Children’s Brain Development and Nutrition

I read an article by Carol Cheatham, Ph.D. on brain development in children. I was interested in learning about the role of nutrition in the development of a child’s brain. Dr. Cheatham explained that optimal nutrition in the fetal period and the few years of life is central to the development of the brain. Brain development continues into the second decade of life. Postnatally the brain is most rapidly developing and most plastic during infancy and toddlerhood.

Harvard Health identifies certain nutrients that are necessary for healthy brain development:

Protein. Protein can be found in meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds, as well as dairy. Zinc. The food that has the most zinc, interestingly, is oysters — but it’s also found in many meats, fish, dairy products, and nuts.Iron. Meats, beans and lentils, fortified cereals and breads, dark leafy vegetables, and baked potatoes are among the best sources of iron.
Choline. Meat, dairy, and eggs have lots of choline, but so do many vegetables and other foods.
Folate. This nutrient, which is especially important for pregnant mothers, can be found in liver, spinach, fortified cereals and breads, as well as other foods.
Iodine. Seaweed is a great source of iodine, but we also get it from iodized salt, seafood, dairy products, and enriched grains.
Vitamin A. Along with liver, carrots, sweet potato, and spinach are good sources of this vitamin.
Vitamin D. This is the “sunshine vitamin,” and the best way to get it is to get outside. The flesh of fatty fishes such as salmon have it, as does fish liver oil, and products fortified with it, such as fortified milk.
Vitamin B6. The best sources of vitamin B6 are liver and other organ meats, fish, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and fruit (not citrus).
Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. An example is omega-3 fatty acids. These are most easily found in fatty fish and fish oils, but can be found in some other oils, and many foods are also fortified with them.

Before I had children, I worked full time for a media conglomerate. I was laid off while I was pregnant after having worked there for many years. I needed the job since my husband’s job was on shaky ground. We had just purchased a new home as well. I interviewed for a new job but couldn’t get hired since I was expecting a child. I finally found a company to hire me with much lower pay. I accepted the job and hired a nanny. I didn’t have benefits that allowed me to take time off but I was able to work from home after giving birth.

I had several different nannies and when my child was a toddler, she took him to the park each day. I was busy with work and thought she was doing a good job. But one day I looked in the diaper bag that she carried to the park each day and it was filled with candy. I took all of the candy out of the bag. I realized that since I wasn’t paying close enough attention, my son was probably eating candy for lunch each day. I will forever be upset with myself for not monitoring the situation closely enough. Good nutrition is imperative to a child’s development. I wish that I had stayed home full time with my child. I would have moved to a less expensive neighborhood or state. That is something that always haunts me. I don’t want someone else to take care of my child. I panicked after I was laid off and made the wrong decision.