Nutrition

Nutrition is the underpinning of life itself. Good nutrition has consequences for health, societal well-being, economic stability, and advancements. Poor nutrition has a direct and measurable impact on all aspects of human functioning, especially in disease states and especially for children. This chapter reviews basic nutrition and includes the function, deficiency, and requirements for individual nutrients. The chapter also addresses specific needs for premature infants, term infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents and underscores the need for nutrition in specific disease states.