AskMeDoctor! Season 6 Episode 15 | Less Sick Days! Support Your Child Grow Up Strong and Smart

Our children are exposed to germs and viruses on a daily basis. Whether they’re at school, at the mall, and even at the park playing with their friends. And these germs can easily make them sick, affecting their immune system. We talked to Dr Junina from Klinik Pakar Kanak-Kanak Junina to learn more about how to help keep our kids healthy in a world full of germs that threaten to keep them sick. Q1: Why do schools bring in a parade of sniffles and fevers? When we send our child to school, we’re sending them to be amongst other children. And together they’re supposed to be studying and having fun. But what happens is they also go there bringing their own personal sets of germs. That’s when the ‘sharing’ begins. They don’t share the toys but they sure share their germs. It’s like a big party there. There are different types of bacteria, viruses coming together like a germ carnival. Q2: Is school a big germ fest? Yes, in a way, but truth be told, it is also where our children’s bodies interact and develop immunity against these bacteria that they come into contact with. So, it’s not all bad. It’s how they build their immunity and grow stronger from it. It’s actually how the body starts to identify these bacteria and then develop antibodies so that they can fight these infections in the future. Q3: How can we as parents help our kids avoid these bugs? While we can’t totally avoid infections, we can play a role as parents to minimise the number of infections and the severity of these infections. There are a few important steps that we need to take as parents. One, ensure that your child gets enough rest. That means sleeping at a proper time and getting enough sleep. Secondly, make sure that the child doesn’t miss any vaccinations. Because as we know, vaccinations help to protect children against potentially dangerous diseases. And third, ensure a balanced diet. Because in a balanced diet are nutrients that are essential in building a good immune system. However, in order for them to fully benefit from what they’re eating, there is one secret weapon. And that is maintaining good gut health. Q4: Why is a happy gut essential for our kids—not just for their tummies but their immunity too? A child with a tummy upset, as we all know, is not a happy child. Whether they’re having diarrhoea or vomiting, they’re going to be miserable. And they won’t be able to go to school. However, the gut is also an important place where nutrient absorption takes place. So, if we are to feed a child a proper meal but the gut’s not healthy, they’re still not going to be able to absorb the food that they’ve eaten. Being able to absorb nutrition means that this nutrition can then enter their system and build a better immune system for them. Once they have a good immune system, they can go to school. They won’t be falling sick quite so often and they can focus better in class. A child who can focus better in class is more likely to be able to commit to memory what they’ve learned; and thus, strengthen their memory. In summary, a happy gut contributes to happier, smarter and healthier kids. Q5: How do we keep our little superheroes in action? Are there any specific nutrients that can be used, sort of like their sidekick? And today, there’s so many types of probiotics in the market. Parents are also more aware of these good bacteria that can be bought and consumed in order to protect their children’s gut health and immunity in general. Amongst all these probiotics, studies have shown that the Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 is good at protecting gut immunity and working well together with prebiotics to reduce the child’s chances of getting sick. Q6: How can parents give kids the brain boost that they need for top notch learning? Brain power. School achievement. These are big topics nowadays. Parents want the best for their children, and one of the things they want is to help their children achieve their full potential. So there are two main players in this memory and learning game. One is DHA. DHA is brain fuel. It’s an omega-3 fatty acid that powers up your child’s brain and eyes. Health experts have set daily recommendations for DHA intake in children, and this varies according to their age. So if your child is taking the optimal level of DHA, they will be able to learn easier, support IQ development as well as memory so they can retain what they’ve learned better. The other one is Gangliosides. Gangliosides are like construction workers of the nervous system, especially the brain. What these Gangliosides do is they help in the formation of brain cell connections and the transfer of messages between brain cells. Gangliosides also stabilise the myelin sheath. This myelin sheath is like an insulating layer around the brain cells. And what they do is to support faster brain message transmission. So DHA and Gangliosides, they work together. And what they do is they support learning and memory function. The better and stronger your child’s brain cells connect, the faster the message transfer happen for learning and memory. Q7: Why is it so crucial for parents to prioritise their kids’ gut health for optimal brain development? Firstly, a child with no tummy upset is a happy child, and happy children means happy mummies. So that’s important for peace to reign in the household. Secondly, if the gut is healthy, then it is able to do its job; which is to absorb all the nutrients that the child has consumed. And these nutrients, as we discussed before, are important both for memory retention, ease of learning as well as in terms of developing the immune system, which will in turn allow them to go to school with minimal days of absenteeism. So, the gut is an important organ in ensuring overall health and development of a child. It all begins in the gut. https://youtu.be/cbkDjX1gZME Give Your Child The Best Nutritional Foundation Today To Raise A Stronger & Smarter Child! Parents, did you know that all these nutrients can be found in Anmum Essential Gold? The NEW & Improved children’s milk formula Anmum Essential Gold is scientifically formulated with Probio DR10TM~ + Prebiotics, Highest DHA Level# and Gangliosides. And as we just learned, this nutrient bundle helps support your child’s brain and immunity development. The combination of Probio DR10™~ with Prebiotic helps the body fight against infection. Studies showed that Probio DR10™~ and Prebiotic reduce respiratory infections by 35%▲ & fever days in children1. DHA and Gangliosides play a pivotal role in supporting brain development, which is the foundation for IQ development2 and memory formation3,4 setting the stage for your child’s future. Anmum Essential Gold contains 50mg/serving and 150mg/day (based on 3 servings a day), meeting the experts recommended daily DHA intake^ for 2 to 6 years old children. It is also the only brand that meets the expert recommended daily DHA intake^ for children 4 to 6 years old with 3 servings a day. Additionally, it has the highest DHA level# compared to major brands of formulated milk powder for children in the market. So, try Anmum Essential Gold today! Together, let's build your child stronger and smarter*! Disclaimers: ~Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 *With proper stimulation and good nutrition. #Compared to the product label of major brands of formulated milk powder for children as of July 2023. ^FAO/WHO recommends daily DHA intake of 10-12mg/kg/day for children 12-24 months, 100-150mg/day of DHA+EPA for children 2-4 years old and 150-200mg/day of DHA+EPA for children 4-6 years old. FAO. (2010). Fats and fatty acids in human nutrition: Report of an expert consultation. Rome, Italy: FAO. References: Sazawal et al. (2010). PLoS ONE. 5(8): e12164. Kuratko et al. (2013). Nutrients. 5, 2777-2810. Palmano et al. (2015) Nutrients. 7(5), 3891-3913. Mulder et al. (2022). Curr. Dev. Nutr. 6 (7), nzac099. Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner. For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

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