1) The document discusses feeding problems in children with special needs, including cerebral palsy, autism, cleft lip and palate, and ADHD. 2) Children with special needs may experience difficulties chewing, swallowing, and eating due to issues like spasticity, hyperactive gag reflex, and sensory processing problems. 3) Their nutritional needs may also not be met due to narrow food selections, mealtime tantrums, picky eating behaviors, and higher rates of gastrointestinal disorders. Maintaining proper nutrition is important for their development.

1. Community Nutrition and Public Health

2. Topic: Introduction to Nutrition for
physical fitness and sport
Feeding problems in children with
Special needs
Submitted by
Sowmiya Gunasekaran
II-M.Sc (N&D)

3. Introduction to Nutrition for physical
fitness
Health, as defined by the (WHO), is "a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-
being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity.

4. • A well-balanced diet provides all of the:
energy you need to keep active throughout
the day
• Nutrients you need for growth and repair,
helping you to stay strong and healthy and
help to prevent diet-related illness.

5. • Keeping active and eating a healthy balanced
diet can also help you to maintain a healthy
weight.

6. • Deficiencies in some key nutrients - such as
vitamin A, B, C and E, and zinc, iron and
selenium - can weaken parts of your immune
system.

7. Balanced Diet
• A diet that contains the proper proportions
of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, mi
nerals, and water necessary to maintain
good health.

8. Important Nutrients In Diet
• Carbohydrates: They serves as the fuel for the
body.
• Protein: They help in growth and immunity of
the body.
• Fats: fat is the major storage form of energy in
the body.

9. • Vitamins and Minerals: They help in many
body functions like energy production and
muscle contraction.
• Water: It keeps you hydrated and replaces the
fluids that you lose during workouts.

10. “HEALTY EATING LEADS TO HEALTHY
LIVING”

11. Sport Feeding problems in
children with Special needs
• The term “Special Needs” is being replaced by
the term “Exceptional Learners.”
• Exceptional Learners are, “those who require
special education and related services if they
are to realize their full human potential.”

12. How to Recognize a Children with
Special Needs
• Difficulties with attention and concentration.
• Difficulty with getting along with others.
• Easily frustrated.
• Impulsive inactions.
• restlessness.
• Poor self-concept.

13. Children with Special Needs
• Disabilities – Cerebral Palsy
• Congenital Defects – Cleft Palate
• Health-related and Behavioural problems –
Learning Disorders or ADHD
• Autism

14. Cerebral Palsy
• Non progressive injury to the immature brain
Leading to motor dysfunction.

15. • Cerebral palsy affects muscle control and
coordination, so even simple movements —
like standing still — are difficult.

16. Risk factors
• Prenatal
• Prematurity (< 36 weeks)
• Low birth weight (less than 2500 g)
• Maternal epilepsy
• Infections (TORCH)
• Bleeding in the third trimester
• Severe toxemia,
• Eclampsia
• Multiple pregnancies
• Placental insufficiency
• Drug abuse and trauma

17. • Perinatal
• Prolonged and difficult labor
• Premature rupture of membranes
• Presentation anomalies
• Vaginal bleeding at the time of labor
• Bradycardia and hypoxia

18. • Postnatal
• CNS infection (encephalitis, meningitis)
• Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia
• Head trauma
• Seizures and Coagulopathies

19. Nutritional issues
• Teeth problems
• hyperbilirubinemia
• Malocclusion Spasticity
• Tooth decay, swallowing problems
• Antiepileptic drug use

20. Causes of inadequate food intake
• Difficulty chewing and swallowing
• Hyperactive gag reflex
• Spasticity of oropharyngeal muscles
• Loss of selective control of oropharyngeal
muscles Gastroesophageal reflux

21. AUTISM
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a
developmental disability that can
cause significant social,
communication and behavioral challenges.

22. Nutritional Concerns
• Children with ASD are five times more likely to
have mealtime challenges such as extremely
narrow food selections, ritualistic eating
behaviors (for example, no foods can touch)
and meal-related tantrums.

23. • Children with ASD have a lower than average
intake of protein, calcium, B12, and Vitamin D
as compared to their peers.
• Poor nutrition is linked to motor, cognitive,
and behavioral development problems in
children with ASD.

24. • Picky Eating
– Rigidity & Routine
– Sensory Issues
• Allergies
• High rates of Gastrointestinal (GI) Disorders

26. CLEFT LIP AND PALATE
• Feeding Difficulties
• Cleft lip= makes it more difficult for an infant
to suck on a nipple
• Cleft Palate= may cause formula or breast milk
to be accidently taken up into the nasal cavity
Inability to create negative pressure inside oral
cavity Frequent regurgitations
• Upper respiratory tract infections

27. Dental Problems
• ongenitally Missing teeth, Hypodontia,
Hyperdontia, Oligodontia
• Presence of natal and neonatal teeth
• Anamalies of tooth morphology like microdontia,
macrodontia etc
• Fused teeth
• Enamel Hypoplasia
• Poor periodontal support, early loss of teeth
• Gemination, Dilacerations

28. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder)
• “ADHD is a developmental disability with a
childhood onset that typically results in a
chronic and pervasive pattern of impairment
in school, social and/or work domains, and
often in daily adaptive functioning.”

29. Nutrition In ADHD
• Protein & Omega-3 fatty acids are important
for ADHD, as well as iron & magnesium.
• Eat a high-protein diet.
• Eat complex crabs at night (may aid sleep).