This document discusses adolescent nutrition and complementary feeding. It notes that adolescence is a period of transition between childhood and adulthood characterized by growth spurts, hormonal changes, and sexual maturation. Adequate nutrition during this time is important for physical growth, safe motherhood, and preventing future health issues. It provides daily recommended intakes for various nutrients and discusses factors that can impact food consumption. Inappropriate dietary intake during adolescence can negatively impact growth, health, learning, and increase risks for future diseases. The document also defines complementary feeding as the process of introducing other foods and liquids along with breast milk from 6 to 24 months. It provides recommendations for complementary feeding practices.

1. DR. SWATI SHIKHA
Preventive and Social Medicine

3.  Adolescence is the transition period between
childhood and adulthood
 Adolescence is characterised
 Adolescent nutrition is therefore important for
supporting the physical growth, prepare them for
safe motherhood and for preventing future health
problems.
Growth spurt
Hormonal changes
Sexual maturation

4. NUTRIENTS 11 – 14 Years 15 – 18 years
Energy (Kcal) 2200 2200
Protein(gms) 46 44
Iron(mg) 15 15
Calcium(mg) 1200 1200
Zinc(mg) 12 12
Vitamin A(mcg RE) 800 1000
Vitamin D(mcg) 10 10
Vitamin C(mg) 50 60
Folic acid(mcg) 150 180

7.  Adequate availability of food in terms of quantity as
well as quality, which depends on socioeconomic
status, food practices, cultural traditions, and allocation
of the food.
 The ability to digest, absorb, and utilize the food. This
ability can be hampered by infection and by metabolic
disorders.
 Poverty is considered the prime factor determining
food consumption; however, cultural factors too play
a strong role

8. Inappropriate dietary intakes during adolescence can
have several consequences. It can:
 Potentially retard physical growth, reduce intellectual
capacity and delay sexual maturation
 Affect young people’s risk for a number of immediate
health problems such as iron deficiency, undernutrition,
stunting, bone health, eating disorders and obesity.
 Affect concentration, learning and school performance in
school- going adolescents.
 Has long-term implications. For example, low calcium
intake during adolescence is associated with low bone
density and an increased risk for osteoporosis later in life

9.  Being overweight as an adolescent is associated higher
risk for diabetes as an adult
 High fat intake during adolescence and into adulthood
is associated with an increased risk of heart disease
 Stunting and underweight among girls during
adolescence, continuing into early pregnancies,
increases the obstetric risk for women.

10.  Adolescents, particularly girls, are especially vulnerable to iron
deficiency due to low intake and absorption of iron, and increased
iron requirements for growth and replacement of menstrual blood
losses
 Mild to moderate iron deficiency, even without anaemia, has
adverse functional consequences
 During adolescence, women’s bodies develop and prepare for
future childbearing. Low iron stores in young women of
reproductive age makes them susceptible to iron deficiency
anaemia because dietary intake alone is insufficient in most cases
to meet the iron requirements of pregnancy
 Anaemia in adolescence puts a young woman and her future child
at risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and increased peri-
natal mortality.
 Infants born to iron-deficient mothers also have higher prevalence
of anaemia in the first six months of life. Maternal mortality is
increased in women whose haemoglobin levels fall below 6-7
g/dl.

14. .

15. Complementary feeding is defined as the
process starting when breast milk alone is no
longer sufficient to meet the nutritional
requirements of infants, and therefore other
foods and liquids are needed, along with breast
milk. The transition from exclusive
breastfeeding to family foods – referred to as
complementary feeding – typically covers the
period from 6 - 24 months of age, even though
breastfeeding may continue to two years of age
and beyond.

17.  Continue frequent, on-demand breastfeeding until 2 years of age or
beyond;
 Practice responsive feeding (for example, feed infants directly and
assist older children. Feed slowly and patiently, encourage them to
eat but do not force them, talk to the child and maintain eye contact);
 Practice good hygiene and proper food handling;
 Start at 6 months with small amounts of food and increase gradually
as the child gets older;
 Gradually increase food consistency and variety;
 Increase the number of times that the child is fed: 2–3 meals per day
for infants 6–8 months of age and 3–4 meals per day for infants 9–23
months of age, with 1–2 additional snacks as required;
 Use fortified complementary foods or vitamin-mineral supplements
as needed; and