MAMIL ARTICLES -CHILD'S DIGESTIVE HEALTH

"Mommy, my tummy hurts!" That’s a common complaint from young children, and it can mean many things - perhaps they need a toilet break, or they’re experiencing constipation or lactose intolerance. Parents quickly learn to distinguish the problem, but among young children who can’t express what’s wrong, such troubles can be very challenging to deal with. Digestive problems are common. In a survey conducted among 120 healthcare professionals, it was found that lactose intolerance, diarrhoea and constipation were among the top five most common problems among young children. 1 Fortunately, maintaining a healthy digestive system can help address these troubles. The presence of good bacteria in the system plays an important role in the overall health of young children. 2  This is why it’s important to ensure that a child’s diet includes prebiotics and probiotics. Why we need prebiotics and probiotics Prebiotics are the food source for the healthy bacteria in t

Toddlers, or children aged between one and three years of age, are embarking on a busy and exciting stage in their life, as this is when they begin to explore life independently. During this time, they learn eating behaviors and develop their skills, knowledge and attitudes relating to food. 1 During this stage of life, it is important for children to be taught healthy eating habits. A healthy diet provides the necessary energy and nutrients for growth and development. It also helps children develop a sense of taste as well as the acceptance and enjoyment of different foods. 2 According to the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents, milk is recommended as part of a healthy diet as it provides essential nutrients such as protein and calcium. 3 Parents should be aware that milk comes in different forms. For example, whole milk or full cream milk contains all its original fat content, which children need. In contrast, skimmed milk has less fat hence it cont

Your growing child needs the right nutrition in the right amounts for his growth and development, and almost all the nutrition that he needs will be handled by his gut. Find out how the gut supports the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients by reading this article. There are many factors that contribute to your child’s growth and development in the early years, and one of them is your child’s gut health. We don’t often pay attention to our child’s gut (or what is sometimes referred to as tummy) unless there is discomfort. This fact may surprise you, but a healthy gut is, in fact crucial to your child’s overall health and well-being 1 . A healthy gut aids the body in the digestion and absorption of nutrients that are essential for growth, while also protecting your child from infection and working with the brain to keep him happy. Helping your child digest and absorb the right nutrients Almost all the nutrition that your child needs will be handled

The word bacteria can strike fear in any mother. But did you know that your child's growth and development depends on the presence of trillions of good bacteria in his gut? Read on to find out more. Just the mention of the word bacteria is enough to strike panic in many mums. After all, aren’t they the monstrous microscopic creatures that cause their children to fall sick? They are dangerous little things and must be rid of, right? Actually no, not quite. There are some bacteria that are absolutely essential to help support your child's healthy gut, which can affect his total well-being. These "good" or friendly bacteria help support the functions of his gut such as digesting his food, protecting him from infection-causing bad bacteria and influencing his mood, thus supporting his physical and mental well-being. Where do the good bacteria live? Here is an astonishing fact: The microbes in our body outnumber human cells by 10:1 1 , and majority of them liv

Your child's gut does much more than just takes care of digestion and absorption of nutrients - it helps in his total well-being by fulfilling 3 "hero missions". Read on to find out what these hero missions are and how the "tummy soldiers" or the healthy gut microbiotas are an important player in maintaining a healthy gut. Every time your child smiles or points at something, we bet you end up wondering what is going on in his brain. It is easy to be fascinated by the idea of the millions of connections his brain is making every nanosecond and wonder how that all translates into learning and knowledge for him. Did you know that your child’s gut, or what we sometimes call tummy, is an equally fascinating terrain? We know that all mums are concerned about their children's gut health, but mainly only so far as to prevent "tummy troubles". However, mums, you need to know that your child's gut, which is the gastrointestinal tract from the

The fact is that all moms want nothing more than their kids to grow up healthily, which is why they make sure their kids eat well every day . Well, here are some helpful tips to help you develop good eating habits for your kids. #1 Balanced Nutrition Is Everything Some moms want their kids to eat more, but eating more is not necessarily healthy. It is important to ensure that they get a well-balanced nutrition so they can effectively absorb the nutrients they need. In general, kids over the age of two are old enough to dine with their families. The optimal meal frequency per day for young kids should be: breakfast, lunch, dinner, two minor meals, with each meal spaced two to three hours apart.  As for choices of food, you should cover different food in each category according to the recommended proportions in the Food Pyramid so that your kids can get a variety of diet and sufficient nutrition. #2 No More Fussy Eaters Kids in early childhood and pre-school stages a