Summary Health and Safety notes

Special Needs

Children with special needs are those that are at risk of physical, developmental, behavioral, and emotional conditions who required health and related
services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.

Issues with special needs children:

 Inclusion of Children with special needs
Provide optimum environment where special equipment or facilities are required

 Children with stress
Provide supportive, protective environment and promote well-being

 Children with chronic illnesses
Provide protective an preventive environment

 Children from drug abuse family
Proper strategies and practices needed

Tools required for special needs children:

 Supervision
Offer maximum well-being

 Education
Gain knowledge on how to deal with the children

 Cultural competence
Actions and reactions to children who are ill/disabled differs from culture to culture

, Childhood illness

What is childhood illness?
Relates to conditions where is the marked declining of a child’s health status which is also an indicator of declining nutritional patterns.

Most frequent dietary problems in children:

Underweight/poor growth/failure to thrive
Causes:


 - Medical reason Management:
- Diet too high in fiber or too low in fat - Provide nutrient rich food(full cream milk, cheese, meat, eggs…)
- Insufficient vitamins and minerals - Increase frequency of eating

Overweight/Obesity Poor formation of teeth, bones, and dental disease
Causes: Causes:
- Too many fat-rich and sugar-rich food - Lack of calcium and fluoride
Management: - Too many sugar-rich or acid-rich food
- Provide balanced diet Management:
- provide filing snacks of fruits and sandwiches - Consult dentist
- Establish regular pattern of meals & snacks - Increase high calcium-rich food

 Lack of iron/anemia/lethargy
Causes:


- Vegetarian or non-red meat eater Management:
- Insufficient intake of iron-rich food - Increase red meat intake
- lack of vitamin C - Increase vitamin C intake
- Increase food intake

 Constipation

, Causes: Management:
- Insufficient natural sugars - Increase range and quantity of fruits, vegetables
- Insufficient liquid intake - Increase fluid intake
- Insufficient fruit and vegetable intake


 Mild diarrhea  Food fads/food refusal
Causes: Causes:
- Due to high intake of sugar or fruit juices - Dislike certain food or refuse to try new food
Management: Management:
- Limit sugar consumption - Prevent any form of conflict
- monitor intake of fruits and high fibre food - Remove offending food without fuss, do not offer alternative
- Ensure high intake of water - Ensure snacks are not low nutrient, high sugar or high fat
- Do not fill up with other food



If there are children that require special diet attention due to certain medical conditions, care details must be obtained from medical specialist on details and
implications of dietary provision, likely reactions, emergency procedures. Example of physical distree and illness:

 Food intolerance such as lactose  Gastro-intestinal disorder  Phenylketonuria(PKU)
intolerance
 Coeliac disease  Diabetes
 Food allergy
 Cystic fibrosis  Tooth decay

Common illness in children:
- Cold/flu
- Chicken pox
- Dry mouth
- Painful throat/sore mouth