Set your kids up for success with these mind-blowing expert tips

1. How to Stay “Ahead” in Your Child’s Dental Development?

Sharing the best practices that are required to foster healthy teeth for your child’s future, Dr. Tabitha Chng, Paediatric Dentist, Thomson Specialist Dentistry, said that the foundation of healthy baby teeth starts at 0-6 months. At this stage, mums should get the baby used to the cleaning sensation. Between the 6-12 months, soft brushing should be introduced. Between the age of 12 and 24 months, mums should help children in brushing the biting surfaces of the molars.

Among the ‘don’ts’ for a good dental hygiene is delayed bottle weaning. Results of prolonged bottle-feeding could be ugly and harmful—children could turn out to be obese or become picky eaters. It can also affect a child’s speech and swallowing capabilities. Dr. Chng explained that when children fall asleep after bottle-feeding (and hence not getting their teeth brushed), the milk residues creates cavities in their teeth.

When is the right time for your child’s first dental visit? According to her, it should start from the age of 6 months. It’s important because a paediatric dentist looks beyond the teeth. Often, they discover health issues in children at an early stage. For example, if you find that your child sleeps with an open mouth, it reflects his or her poor craniofacial developments. Sometimes, a dentist can detect the lip ties and tongue ties in children that could lead to speech development issues. For such cases, Dr. Cheng advised parents to be prepared early and ‘find yourself the right expert’.

2. Give a Touch of Tradition to Keep Your Child “One Step Ahead”

Ms. Seah Ai Wei, Physician, Thomson Chinese Medicine, presented a fascinating look at the origins and benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

She shared some useful insights about TCM’s massage techniques and its beneficial impact on children’s health. For example, the philosophy behind TCM’s approach to paediatric well-being, which is a 2,000-year-old medical system, is very simple: children’s bodies are immature both physically and functionally.

TCM works by balancing and regulating the Qi movement (energy flow), strengthening organ functions, and eliminating excess (the accumulated surplus) from the body. TCM also helps in dispersing cold factors from the body and clearing excess heat from the body.

According to her, following benefits result from TCM massage for children:

• Strengthens the immune system
• Relieves colic, constipation and wound
• Facilitates food digestion and absorption
• Improves sleep patterns
• Improves motor development and muscle tone
• Enhances physical and mental growth

3. “Superfoods” that would give your child the advantage in nutrition

Everybody wants a ‘dream child’, Dr. Ang Tai Tin, Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist, Thomson Paediatric Centre, said in her presentation. “But what are the ingredients of a dream child?” she asked. “They are genes, nutrition and nurture.”

While we can’t do much about genes (though there are gene modification technologies available now), we can take care of a child’s nutritional and nurturing requirements, she said. The origins of your ‘dream child’ should begin in the womb itself. For this, you will have to “prime the foetus with the right nutrition,” she advised.

According to Dr. Ang, 60% of brain tissues are fat, so a child’s brain needs good fats like DHA, which can be found in eggs, fish oil and nuts, for developing intelligence. Similarly, glucose, vitamins and proteins are required to build neural networks that are associated with intelligence.

Now, what about the defence system of the body? To have a strong immune system for defence, children need prebiotics (non-digestible food ingredients). If breastfeeding is not possible, parents should feed their child milk that is high in DHA & contains prebiotics.

She also shared the following tips on nutrition:

• Avoid trans-fats—use virgin coconut or olive oil
• Avoid high heat, dry cooking
• Avoid processed foods
• Go for wet cooking at 100 degrees
• Avoid caffeine
• Avoid Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

4. How to Promote Positive Development in your Child to Empower them to Stay One Step Ahead

Dr. Wong Boh Boi, Senior ParentCraft educator, Thomson ParentCraft Centre, advised parents to stimulate their child’s development by providing five kinds of stimulation: physical, mental, emotional, sensory, and social. In this context, according to Dr. Wong, there are six approaches of stimulating your child:

• Massage (it impacts a child’s biological, social and emotional development)
• Music
• Movement
• Communication
• Interactive play
• Breastfeeding

She reminded parents that the first five years of a child’s life are very important for a child’s development and growth. Her talk was followed by a baby demonstration of music and movement which showed how children responded to music and movement.

By the time the programme ended, parents were enriched with vital advice from experts to help them empower their child to achieve his or her One Step Ahead dream.