CHILDHOOD ENERGY REQUIREMENT

CHILDHOOD ENERGY REQUIREMENT

Calorie or energy requirement varies from age to age as is shown in Tables. On an average, 50% of calories should come from carbohydrates, 35% from fats and 15% from protein. It is worth remembering that daily requirement is 100 to 120 kcalories per Kg for the first year of life.

Daily calorie requirement of infants

Age range (months)                  Requirement calorie per kg

0-3 months                                 120

3 to 6 months                             115

6 to 9 months                             110

9 to 12 months                           105

Daily requirement for calories

Age range (years)                    Requirement k calorie per kg

Under 1 (average)                      110

1 to 3                                         100

4 to 6                                          90

7 to 9                                          80

10 to 12                                      70

13 to 15                                      60

16 to 19                                      50

Adult                                           40

During the following period, it decreased by around 10 kcalories per kg for each succeeding 3 year duration

Total daily calorie requirement during the first year of life

Age(months)                             Calorie requirement

1                                                                                                  500

2                                                                                                  600

4                                                     700

5                                                     800

9                                                                                                  900

10                                                                                              1,000

It is apparent that an infant of 1 year of age needs about 1,000 k calories. A rough rule is to add 100 calories per each year of age up to a maximum of 1,500 kcalories. About adolescence; when the growth spurt occurs, calorie needs are much higher. According to this rule a child of 5 years of age needs 1,000 + 400 = 1,400 k calories.

According to Holiday and seger formula, calorie requirement is as follow:

Up to 10 kg : 100 kcal/kg

10 to 20 kg : 1000 + 50 kcal for each

Kg > 10 kg  

>20 kg :1500 + 20 kcal for each

   Kg> 20 kg

Break-up of energy requirement is as follows:

1. Maintenance of basal metabolism 50%
2. Specific dynamic action 5 %
3. Growth 12 %
4. Physical activity 25 %
5. Losses in stool, etc 8%