The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 in Malaysia has made the parents become extra careful of their child’s health. Hence, a nationwide survey named #ImmunityMatters was done to find out about parents’ beliefs and changes in their nutritional choices and priorities.
This survey was initiated by Mead Johnson Nutrition’s Enfagrow A+ Malaysia. 500 parents with children above the age of 1-year-olds participated in answering this survey.
The result of the #ImmunityMatters shows that:
- 60% of parents are concerned with getting the right nutrition to remain healthy
- 52% of parents believe that their child’s nutrition can be improved.
- 94% of parents believe that nutrition is the key role to a child’s health especially in strengthening their immunity.
- 82% of parents trust that a child’s immune health can be nurtured over time and this correlates with the elevated level (95%) of parents being familiar with immunity-boosting foods.
- 42% made conscious decisions to change their family’s food choices.
- 84% show that parental priority in choosing immunity-building foods and nutrients to keep children and family’s natural defenses up and healthy.
#StrongerImmunityForASmarterTomorrow
“This survey is part of our campaign #StrongerImmunityForASmarterTomorrow, in efforts to understand the concerns and behaviour of parents towards the role of nutrition in building immunity. The company’s purpose is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.” – said the Mead Johnson Nutrition’s Medical Director, Dr Tan Choon Kiat.
He/she continued, “Inspired by our purpose, we believe that it is important to educate parents on the benefits of proper nutrition influencing immunity in early years and beyond, so parents are able to make more informed decisions that will positively impact their child’s health and immunity. Now, more than ever, it is important to have strong immune health. Instinctively parents gravitate towards better nutrition to build immunity and protect their children from seasonal illness and health problems.”
The above graph shows that milk is one of the top 5 food choices of parents and 81% parents cited the importance of milk in their child’s overall nutrition and 63% of parents give their child milk at least three times a day.
By providing the right nutrition, we can strengthen and build our child’s immune system from within as it is one of the best defenses for the body. Over 70 to 80% of immune cells are found in our gut. Diet with the right nutrients can help modulate immune function, reduce the risk of infection and amplify the inflammatory responses when attacked by pathogens or viruses.
Key Ingredients That Has Been Scientifically Demonstrated To Activate And Modulate The Immune System And Reduce The Risk Of Infections:
- Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) is a nutrient-rich component naturally present in our brain and studies have shown that MFGM plays dual roles in supporting mental development and immune defense in the gut. Consumption of MFGM enriched milk by children above 1 year old was found to have a protective effect against gastrointestinal infections, producing a significant decrease in days of fever symptoms and leading to improved behavioural regulation (EQ).
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic (DHA) are found in our brain and fatty fish such as salmon. DHA helps modulate the function of the immune cell response to bacteria and viruses. Working together, DHA modulates a balanced and effective immune response to fight infections.
- Prebiotic dietary fibres such as PDX-GOS promote good digestive health as it encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. It has modulating properties to the immune system, demonstrating protection against infections.
- Research has shown that children that consume fortified milk containing DHA, PDX-GOS, Yeast Beta-Glucan were associated with fewer episodes and shorter duration of acute respiratory illnesses as well as less antibiotic use.
What Are The Importance Of Milk?
Milk is one of the most important contributions in a child’s diet as it is a nutrient-dense food that provides energy, high-quality protein and micronutrients such as calcium magnesium, selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid. So, what are the suggested serving consumptions of milk per day?
According to the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents 2013, children are encouraged to consume two (2) to three (3) servings of milk or dairy products a day. Milk is supplemented with ingredients such as MFGM, DHA, PDX- GOS and Yeast Beta Glucan works in synergy to help protect against infection.
Besides nutritional habits, the survey was also done to know about other changes that parents have made in their daily life. The least important activities for their child nowadays are social interaction and outdoor activities. However, it is found that more than 50% of the parents are prioritising physical and mental growth as well as family time with their children.
The study was a part of Enfagrow A+ Malaysia’s ongoing educational series to encourage proper nutrition and healthy eating habits in a child’s early years.
For more information, kindly visit the Mead Johnson Malaysia YouTube page.