ECEA 300 Child Health, Safety and Nutrition

Assignment 2

Resources provide the information necessary to complete the assignments. Unless otherwise stated, the page number(s) listed in each question, are found in the course textbook.

• Resource: BC Licensing Regulation March 2022 https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007
• Resource: HealthLink BC- Healthy Eating

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating-physical-activity/age-and-stage/infants-children-and-youth

• Textbook: Sorte, Joanne, et al.Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children. Available from: VitalSource Bookshelf, (4th Edition). Pearson Education (US), 2020.

**You can always search the internet to understand the concepts presented at a deeper level. Please cite any sources that you use to answer any questions. Plagiarism is a serious issue. Please see the Student Handbook for more information. **

 

Grade	Criteria:
A80% or above	Student shows an advanced understanding of the readings. Reflection and connection include theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are insightful and well supported. Clear, detailed examples are provided, as applicable.
B70-79%	Student shows an understanding of the readings.  Reflection and connection demonstrate a general understanding of the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are supported.  Appropriate examples are provided, as applicable.
C (pass)60-69%	Student shows some understanding of the readings. Reflection and connection demonstrate a minimal reflection on, and personalization of, the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are unsupported or supported with flawed arguments. Examples, when applicable, are not provided or are irrelevant to the assignment.
DNC -Did not complete course.	Student has not shown understanding of the readings. Reflection and connection demonstrate a lack of reflection on, or personalization of, the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are missing, inappropriate, and/or unsupported. Examples, when applicable, are not provided.

 

Part 1 Think Deeper

1. Nutrition for children is based on the same principles as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of nutrients — such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Children, however, need different amounts of specific nutrients at different ages.

• Resource: HealthLink BC- Healthy Eating https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating-physical-activity/age-and-stage/infants-children-and-youth

1. What is optimal nutrition? (Page 40)
2. How does nutrition affect children?
3. Why is it important for educators and parents to work together to ensure a child’s wellness?
4. How can an educator support a parent in advocating for optimal nutrition and physical education?
5. What is malnutrition? (Page 45)
6. What is undernutrition and overnutrition?
7. What is iron-deficiency anemia? (Page 48)
8. What is obesity? (Page 50)
9. What are the consequences of obesity and inadequate physical activity?

2. Describe some of the challenges to nutritional eating. (Page 41)

Challenges to Nutrition	Description
Disappearing family meals
Using convenience foods
Eating away from home
Struggling with food affordability

3. Is there a growing interest in wellness? (Page 44)

4. Nutrition is how food affects the health of the body. Food is essential—it provides vital nutrients for survival and helps the body function and stay healthy. Food is comprised of macronutrients including protein, carbohydrate and fat that not only offers calories to fuel the body and give it energy but also plays specific roles in maintaining health. Food also supplies micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and phytochemicals that don’t only provide energy but also serve a variety of critical functions to ensure the body operates optimally. Describe the 6 major categories. (Page 56)

Nutrient	Describe how this nutrient supports healthy growth
Carbohydrates
Fats
Proteins
Vitamins
Minerals
Water

1. Figure 2-7 (page 60) describes the components of a nutrient dense diet that includes whole, basic, unprocessed foods. What are the components of a healthful diet?
2. Analyze the lesson plan on page 61. The wellness message in this lesson is that eating fruits and vegetables keeps me healthy.
3. What vocabulary is being taught in this lesson?
4. What does the educator need to watch for in terms of safety?

• What is the goal of this lesson for infants and toddlers? Preschoolers? School age children?

1. Why are the goals different?
2. Why is lesson planning important?

5. What is a feeding relationship? How do infants learn about the world around them? Why is this relationship between the child and the caregiver important? (Page 174)

6. Analyze Figure 6-2 describing the benefits of breast milk. What could you say to a pregnant mom to encourage her to breastfeed? (Page 177)

7. Describe a variety of cultural perspectives of breastfeeding. (Page 177) What is your role in establishing healthful feeding practices?

8. Describe how to safely handle breast milk. (Page 180)

9. Describe how to safely prepare infant formula. (Page 183)

10. Describe feeding cues for infants in the table below. (Page 185)

Understanding the Feeding Relationship for Infants	Description
On-demand feeding
Feeding Cues
Hunger cues (Table 6-1)
Fullness cues
Late cues

11. Describe how to feed an infant from a bottle. (Page 186)
    1. What is bottle propping and why is it discouraged? Why should teachers feed one baby at a time?
    2. How often do babies need to be burped and how is this done? (Page 187)
    3. How often and how much should a baby be fed? (Table 6-2, Page 188)

12. Dietary habits are shaped at a young age. Eating behaviors established in childhood persist, with implications such as fussiness and poor dietary variety, or high responsiveness to food cues and increased obesity risk. Safety is a major concern when it comes to feeding infants and toddlers. Both food poisoning and choking can have serious consequences. Appropriate feeding of infants is central to early health, growth, and development. Describe inappropriate infant feeding practices. (Page 189)

Practice	Describe why this practice can be dangerous for an infant.
Adding cereal to a bottle
Finishing the bottle
Using honey in the bottle or on the pacifier
Offering alternative milks

13. Describe how to feed an infant from 6 months to their first birthday. (Page 190)
    1. What are complimentary foods?
    2. When should complementary foods be introduced to an infant?
    3. Ultimately, what factors should be considered when introducing solid foods to a baby’s diet? (Page 191)
    4. Analyze Table 6-3 on page 192. Describe the key recommendations for infants from birth to around 6 months and from around 6-12 months.
    5. Analyze Table 6-6 on page 192. Describe the relationship between the introduction of complimentary foods and the transition in texture and feeding styles.
    6. Analyze Figure 6-7 on page 194. What are the general guidelines that need to be remembered?
    7. Should you avoid introducing fruit juice early? (Page 195)
    8. Describe how to feed solids to an infant. (Page 197)
14. When feeding older infants (from around 6 months to one year), describe how to offer finger foods? List some examples of finger foods? (Page 198)
15. Describe ways to reduce the risk of choking? (Page 198)
16. Picky eating is often the norm for toddlers (children from 12-36 months). After the rapid growth of infancy, when babies usually triple in weight, a toddler’s growth rate– and appetite – tends to slow down. Toddlers also are beginning to develop food preferences, a fickle process. A toddler’s favorite food one day may hit the floor the next, or a snubbed food might suddenly become the one he or she can’t get enough of. For weeks, they may eat 1 or 2 preferred foods – and nothing else.
17. What is a selective eater? (Page 210)
18. What is food neophobia?
19. Describe 5 ways to encourage a toddler who is a selective eater and has multiple food allergies to broaden their food choices. (Figure 7-3 Page 210)
20. Why should a child be weaned from using a bottle? (Page 212) Describe how this can be done. (Figure 7-4 page 212)
21. When should a child switch to whole milk from breast milk or formula?

17. In some centers families send food for their children to consume while in care. At other centers, food is provided to children. Figure 5-5 on page 151 lists a sample breakfast menu for 3-5 years old. View Figure 7-2 (page 207) and the information listed in Figure 7-6 (page 219).

Use this information and the steps on page 147 to create a healthy weekly menu plan for a 2-year-old child.

Week 1	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
BreakfastMilkFruit/vegetableBread/grainMeat/Meat alternative
Lunch MilkFruit/vegetableBread/grainMeat/Meat alternative
DinnerMilkFruit/vegetableBread/grainMeat/Meat alternative
Snack (any two components)MilkFruit/vegetableBread/grainMeat/Meat alternative

1. Analyze your weekly menu.
   1. Is your meal plan healthy?
   2. Does your meal plan contain a variety of food textures and consistencies? (Page 219)

• When should meals and snacks be planned? (Page 220)

1. What is portion distortion and how can it be avoided?
2. Describe a teacher’s role in creating a positive mealtime experience below. (Page 220)

Teacher’s role	Description
Arranging the mealtime environment
Establishing comfortable routines
Considering cultural traditions
Encouraging conversations
Supporting children’s internal cues of hunger and fullness
Being a good role model

1. Cultural celebrations are usually a time when families and friends get together to celebrate and share food. (Page 213)

2. What cultural foods could be included in a meal plan to celebrates a child’s culture and promote diversity? List 2.
3. When celebrating a child’s culture, could families be welcomed into the childcare setting?

• When celebrating a child’s culture, could words from each family’s home language be taught to the staff and other children?

Part 2 Connect and Reflect

18. Although eating sweets from time to time is unlikely to cause major problems in the short term, it’s important to encourage healthy eating habits starting in early childhood.

There is a fine balance between being overly restrictive about what a child eats and neglecting to raise healthy children. High sugar intake raises the risk of obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, especially as we get older.

• Read HealthLink BC- Added Sugars: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating-physical-activity/food-and-nutrition/nutrients/added-sugars

Create a policy for a daycare centre around sugary snacks, soft drinks and foods and drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. You can also search for a policy online. Be sure to cite the source.

19. Read the section about Nutrition in the BC Child Care Licensing Regulation at http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/ID/freeside/332_2007 or below.

Nutrition

48 (1) A licensee must

(a)ensure that each child has healthy food and drink according to the Canada’s Food Guide, and

(b)promote healthy eating and nutritional habits.

(2) If a child’s record includes, or the child has a care plan that includes, instructions respecting food and drink for the child,

(a)the requirements of subsection (1) (a) do not apply to the extent that they are inconsistent with those instructions, and

(b)the licensee must comply with those instructions.

(3) A licensee must ensure that the food and drink given to a child is sufficient in quantity and quality to meet the developmental needs of the child, having regard to

(a)the child’s age,

(b)the number of hours the child is under the care of the licensee, and

(c)the child’s food preferences and cultural background.

(4) A licensee must ensure that children are not

(a)fed by means of a propped bottle,

(b)forced to consume any food or drink, or

(c)left unsupervised while consuming food or drink.

(5) A licensee must ensure that safe drinking water is available to children.

(6) A licensee must make available to parents’ information on the food and drink given to children.

(7) A licensee must ensure that food and drink are not used as a form of reward or punishment for children.

1. Why it is important to meet, and strive to exceed, licensing regulations?
2. What is the responsibility of an educator in ensuring that government policies, programs and procedures are followed?
3. Could staff share this responsibility?
4. Should an educator follow government policies, programs and procedures?
5. What information around nutrition should be shared with caregivers in a respectful manner?
6. Should food be used as a reward? (Page 234)

20. Food safety is important as it helps to protect children from the risk of food borne illnesses. It also helps to prevent children from risks of health –related conditions such as allergy and even death.

1. What is contamination?
2. What are the three types of contaminants? List 2 examples of each contaminant. (Page 98)

21. Safe storing, preparing, and serving of foods is just as important in childcare programs as serving a balanced diet. Many children and adults get sick from eating foods that are not properly handled. It’s important to follow food safety guidelines carefully whenever you buy, store, prepare, or serve food. Guidelines for food safety begin with food purchasing and continue through storing, preparing, serving, and cleaning up afterwards.

Read: HealthLink BC- Food Safety in Child Care Facilities

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/food-safety-child-care-facilities

120. Analyze Figure 4-16 on page 120. Should a checklist be used to ensure food safety in a childcare center? Why or why not?

Part 3 Theory into Practice

 

22. Key factors in promoting wellness in nutrition include:

• Knowledge: teach children what healthy food is and where it comes from (Page 216)
• Engagement: create hands-on opportunities to grow fresh food in school gardens and include caregivers as often as possible (Page 223)

1. What kinds of food could you grow with children? What equipment and supplies do you need? (Page 223)
2. Describe the importance of cooking with children. (Page 225)
3. Describe ways to get children excited about trying new foods. (Page 225)
4. Describe activities that support nutrition education. (Page 226)
5. Using children’s book is a strategy that can be used to promote nutritional wellness. Search on the internet and list 5 books that teach children about health eating. Summarize the story. Please cite your source.

Title of Book	Author	Summarize the story

223. Design a lesson plan to promote nutrition. Analyze the lesson plans on pages 216 and 223.

Thoughtfully created lesson plans ensure that programming is informed by knowledge of each child’s unique needs, stage of development, and learning style. An effective lesson plan will ensure children learn and have fun while meeting necessary learning goals using evidence-based principles and practices. A lesson will not contain all the principles and practices below, but an educator should strive to include as many as possible.

When planning a lesson include the following practices and principles:

• Be play based
• Promote inclusion and diversity
• Develop the whole child: social and emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative, and cultural development
• Include an appropriate balance of child-initiated, adult guided, structured, and open-ended activities
• Use a variety of teaching methods and include children’s literature
• Be developmentally appropriate, stimulating and interest the child
• Provide opportunities to participate in individual, small and large group activities
• Programming should be culturally appropriate and affirming and be consistent with the philosophy and policies of the center
• Share responsibility for program planning, evaluation, and implementation amongst all staff members
• Improve programming based on self reflection, current research and emerging trends that reflect good practice
• Follow the format design below:

• Teaching wellness message:
• Learning outcome:
• Vocabulary focus:
• Safety watch:
• Target age group:
• Goal:
• Materials:
• Activity Plan:
• How to adjust the activity:

23. Angela is a student in your care and is significantly obese. She is having considerable trouble folding her legs during circle time, can’t catch her breath when she is running outside and gets tired quickly and easily. In class she seems distracted at times and has difficulty concentrating due to her hunger. The mother has stated that because she is heavyset Angela will always struggle with her weight. Other kids have started to notice. Jaikar pointed and laughed at Angela and stated, “You are fat.”
    1. Do you believe the statement by the mother that Angela will always struggle with her weight? What would you say to Angela’s mom?
    2. What can you do to support Angela? Jaikar?
    3. What information, community resources and referral services can be provided to Angela’s mom to help her understand that there are ways to support Angela’s wellness?
    4. How important is confidentiality in this situation?
24. Basic oral and dental hygiene helps prevent bad breath and maintain healthy teeth. Observing the recommended dental health practices helps prevent conditions such as gum disease, dental cavities, and bleeding gums. The mouth is the entry point of everything that ends up in the digestive tract. While most of the bacteria that inhabit the mouth are harmless, the build-up of some bacteria can cause disease.

Good dental health practices, therefore, keep bacteria levels in check, preventing build-up that may be detrimental to your digestive tract. (Page 71)

Jamal is a student at your centre. Recently he has started to cry every time he bites into something hard during mealtimes. Now he is refusing to eat and open his mouth. You have mentioned this to his father, but the father stated that they have no money to pay for a dentist. The father is blaming Jamal, stating that he eats to many candies.

1. Why do you think Jamal is crying?
2. What would you say to his father?
3. Is there a free or subsidized dental clinic in your area? State the cost, location, wait time and other information that could be shared with the family to ensure that Jamal receives the dental care required.
4. Allergic symptoms may begin within minutes to an hour after ingesting the food. The following are the most common symptoms of food allergy. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. (Page 159) Symptoms may include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Cramps
• Hives
• Swelling
• Eczema
• Itching or swelling of the lips, tongue, or mouth
• Itching or tightness in the throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Lowered blood pressure

When a child has a food allergy, their immune system overreacts, producing antibodies to the food as if it were a virus or other dangerous foreign invader. This immune reaction is what produces allergy symptoms.

Read about food allergies at  https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating-physical-activity/conditions/food-allergies/food-allergies

Read about Anaphylaxis at https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/sites/default/files/documents/healthfeature/severe_allergic_reaction.pdf

A food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives, or swollen airways. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis. The most common allergies are to peanuts and glutton.

Food allergies affect an estimated 8% of children under age 5 and up to 4% of adults. While there’s no cure, some children outgrow their food allergies as they get older. It’s easy to confuse a food allergy with a much more common reaction known as food intolerance. While bothersome, food intolerance is a less serious condition that does not involve the immune system.

1. What are food allergies? (Page 159)
2. What are the symptoms?
3. What foods most often cause a food allergy?
4. What is anaphylaxis? (Page 159)
5. When should you call parents? When should you call 911?
6. The only way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid the offending food. Unfortunately, sometimes a child ingests a food that causes an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions are common in children. Most reactions are mild. A severe allergic reaction (i.e., anaphylaxis) involves a person’s breathing and/or circulation. Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of an allergic reaction and is life threatening. The educator must be prepared to deal with medical situations. When a parent enrolls their child in a center, center staff must learn all information that pertains to the child’s health and well-being.
7. Look online and find a “good” childcare intake form that could be used when enrolling a child in a center. Include this document with your assignment.
8. What important information is included in this intake form?
9. A child in your care, Arjun, has an allergy to peanuts, almonds, and most other nuts.
10. Look online and find a “good” Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan Form. Include this document with your assignment.
11. What important information is included in this form?

• Is it important to include parents in the discussion?

1. For children with a known food allergy, the key to preventing a potentially serious reaction is avoiding exposure to the relevant allergen (the food that causes the allergy). The greatest risk for such a child is from accidental exposure.

It is important for centres to develop and implement an allergy policy to reduce the risk of allergen exposure as much as possible and practicable. The allergy policy should also include requirements for staff training regarding anaphylaxis and use of adrenaline injectors.

1. Look online and find a “good” Food Allergy Policy. Include this document with your assignment.
2. What important information is included in this policy?

• Is it important to maintain confidentiality when sharing information with caregivers, staff, and other parents?

1. Is it important to monitor, record, and update children’s health status using appropriate methods?
2. Is it important to share responsibility and information with the team for consistent implementation of policies and procedures around services needed by families?