Developmental Delays in Toddlers May Be Due to a Lack of Fat

The next time you trim the fat off of a steak or pour all the grease drippings out of your frying pan, consider the starving children in the third world who could actually use that fat to improve their brain power. We live in the same world, but Americans and our third world neighbors have two varying views on fat. Americans loath it. Fat keeps us from having washboard abs and enviable waistlines, but

“in developing countries such wastage is much less of a luxury” [1].

And now that childhood obesity is on the rise in America, we are getting more and more paranoid about our children’s fat and cholesterol intakes too. We are entrenched with reminders on a daily basis when we turn on the television or open the paper. The diagnosis for adult-onset diabetes has become so prevalent among children that the medical community has since changed the term to Type 2 Diabetes. Bombarded by this campaign against fat, many parents may begin limiting their child’s fat intake as early as 1 to 2 years of age. But is this a good idea?

Fat is an essential part of the human diet, and we all need fats to some degree, but how much is too much and more importantly, what happens if our children don’t get enough?

Recommended Reading: Senate Report on Mercury in Vaccines says CDC and FDA are Guilty of Misconduct. This article gives insight into another possible cause of developmental delays in toddlers….

A low fat/low cholesterol diet can be quite damaging for young children whose diets really need between 35-40% fat. Based on a 1300 calorie diet, that means your toddler probably needs 45-50g fat each day. Drs. Allen and Graham developed a Child Nutrition Program in Kenya that demonstrated a diet including beef and milk for school-age children improves overall cognitive functioning. They found that children in Kenya ate a macrobiotic diet that was not properly balanced. As a result the children were deficient of vital nutrients (B12, Iron, and Zinc) [2].

According to the Summary statement of the GL-CRSP,

“The nutritional risks associated with avoidance of animal source foods, and especially meat, are not adequately appreciated in the U.S. or the world in general. For example, the practice of restricting the meat intake of children in the United States has become more common because some parents believe that “red meat” has adverse effects on health. In a recent study at UC Davis, for example, wealthier parents fed far less red meat to their children than did those in lower socioeconomic groups; 91% of lower income children and 100% of higher income children failed to meet the minimum number of meat servings” [2].

Children and Adults need fat to supply the essential fatty acids required for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, but infants and toddlers also need them to assist in the development of proper neurological function and for proper maintenance of their developing immune systems.

Michael Pollen, author of the book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, explains: “The human brain is about 60% fat; every neuron is sheathed in a protective layer of the stuff. Fats make up the structure of our cell walls, the ratios between various kinds influencing the permeability of the cells to everything from glucose and hormones to microbes and toxins. Without adequate amounts of fat in the diet, fat-soluble vitamins like A and E can’t pass through the intestinal walls” [3].

Most toddlers are physically able to consume home-prepared or family foods by their first birthdays. As they grow into preschoolers, we begin to feed them small amounts of table foods: peas, carrots, cereals, and other simple carbohydrate snacks such as blueberries, bananas, and applesauce. These foods are not nutrient-dense fatty foods, and when the child is weaned from the breast or bottle and juice is introduced into the diet, they may lack adequate animal source foods and as a result, develop nutritional deficiencies.

And if we are buying lean meat at the store, or avoiding it altogether, we may be further limiting our child’s potential fat intake. A beef short loin trimmed to 0″ of fat contains 3.4g fat, while the same short loin with 1/2″ fat has 9.4g.

“Little attention has been paid to (caregivers) potentially limiting amounts of amino acids, which may occur when virtually all the protein is provided by cereals. Beyond their contribution of a good and highly bio-available source of iron and zinc, foods from animal sources also increase the proportion of fat in the diet and provide EFA and high quality protein. An association of milk consumption with growth has also been documented [4].”

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The editor of Healthy-family.org has a master's degree in English from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor of science degree in special education. She has taught students from early elementary school through college freshman level. Today she enjoys reading and writing about both hot topics and those not so commonly discussed on other websites. Most of her days are spent playing all kinds of make-believe with her three very young and active sons. | All articles by Caryn Talty.