietary habits, not being picky, not partial to partiality, and reasonably matching to ensure balanced nutrition. Secondly, eat eggs, milk, meat, liver in moderation, eat seafood 2 to 3 times a week, eat more beans and fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In addition, you need to avoid or drink less sugary drinks, and eat less candy and high-sugar foods.

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