Why are malnourished children slow to walk?

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Grandparents often say: "3 months to know how to roll, 7 months to crawl, 9 months to learn to walk". However, there are 17-month-old babies who can't walk yet, causing many parents to worry. So is malnutrition in children related to delayed walking?
Video content is professionally consulted by Dr. Pham Lan Huong - Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital

1. Causes of slow walking children

There are many reasons that lead to slow walking in children:
1.1. Malnourished children Malnourished children lack vitamin D and calcium, so their bones and joints are weak enough to stand up and learn to walk. In contrast, overweight / obese children, the skeletal system can not bear the body weight, difficult to move, leading to children learning to walk more difficult.
Premature babies are the most common cause due to underdeveloped organs, including the motor system, depending on the number of weeks of pregnancy at birth and the individual condition of each child.
1.2 Congenital – natural Children's psychology is afraid of pain when falling, so they are shy and don't want to go or they just like to sit and lie down. Children can walk but just like to sit and play in place, causing parents to misunderstand that the baby is slow to walk. Children are held a lot, less able to exercise on their own, so they have less opportunity to learn to walk.
1.3. Musculoskeletal problems Children suffering from musculoskeletal diseases such as muscular dystrophy, leg bone deformities, .... making their legs very weak, unable to walk. Cerebral palsy and other brain disorders
Children with cerebral palsy, meningoencephalitis, hydrocephalus occurring before they can walk, disorders of the motor control brain region are the causes of children being slow to walk or even unable to walk. can go.

2. So how to improve the problem of slow walking children?

The first is to supplement nutrients: Supplement 4 groups of important nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, iron, calcium, micronutrients such as: Selenium, Chromium, Vitamins B1 and B6, C... for the comprehensive development of the child's body and musculoskeletal system.
Hand and foot massage for children: massage from the armpit to the hand and from the thigh to the foot 3 to 5 times a day, to increase blood circulation to the muscles, increase tendon reflexes, increase contractility and increase mass leg muscles.
Encourage children to be active: Parents let children play with their favorite toys out of reach to stimulate children to crawl, crawl, go get the toys.
Create space for toddlers. Create a safe, spacious play area with fulcrums such as a table, a chair, a bed, and a handrail on the wall, so that children can confidently learn to walk, especially those who are shy, afraid of pain, and afraid of falling.
Support the child to help him not panic when learning to stand or walk. Parents should often encourage, praise and hug their children to make them more confident. Letting children play with other children of the same age will help them find it attractive and stimulated to follow.
As Dr. Pham Lan Huong shared: With malnourished children who may be slow to walk, parents should calm down and persist in supplementing their baby's nutrients through a diet or complementary foods of clear origin. prescribed by the doctor and encourage children to exercise age-appropriate.
Currently, many parents have actively supplemented their children with essential micro-minerals such as zinc, lysine, chromium, selenium, vitamin B1, ... to fully meet the nutritional needs of their children. The addition of these essential vitamins also supports digestion, enhances nutrient absorption, improves anorexia, and helps children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.

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