Why You Should Always Feed Eggs To Your Children

The period of early childhood that starts from the birth of a child till the time he turns eight, is a time for tremendous growth in all areas of the body. So it is crucial that parents pay adequate attention to the growing needs of the child. A recent study suggests that eggs can have a very favourable increase in the growth of children. Feeding your child one egg a day gives them protein, which is a building block for a young body.

The study was conducted at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis by a leading expert on child nutrition, Lora Iannotti. It is a randomized, controlled trial held in Ecuador, on 163 children aged 6-9 months.

While 80 children in the study were randomly assigned to be given one egg per day for 6 months, the study also included a control group of 83 children who did not receive eggs.

The monitoring team visited households of the children once a week to monitor morbidity symptoms, distribute eggs, and monitor egg intakes.

The infants in the egg group under study also received a reduced intake of sugar-sweetened foods. Furthermore, the study also carefully monitored any allergic reactions to the eggs but found none.

A major finding of the study was that eating eggs increased the standardized length-for-age score and the weight-for-age score, and reduced the prevalence of stunting by 47% and being underweight by 74% in the children.

In India, according to a report by save the children foundation, more than 44% children under 5 are underweight and suffer from anaemia. Also, a UNICEF report has revealed that more than 62 million children have stunted growth due to the unavailability of adequate nutrition.

Accordingly, the results of this study could offer a ray of hope in reducing the child mortality and boosting growth rates of children in India.

The benefits of an egg to a child's growth is also coupled with the efficiency of its use. An egg can be safely packaged, it is a complete food and is potentially more easily accessible in developing countries than most other modern foods that help a child's growth. According to Iannotti, "eggs seem to be a viable option and recommended source of nutrition."

Not just this, Iannotti adds that "Eggs can be affordable and easily accessible. They are also a good source of nutrients for growth and development in young children. Eggs have the potential to contribute to reduced growth stunting around the world."

The brilliance of the egg does not end here. Eggs are known to be good sources of Vitamin D, which is a benefactor to bone health. For kids particularly, complete bone growth is important to avoid problems like arthritis and osteoporosis later.

A variety of research studies conducted around the world have supported this assertion.

Touted as a miracle growth booster, eggs are better than most regular breakfast foods that a child eats. Common among these are cereals, bread and oatmeal. However, research has found that a an egg is a much better source of nutrition, it keeps them full for longer thus preventing their overeating and curing the problem of obesity. Additionally, researchers from Sweden also found in a 2016 study that children who eat eggs before 11 months of age have a reduced risk of developing allergies.

This means that an egg is a necessary supplement that you should add to your child's diet to ensure that s/he undergoes a balanced growth.

(With inputs from ANI)