The birth of a child is a happy moment. The confusing months of pregnancy and labor are behind you, and you have your baby in your arms. You’ve already seen your baby take his first breath, heard his first cry, and changed his first dirty diaper.
A baby’s first year is very important in every way. From a helpless newborn to an active toddler, your baby only needs 12 short months to experience this incredible transformation. Babies grow and change at an astounding rate, and each month brings new and exciting experiences. In the first month of life, you may think your baby is just eating and sleeping. But in fact, during this first stage of development, your baby’s body and brain are learning to live in the outside world.
A newborn’s vision is poorly developed, perceiving only light and not fixating on a single object.
Nutrition is an important factor for the normal development of the baby’s brain and retina. When the baby is breastfed, it’s easy: the mom keeps a balanced diet, and the baby gets all the nutrients and vitamins. When the baby is fed artificially, however, you must be cautious in selecting a milk baby formula that meets all of the baby’s needs.
What are omega-3 fatty acids, and why do babies need them?
Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is integral to many aspects of health, including brain function, heart health, and immunity.
ALA is found in plant foods, including vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and some vegetables. However, this form is inactive and requires conversion to active forms such as DHA and EPA. DHA and EPA are known to be found in sufficient quantities in oily fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, etc., and are also widely available in supplement form.
Studies show that omega-3 has a number of positive factors for children, including:
- Improves children’s brain function and mood, particularly learning, memory, and brain development. In addition, several studies show that omega-3 fatty acids help prevent depression and mood disorders in children.
- Helps to alleviate symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and difficulty focusing.
- Relieves the course of bronchial asthma. Some studies have shown that omega-3 helps alleviate these symptoms. For example, a study involving children diagnosed with bronchial asthma found that a daily intake of 120 mg of combined DHA and EPA helped reduce asthma symptoms.
- A healthy gut is the key to good health. The connection between the gut and the brain (the effect of food on human behavior) is known to play a significant role in maintaining cognitive and physical health. According to research by scientists, omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in balancing the microbiome and seem to have prebiotic properties. An animal study also showed that omega-3 fatty acids can protect the gut from the effects of antibiotics, the consumption of which can lead to an imbalance of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
The role of nutrition in a child’s nervous processes
Every child’s body has polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are responsible for the brain development of the newborn. Mother’s milk contains two important elements with complex names for the baby: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), which belong to the essential fatty acids of the brain. Thanks to their influence, the central nervous system as a whole develops. Caring moms begin to look at the development of their beloved little ones differently when they learn more about the child’s nervous system.
- In the first year after birth, a baby’s brain doubles in size as a result of the emergence and strengthening of new neural connections.
- In the first 6 months, the formation of synapses in the baby’s brain is most intense.
- Visual function—the ability to recognize objects and their details—emerges in the infant at 2–3 months of life.
An important factor in the development of intelligence is found in a child’s diet
When fed with the mother’s milk, the infant receives various micronutrients in addition to basic nutrients. The formation of a baby’s intelligence is strongly influenced by the lutein carotenoid present in the mother’s milk or infant formula such as Holle Goat Formula. This component protects the eyes from blue light, speeds up the brain’s processing of visual signals, and facilitates adaptation to the dark time of day. So, the continuous scientific search for improved nutrition for babies resulted in the development of advanced infant formula with lutein and DHA and ARA- Organic’s Best formula, creating the optimal conditions for the development of visual perception, memory, thinking, and motor skills.
Today’s moms are passionate about their children’s development; it has become a trend of our time. They adopt experience from popular and experienced bloggers, psychologists, and early development specialists. Every mom experiences admiration and an incomparable feeling of pride and joy for her little baby when he unexpectedly and quickly learns something new. And it should be remembered that nutrition is the first, but an essential step on the long road to obtaining amazing results in the intellectual development of the little baby.