A toddler is a child approximately 12 to 36 months old,

though definitions vary.

The toddler years are a time of great cognitive,
emotional and social development.
The word is derived from "to toddle", which means to
walk unsteadily, like a child of this age
A young child who is beginning to walk
• a person who
toddles especially a
young child usually
between one and
three years old (12-
36 months). It's no
secret that kids need
plenty of sleep
Toddlers may be
considered children that
range from 1 year to 4
years of age, though
others may have different
definitions of these
terms. There's no official
definition of the upper
limit of toddlerhood
Stages of Life
• Infant = 0-1 year.
• Toddler = 2-4 yrs.
• Child = 5-12 yrs.
• Teen = 13-19 yrs.
• Adult = 20-39 yrs.
• Middle Age Adult = 40-59 yrs.
• Senior Adult = 60+
7 stages of Development
Infant Development.
Toddler Development.
Preschooler Development.
Middle Childhood Development.
Adolescent Development.
Adult Development
Toddlers Nutritional Needs
What to feed young children
• Fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables contain lots of
vitamins, minerals and fibre. ...
• Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods. ...
• Milk and dairy products. ...
• Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins. ...
• Helping your child get enough iron. ...
• Foods containing fat, sugar and salt.
• Milk
- an important part of a toddler's diet.
It provides  calcium and vitamin D to help build strong
bones. Toddlers should have 700 milligrams of calcium
and 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin D (which aids
in calcium absorption) a day. This calcium need is met if
kids get the recommended two servings of dairy foods
every day. But those servings provide less than half of
the necessary vitamin D, so doctors often recommend
vitamin D supplements.
• Meeting Iron Requirements
• Toddlers should have 7 milligrams of iron each day. After 12
months of age, they're at risk for iron deficiency because they
no longer drink iron-fortified formula and may not be eating iron-
fortified infant cereal or enough other iron-containing foods to
make up the difference
• Iron deficiency can affect growth and may lead to learning and
behavioral problems. And it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia
 (too few red blood cells in the body). Iron is needed to make
red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
Without enough iron and red blood cells, the body's tissues and
organs get less oxygen and don't work as well as they should
Growth and Development in Early Childhood
1. Growth in weight and height
• Steady but show slow growth rate with more or less equal
yearly gains as much as 2-3kg
• Average weight gain of 5-6 lb/yr. are found mostly in muscle
and bone mass
• Characterized by loss in body fat
• Average height increase is 2-3 inches per year
• Girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys
2. Body Proportions
• Growth at this stage is concentrated in legs and trunk, thus
creating a taller and more slender look
• Balance is easier with a lower center of gravity
3. Internal systems and tissues
• Body systems slow and stabilize
• change in fat, muscles and bone tissues
- body fats decreases
- more muscles and bones among boys and more fats tissues
among girls
- slow muscle growth
- cartilage changes to bone as development proceed
- twenty baby teeth come out by age 2 ½ - 3
- adult chest breathing movement
- larger bladder, thus longer time between bathroom trips
and so baby’s sleep is less interrupted
- ½ of adult stomach capacity
3. Brain growth is rapid I the first 3-4 years after birth
- brain size reaches 75% of its adult weight by age 2 and
90% at the age of 4-6 years
- new cells re form, existing cells become more complex
- hand preferences are established by age 4
Nutritional Requirements of Early Childhood
• All foods eaten must contain protein, minerals and vitamins
for growth
• Higher physical activities so that the daily calorie allowances
per unit of body weight is higher
• Food selection and preparation is influenced by the child’s
capacity to chew and digest food
RDA for Preschoolers for Energy and Specific
Nutrients
1-3 years 4-6 years
Energy. kcal 1350 1600

Protein, g 27 32

Vit A, RE 350 375

Vit C., mg 35 45

Thiamin, mg 0.7 0.8

Riboflavin, mg 0.7 0.8

Niacin, NE 13 15
 1-3 years 4-6 years
Folate, ug 40 60

Calcium, mg 600 600

Iron, mg 9 10

Iodine, ug 55 65
Rationale for Nutritional Requirements
• Energy
- the increase in energy needs is due to the increase in the
energy needed for basal metabolism, increased activity
and increased growth of muscle and adipose tissue
* recommended intake – 105kcal/kg for 1-3 y/o
90kcl/kg for 4-6 y/o
* recommended energy intakes make no distinction
between boys and girls until 11 yr; boys as young as 6 have
greater energy needs than girls and that the boys eat more
to meet their energy needs
• Protein
- protein requirement is higher than that of adults per kg body
weight (BW)
* recommended protein intake of 27-30/kg BW will provide for
the demands in the growth of skeletal and muscular tissues and
provide protection against infection
• Fat soluble vitamins:
Vit. A – essential for maintenance of visual purple for vision in dim
light
Vit. D – important for promoting normal calcification of bones
 Vit. E – necessary in the synthesis of essential body compounds
Vit. K – necessary for the synthesis of prothrombin and pro
convertin, in blood coagulation two essential factors
• Water soluble vitamins
- most water soluble vitamins are involved in energy metabolism
* Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, and Pantothenic acid, increase in
total energy needs
* Pyridoxine, needed in the use of dietary protein and synthesis of
new tissue protein
 * Folate and Pyridoxine are needed for the proper utilization of
iron and protein in hematopoeisis (blood formation)
* Vit. C necessary for the formation of collagen, the protein that
binds the cell together, and also for tooth formation
• Minerals
* Calcium, phosphorous and fluorine are necessary for bone
growth as body size increases, the other system also increases
(cardio vascular, musculoskeletal, etc.) thus so the increases
need for nutrients
• Water
- 60% of the child’s body weight is water
* serves as a medium for all biochemical reactions; important in
the regulation of body temperature
* transport vital minerals to cells
* discards waste materials
* normal healthy child needs about 4-6 glasses or 1000-1500 ml
per day
Feeding Problems
• Food jag, is when a child will only eat one food item, or a very
small group of food items, meal after meal.
• Dawdling, when the child lingers or dilly-dallies with his food
during mealtime
• Gagging, the child feels like vomiting especially when fed
coarse foods
• Eating too much, may be due to heredity, temperament,
appetite or mother’s insistence of a “clean plate”
• Signs of Good Nutrition
1. alert, vigorous and happy
2. has endurance during activity
3. sleep well
4. normal height and weight for age
5. stands erect, arms and legs straight
6. clear, bright eyes, smooth healthy skin, lustrous hair
7. firms and well-developed muscles
8. not irritable and restless
9. good attention spans
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC