The lack of physical activity and the poor eating habits that the pandemic has generated have caused disorders in the growth of children
Without a doubt, the pandemic has given us a series of health problems , not only in respiratory issues but also with obesity and has not respected any member of the family . In fact, they have discovered that walking and weight gain are some of the harmful effects on children during the pandemic.
The lack of physical activity and poor nutritional habits in minors , generated by the restrictions of the covid-19 pandemic , can cause disorders in their growth, Peruvian doctors and experts warned in a virtual conference.
The fact that the pandemic only affects 1.7% of minors "does not make them immune to collateral problems, such as anxiety, stress, insomnia", as well as "posture, visual, obesity, little growth and malnutrition ", affirmed the pediatric endocrinologist Paola Pinto.
The expert explained in the virtual conference "Alteration of growth in children, another consequence of the pandemic?" that the poverty and extreme poverty indices rose in Peru in 2020 to 30% and 5.1%, respectively, and currently in each family there is one member who has some nutritional damage.
ANEMIA AND OBESITY COEXIST
In the case of children, 43% of those under 36 months of age have anemia in Peru, and at the same time the Andean country follows the global trend of increasing obesity in children under 5 years of age, Pinto pointed out.
The also member of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Endocrinology warned that 15% of obese infants will become obese adults, which leads to a series of chronic health problems in the future.
Although the main growth factor in a child is genetics (80%), deep sleep, daily exercise and good nutrition also contribute, Pinto noted.
Sedentary behavior can have negative effects, the doctor said, while "physical activity can be a valuable tool to keep calm, prevent cardiovascular conditions, posture problems, emotional problems and more stress."
The type of diet during quarantines due to the pandemic has created a new term, covibesity, said Pinto, which is the abuse of carbohydrates, and those eating habits have been maintained throughout this time.
WEIGHT AND SIZE CONTROL
In turn, the head of the endocrinology and metabolism service of the National Institute of Child Health, Carlos del Águila, drew attention to the importance of parents knowing about the control of the height and weight of their children from birth.
"There is anxiety on the part of parents and children because there is a lot of comparison on the part of children, when they could do it together with other minors," said Del Águila.
However, being confined, parents have a difficult time observing whether their children are growing with their average age or below.
To confirm the trend of each minor, the growth curves should be structured with the weight and height of the minors to observe it with the specialist.
"There are many causes of short stature, but each condition has a specific treatment, whether it is hormonal deficiency or another," said the doctor.
In this sense, during the conference digital tools were presented to be able to monitor the children from home and know if their growth is adequate.