Combating Childhood Stunting: Effective Nutritional and Activity Strategies for All Ages - October 2024

“She must be jealous of me because I am almost her height, and I am three years younger than her. I am definitely going to catch up with her,” Eight-year-old me thought to myself. “If we are to grow taller,” she said, talking to her other friend while giving me a side eye, “we must jump more often. The more we jump, the taller we can become!” she continued. I didn’t jump in front of her, of course. With this new-found information (not verified, of course), I proceeded to continuously jump at home, hoping that I would one day be taller than her. 25 years have passed since then, and I am proud to say that we are almost the same height—no thanks to the jumping, of course, but to nutrition, which I later found out. Asians are often considered petite, making child stunting (a child who is too short for his or her age and is the result of chronic or recurrent malnutrition according to the World Health Organisation) go unrecognised in our community. However, it should be known that the prevalence of stunting in Malaysia has increased by 30% in 2019 since 2011, even as the trend is decreasing in Southeast Asia. The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 revealed that stunting rates are relatively high, at 21.2%; that is one in five Malaysian children, with the prevalence rate in previous surveys at 16.6% (NHMS 2011) and 17.7% (NHMS 2015). Therefore, making known and addressing child stunting is crucial due to its lasting effects on health and development. Stunting, caused by chronic malnutrition, affects physical growth and cognitive development irreversibly if not tackled promptly. Furthermore, some parents may be unaware that their children could be at risk of stunting. Without timely intervention, stunted children are not only physically smaller but may experience long-term effects on their health, school performance and future work capacity. Now, one may think that this only affects those from the lower income bracket, but it is not true. According to National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022: Adolescent Health Survey 2022, 1 in 3 teens drink carbonated beverages everyday and 1 in 10 eat fast food. These may result in stunting due to lack of proper nutrition. Early interventions can mitigate these effects, ensuring children reach their full height potential. As parents, even before you suspect or head over to start healthcare interventions in your child, there are several actions you can take to curb stunting and promote their optimal growth. Get Physically Active In The Star's'Tall order: How good nutrition, exercise and enough sleep can help kids grow', Paediatric endocrinologist Dr Azriyanti Anuar Zaini shared three factors that can curb child stunting. The first is physical activity. According to the World Health Organisation, physical activity through outdoor play can significantly strengthen muscles and bones, encouraging linear growth. Therefore, age-appropriate physical activity should be a priority. According to Dr Azriyanti, exercise allows a child to sleep better at night and doubles the hormone surge peak. She suggests gravitational exercises like running, walking or skipping may encourage growth. There should be consistency as well. Hence, trips to the playground and jogs around the neighbourhood are very much encouraged. Sufficient Sleep Exercise brings us to the next factor: sleep. A review by the Sleep Foundation of several research findings states that sleep loss can impact the production of human growth hormone (hGH), which is essential for growth and development. hGH is produced by the pituitary gland, an organ located in the brain, and plays a crucial role in helping people grow taller. As the majority of hGH is released during the night, children who do not get enough sleep may have lower levels of this important hormone. This may lead to stunted growth and other developmental issues. Dr Azriyanti adds that if a child has solid, sufficient sleep, “he or she enjoys that multiple growth hormone surge that’s important for growth.” Balanced Nutrition As mentioned earlier in this article, eating a balanced diet is crucial to support childhood growth. For many families living in the city, putting food on the table may not be a dire issue; it is more so putting food high in nutrition and having children consume them that is proving to be an issue. These days, it is so easy to get food low in nutrition—fast food, instant food and snacks are the go-to for those living a fast-paced life. Nevertheless, the best way to ensure your children are getting the right nutrition for them to reach optimal growth is actually to slow down and observe what they are eating. “Instead of feeding a child while he or she is playing, parents need to educate them to sit down at the dining table and eat with the family. When a child eats while the eyes are glued to the screen, he or she is not mindful of eating,” Dr Azriya says. Support Your Child in Reaching Their Growth Potential with PediaSure Food rich in protein and calcium helps with strong bones and build body tissue for growth and development. Introduce PediaSure milk into your children’s diets (PediaSure for ages 1-10 and PediaSure 10+ for ages 10 years and above) as it scientifically designed products that provide complete, balanced nutrition to help children achieve optimal growth. If you didn’t already know, PediaSure is scientifically designed for kids aged 1 to 10 years, and is a proven choice for catch up growth. It is formulated with 38 key nutrients along with Mini peptides to support the absorption of key growth nutrients. And even as they do physical activity at home or school and sleep, the added Arginine and Triple Protein Complex in PediaSure helps trigger the release of growth hormones for longer bone growth. When it comes to catch-up growth, 100% of paediatricians recommend PediaSure for catch-up growth.* If your children are aged above 10, be sure they drink a glass of PediaSure 10+ daily, which is scientifically designed for teens aged 10-15 years old. At this age, your teens would experience a growth spurt. It is also at this time that children may feel inferior if their friends have suddenly shot up to be a few centimetres taller than them. PediaSure 10+ can help as it is the first complete, balanced nutrition for teens in Malaysia that is scientifically designed for them to catch up on growth. It is formulated with a Triple Growth System and two times more key nutrients (as compared to PediaSure for 1-10 years) for height and energy that also supports the immune function. “At the end of the day, we all need to go back to basic nutrition with a balanced and a variety of food on the plate. And when it comes to children’s growth, parents should know that genes play a role, but nutrition plays a bigger role,” Dr Azriyanti adds. PediaSure’s Drink, Measure, Grow Campaign To help parents recognise signs of nutritional inadequacy and keep children’s growth on track, PediaSure also has free screenings and free access to measurement tools, nutrition education materials to support parents to help their children achieve their full growth potential. PediaSure’s Drink, Measure, Grow campaign shows their unwavering commitment to helping children live their best lives. Parents can access other tools and useful resources through: The PediaSure Growth Diary is an Augmented Reality (AR) web based app that enables parents to measure and track their children’s height and gauge if they are at the right height based on their gender and age. Dietary Guidelines and Sample Meal Plans – based on the Malaysian Healthy Plate, an easy-to-understand visual guide that encourages healthier eating habits through the quarter, quarter, half principle. Abbott’s Nutrition Careline – free nutrition counselling for parents at 1800 88 6233 By participating, parents can learn more about preventing stunting and ensuring their children reach their full height potential. It doesn’t matter if you think your child is experiencing growth stunting or not, it is still a proactive step to get to know your child so that you can better monitor and support their nutritional needs. Give Your Child PediaSure Now Now that you know the three factors that promote healthy growth, head over to PediaSure’s website to learn more. Don’t forget to get your free samples today at https://www.family.abbott/my-ms/pediasure/get-pediasure/sample-request.html. You’ll be able to see the difference in just 2 weeks1! Remember, the three factors that promote a child’s growth are nutrition, sleep and physical activity. How are you preventing stunting in your child? Start them early with PediaSure now! References *Based on the Expert Evaluation Study conducted on behalf of Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. from 10th July 2023 to 21st July 2023 among 52 Pediatricians in Malaysia. 1 Ghosh AK, et al.J Int Med Res. 2018;46(6):2186-2201. Significant difference in weight gain at 10 days between children 2-6 years at nutritional risk who received PediaSure plus dietary counseling, and those who received dietary counselling alone. MAL.2024.51628.PDS.1 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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