Recommendations on children's nutritional needs

In the morning of November 13, in Hanoi, for the first time, the Vietnam Association of Pediatrics officially published the Recommendation on children's nutritional needs and used the new growth standard of the World Health Organization. This recommendation is referred to as a nutrition handbook and will be disseminated to more than 3000 physicians, health professionals and nutritionists nationwide starting from the end of November.

Compared to the old growth standard of the World Health Organization in 1970, the new growth standard stipulates higher height and weight.

According to this new growth standard, girls were born 3.3kg, 49.9 cm long, girls 3.2kg and 49.1cm long, when 1 year old, boys need 9.6kg , 75.7cm tall, girls are 8.9kg, 74cm tall. By the age of five, boys need to weigh 18.3kg, 110cm tall, girls are 18.2kg, 109.4cm tall.

Based on the new growth standard, the Pediatric Society offers recommendations on energy and fiber . important micronutrients including minerals, vitamins . are given according to the age of children since New born to 18 years old. One recommendation continues to be emphasized in exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and up to 2 years. The rate of exclusively breastfed children in the first 6 months in Vietnam is very low, only 12%.

Currently, in Vietnam there is a paradox that in rural children malnutrition due to economic conditions and incorrect eating practices, especially, children eat flour and eat porridge without supplementing grease and green vegetables. In urban areas, the number of children who are obese increases rapidly. According to the Nutrition Institute statistics in 2003, the percentage of malnourished children under 5 is 25%, the rate of obese children in Hanoi is 8% and HCMC is nearly 23%.