2017 Volume 66 Issue 6 Pages 556-573
The nutrition and diet of infants and small children are considered important factors, not only for growth and development at the time, but also to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during adulthood. The infant and child nutrition surveys conducted every 10 years have provided important information about the status of nutrition and diet of this age group. The latest survey in 2015 showed some progress towards a supportive environment for breast feeding, resulting in an increased rate of breastfeeding (51.3% in 1 month and 54.7% in 3 months). It also demonstrated that complementary feeding started later than in previous surveys, which implied the effectiveness of “a support guide for breastfeeding and weaning” (2007), and subsequent activities for disseminating the guide. On the other hand, about 75% of caregivers felt that some problems regarding the weaning practices remained. They believed that public health centers and municipality health service centers were the most important places to learn about diet, and that opportunities for support in these centers should be strengthened.
As the caregivers are thought to significantly influence the development of dietary habits in infants and small children, supportive measures for caregivers regarding feeding practices are essential. The third Shokuiku promotion basic plan prioritized the areas of support to tackle the problems encountered by caregivers, which were “nutrition education (Shokuiku) focused on young generations” and “continuous responsiveness according to the stages of growth and development in children”. For infants and small children, important measures such as support for children with food allergies, and prevention of obesity, remain a challenge, and must be solved. Child poverty has become a large social problem in recent years, therefore, support measures should be further discussed according to the economic conditions in their home.
Due to the rapidly ageing population, as well as the routine maternal child health services in municipal government, the relevant bodies such as nursing schools, kindergartens, medical services, and suppliers of various information, are expected to provide more appropriate support for children and their caregivers. These groups must consider the child and caregiver's individual situation and dietary problems in order to reinforce a supportive environment for society as a whole.
