Malnutrition Essay

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Malnutrition impacts the development of a fetus into a young child because it has a harmful effect on their cognitive development as the child becomes older. Malnutrition can be defined as lacking proper nutritional value and not eating enough food which is needed for a body to function properly. I believe malnutrition of a fetus, eventually born into a child, will indefinitely make a negative impact on a child’s life mainly due to not receiving the right nutrients and supplements needed to develop an optimally functioning brain and build a healthy structured body. Based on the study Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans by Heijmans, researchers wanted to conduct an experiment to find the …show more content…

In recent studies, evidence shows that malnourished children might be essentially unintelligent. Another piece of information to keep in mind is that “Malnutrition is but one of a critical group of environmental factors affecting the development of the nervous system” (Morgane et al). If the nervous system is affected during development this should urge parents and caregivers to support their child’s development by providing a positive environment that includes appropriate toys, books, and games. By providing extra materials it will keep the child’s brain active and thinking which would stimulate brain growth. To add on, the effects of malnutrition “on the developing central nervous system have been studied mainly because of the widespread incidence of infantile malnutrition and the considerable evidence that many of its effects are permanent and are associated with impairments of higher mental functions, including deficits in intelligence” (Morgane et al). Since there is a high mental functions that come with impairment, it is extremely important for parents to make sure they take care of their own body since they have a developing fetus inside of

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