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...

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 ...