Hábitos alimenticios para el correcto desarrollo psicomotor en lactantes.

Abstract

Psychomotor development in infants is an interaction between motor activity and cognitive functions, and nutrition plays a crucial role in this process. Malnutrition can have negative impacts on psychomotor development, and there is a worrying prevalence of malnutrition in children under 5 years of age in African and Asian countries. The World Health Organization reports that millions of children under the age of 5 suffer from problems such as wasting, stunted growth, overweight or obesity, which affects their psychomotor development. The imbalance of micronutrients and vitamins in the diet of infants can cause difficulties in crawling, maladaptive behaviors, muscle fatigue and attention deficit. The general objective of the bibliographic review is to establish the relationship between eating habits and adequate psychomotor development in infants. Among the specific objectives are to analyze beneficial and harmful eating habits, describe complementary feeding strategies and propose guidelines for adequate feeding in infants with problems in their psychomotor development. The methodology used is qualitative and transversal, based on the review of articles that deal with feeding in infants and its relationship with psychomotor development. In conclusion, a rich and diverse diet, with foods of animal origin that contain iron, is essential for brain development and learning in the first years of life. The importance of breast milk as the main source of nutrients during the first year is emphasized and recommendations for adequate complementary feeding are offered.