Discuss factors important to the general health of infants including nutrition, immunization, illness, infection, safety and injury, poverty and housing and mental health

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER: Good health and nutrition are basic to proper physical and motor development. Good nutrition is the basis of rapid infant growth and development. Infants have high needs for nutrients. Breast feeding is the preferred feeding method during the first six months. Obesity is major child health problem, which can have its origins in infancy. A number of health-related issues must be addressed with infants. Parents need to begin infant immunizations on schedule. Care should be taken not to expose infants to crowds where they might get RSV. Adult hand washing is one of the best protectors of infant health. Adults are responsible for providing infants with an environment that is safe from hazards that may cause illness or injury. An increasing number of dangers to child health are being identified, such as the effects of prenatal substance abuse by mothers, AIDSinfected mothers, exposure to passive smoke inhalation, abusive and violent environments that threaten mental health, less-than adequate housing, and diseases transmitted in child care settings. Adults also need to take preventive measures to avoid infant injuries. Poverty underlies many of the dangers to infant health. The child who is malnourished or in poor physical health because of illness or disease cannot function either physically or mentally to capacity. The adult who works with young children needs
to be well-informed regarding nutrition and other health factors