NERDC Curriculum for Foods and Nutrition Ages 0 – 3 years. Breast feeding (0-6 months), Complementary feeding (7-36 months).
Week 1
Topic: Breast feeding (0-6 months)
Performance Objectives – Parent/Caregiver: Should be able to:
1. Discuss benefits of exclusive breastfeeding
2. Practice exclusive breast- feeding (EBF) in the first 6 months of life.
3. State the Disadvantage of breast milk substitutes.
Performance Objectives – Child: Should be able to:
1. Accept breast milk exclusively
Content:
1. Concept of exclusive breast feeding
2. Breastfeeding
3. Importance of colostrum.
4. Breast milk substitute and their disadvantages
5. Wrong breastfeeding practices.
6. Mother and child interaction
7. Breast feeding in special cases e.g. (HIV positive mothers
8. Medical advice for HIV/AIDS positive mothers.
9. Problems of breast feeding (cracked and sore nipples etc.).
Activities – Parent/Caregiver:
1. Practice exclusive breastfeeding
2. Guided discussions o
• Problems associated with breast milk substitutes.
• Harmful feeding practices e.g. discarding of colostrum, abrupt weaning
*appropriate positioning of child during breastfeeding.
*extraction and preservation of breast milk
Ascertaining HIV status and seeking medical advice if positive
Activities – Child:
Caring/Learning Materials:
• Cups
• Spoons
• T/V clips
• Soap
• Water
• Towel
• Basin
• Posters / Picture showing proper ways of breast feeding.
Evaluation Guide:
Parent/Caregiver:
1. Right practice of exclusive breastfeeding
2. Knowledge of breastfeeding, its advantages and practice
3. Harmful breastfeeding practices identified
4. Disadvantages of other substitutes including formula foods Discussed.
Week 2
Topic: Complementary feeding (7-36 months)
Performance Objectives – Parent/Caregiver: Should be able to:
1. Discuss the importance of complementary foods.
2. Process different food items suitable as complementary foods.
3. Produce nutritious foods from local sources.
4. Identify and provide supplements appropriate for the children e.g. vitamin A.
5. Identify signs of malnutrition in children.
6. Identify signs of food allergies
7. Identify problems related to complementary feeding.
Performance Objectives – Child: Should be able to:
1. Continue to accept breastfeeding
2. Accept complementary foods.
3. Accept vitamin supplements
4. Show evidence of proper feeding
Content:
1. Meaning of complementary foods:
That is
• Soft food
• Enriched pap
• Semi-solid
• Family food
2. Types of complementary food (from the f locality)
3. Nutrients/functions of complementary foods.
4. Preparation/Processing methods: e.g. heat treatment soaking/cooking/ fermentation, drying etc.
5. Vitamin/food supplements
6. Common food allergies in children e.g. abdominal discomfort, diarrhea vomiting rashes etc.
Activities – Parent/Caregiver:
1. Identify locally available food items in all food groups.
2. Prepare different food complements using appropriate ratios e.g.
. Double mix: staple/Animal protein
. Staple/ vegetable protein (3. 1)
3. Feed children with suitable complementary foods in the following order
(a) Start with very soft e.g. enriched pap. (b) Semi-solid (c) family food
4. Practice the use of spoon and cup for feeding.
Activities – Child:
Eat various complementary foods provided
Caring/Learning Materials:
Various complementary foods,
.Pap enriched with egg, crayfish, groundnut, soya milk.
. Cooked and mashed beans enriched with Vegetables and palm oil.
. Mashed yam with oil
. Rice
. Cups
. Plates
. Spoon
. Water
. Charts
. Posters of food items
. Pictures of healthy/ mal nourished child
. Soap
. Towel
. Basin
. Growth Charts
Evaluation Guide:
Child
1. Complementary foods accepted
2. Breast milk feeding continued.
3. Evidence of physical growth shown
4. Reduced incidence of food refusal and allergies
5. Reduced incidence of common childhood food related illness.
Caregiver
1. Prepared various complementary foods
2. Complementary foods fed to children.
3. Feeding problems and allergies identified
4. Food supplement, fortified food with Vitamin A and iodine.
NERDC Curriculum for Foods and Nutrition Ages 0 – 3 years
Week 3
Topic: Adequate Feeding/ Healthy Foods.
Performance Objectives – Parent/Caregiver: Should be able to:
1. Select proper food that will meet the nutritional needs/ food of the child.
2. Identify unhealthy food and bad eating habits.
3. Observe and identify signs and symptoms of malnutrition.
4. Recognize the importance of preparing and serving meals under hygienic conditions.
5. Identify the need for snacks and healthy food at the center.
6. Avoid gender preference in food distribution.
7. Identify importance of adequate feeding to Health.
Performance Objectives – Child: should be able to;
1. Accept Adult food.
2. Take one meal at Centre/ school
3. feed self
4. Exhibit good eating habits.
Content:
1. Child feeding practices/ habits
2. Available foods in the community.
3. Nutritional values of foods.
4. Basic functions of food. E.g. Growth food/ body building- protein e.g. fish, beans, egg, milk, groundnuts etc. Carbohydrates/ Energy food carbohydrates Yam cocoyam, cassava, rice, fat and oil etc.
Protective foods- vitamin and minerals: vegetable and Fruits
5. Harmful substances e.g. excessive intake of sugar and candies.
6. Adequate Diet
7. Nutrition deficient diseases/ food relate disorders
a) Night blindness
b) Kwashiorkor
c) Marasrs
d) Rickets
e) Dental carries
f) Obesity
8. Food hygiene and Safety.
Activities – Parent/Caregiver:
1. Obtain various foods within the community.
2. Select healthy foods from the various food group to meet nutritional needs of the child.
3. Tell children to bring snacks to the center/ school. Supervise group eating.
4. Prepare food for children under hygienic conditions.
5. Display posters showing various cases of malnourished and well-nourished children.
6. Give food in manageable portions
7. Introduce one food at a time to children.
Activities – Child:
1. Identify food items
2. Draw and paint food items
3. Feed self while eating with family and in a group.
4. Practice Good eating Habits
Caring/Learning Materials:
1. Deferent food items e.g. Yam, garri, rice, meat, fish, vegetable, fruits etc.
2. Simple cooking equipment/ utensils
3. Plates
4. Charts
5. Posters of adequate food items.
6. Posters of malnourished/ Healthy children.
7. Soap
8. Water
9. Basin
10. Towel
11. Cutlery
12. Cups
13. Stoves
14. Kerosene
15. Firewood
Evaluation Guide:
Child
1. A wide variety of foods by self, eaten
2. Increased body weight and height.
3. Reduced incidence and severity of common childhood illness.
4. Good eating habits Practiced.
Caregiver
1. Nutritionally adequate meals for different ages provided
2. Reduced incidence of food related diseases.
3. Good eating habits Maintained
Week 4
Topic: 4. Food Taboos/harmful feeding Practices.
Performance Objectives – Parent/Caregiver: Should be able to:
1. Identify harmful food taboos and practices within the community.
2. List the effects of harmful feeding practice related to children (e.g. not giving meat/ egg to children).
3. Identify the danger of giving pre-lacteals and administration of local concoction to children
Performance Objectives – Child:
Content:
1. Common feeding practices that are harmful to the child
a) Food taboos
b) Giving less portentous foods e.g. meat, egg etc.
2. Effects of foods taboos on the child
3. Effects of harmful feeding practices on the child.
Activities – Parent/Caregiver:
1. Identify food taboos & harmful feeding practices.
2. Discuss reason why mother should not discard the first yellowish breast milks (colostrum)
3. Discuss the effects of some harmful traditional food taboos.
4. Discourage the giving of pre-lacteals and administration of local concoction to children.
Activities – Child:
Caring/Learning Materials:
Television and Radio programs advocating against harmful food practices against children.
Evaluation Guide:
Caregiver/
1. Knowledge of harmful food taboos and their effects expressed.
2. Good feeding practices identified
NERDC Foods and Nutrition Curriculum Ages 0 – 3 years
Week 5
Topic: Feeding During Illness
Performance Objectives – Parent/Caregiver: Should be able to
1. Identify different childhood feeding illnesses.
2. Identify problems associated with feeding sick child.
3. Identify the importance of liquid foods to a sick child.
4. Recognize the importance of ORT solution for the sick Child.
5. Prepare ORT/SSS solution for the sick child where need be.
Performance Objectives – Child: Should be able to:
1. Say when he/she is ill.
2. Continue to accept breastfeeding/feeding during illness.
3. Ask for what she/he likes to eat.
4. Accept ORT solution when ill.
Content:
1. Types of food related illnesses.
2. Feeding in relation to food to illnesses.
3. Preparation of OR solution.
Activities – Parent/Caregiver:
1. Give small portion of food at a time.
2. Gives food frequently.
3. Give more liquid food.
4. Give a variety of foods acceptable to the child.
5. Prepare and administer ORT/SS solution.
6. Maintain hygienic conditions when feeding the sick child
Activities – Child:
1. Accept ORT/SS solution.
2. Accept Food.
Caring/Learning Materials:
. Different food items,
. Plates
. Cups
. Spoons etc.
. ORT/SS solution
. Bottles ORT/SS
. Sugar
. Salt
. Water
Evaluation Guide:
Child
1. Eats during illness
2. Recovered
Caregiver
1. Knowledge of childhood diseases and their prevention
2. ORT/SS solution prepared and administered
3. Child identified
4. Clean cooking materials used.
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