Ms. Fatima Soikai, a clinical dietitian at Hamad General Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation, confirmed that the fasting of children under puberty depends on the physical structure and health status of the child.
Fatima Suikai explained, in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), that children’s ability to fast varies according to many factors, including the child’s structure, health condition and climatic weather, so the issue of children’s fasting must be controlled in the pre-puberty stage. And she advised that the fasting of children under the age of puberty be for half the day only to ensure that their health is not affected during the fasting period. Exhaustion and the impact of his health due to exposure to dehydration or severe hypoglycemia.
She added that in order to achieve the best way to eat breakfast for a fasting child, it is preferable to gradually provide dishes to him, starting with juices and dates first, and not to let him eat the meal at once so that he does not suffer from intestinal disorders, provided that the mother takes into account the diversity in the way of cooking meals so that the child does not feel bored. Attention should also be given to increasing the amount of fluids such as water and natural juices that the child takes during and after breakfast.
And she stressed the need for parents to pay attention to any signs that may indicate a significant decrease in the level of sugar in the child, or the emergence of signs indicating that he is dehydrated, in which case the child must break the fast before he is exposed to health risks, calling for the necessity of medical supervision by the specialist doctor. And a nutritionist, if children with diabetes are allowed to fast, as their diabetes concentration may drop to dangerous levels, and for children who are obese or overweight, fasting is an opportunity for them to adjust their diet.
The clinical nutrition specialist at Hamad General Hospital stressed the need to provide a balanced breakfast that contains carbohydrates, proteins and harmless fats, as well as fruits and vegetables to obtain the necessary needs of vitamins and minerals to give the child all his nutritional needs, provided that the suhoor meal contains fibers that help to feel full for longer periods. .
At the end of her statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Fatima Suikai warned that the Suhoor meal should contain milk and its derivatives to provide the child with his basic needs of calcium, and fried foods and sweets should be limited, and drinks containing caffeine such as tea, coffee and soft drinks should be avoided. , because it causes loss of water from the body, noting that children can exercise during fasting hours, but according to controls, including not practicing violent physical activities to prevent dehydration and increase the sense of thirst and hunger.
