We want the very best for our child. We want to do everything it takes to make sure that they grow up to be healthy and happy and achieve their full potential.
Every mum wants to see her precious child achieve 360o development, and the process for this, starts right from the early years of life.
So mums need to understand their child’s nutritional needs so that they can help provide them with adequate nutrition with nutrients in a form that can be easily digested and absorbed to keep their delicate tummies happy.
Read on to find out about how to provide nutrition and stimulation for your precious little one.
Babies’ well-rounded development involves meeting milestones in four key areas of growth.
Understanding 360o development
As a mum, you aspire for your precious child to achieve well-rounded development, which child experts assess as milestone achievements in four key areas. These are: Cognitive, Motor Skills, Communication and Emotional.
The milestones change as the little one grows older, however they all fall under one of the above 4 categories. Some of the milestones that children over six months are expected to achieve include:
- Cognitive: Your child will begin to explore playthings in new ways and be able to demonstrate problem solving.
- Motor Skills: Soon your tiny bundle of joy will graduate from crawling to walking and will also begin to scribble with crayons.
- Communication: The little one will be able to respond to simple questions and one-step commands. This is also the time when he would begin to utter his first few words.
- Emotional: Your precious little baby is growing into a toddler and one of the markers of development is that he will be able to imitate and recognise emotions.
During his early years, your little one’s growth and development correlates with the amazing neural connections taking place in his brain as he thinks and plays.
The two key foundational elements to help support well-rounded development are Stimulation and Nutrition, and as parents we are encouraged to give attention to both.
Help support your child’s overall development
The two things that we as parents can do to help support our child’s well-rounded development is to provide them with appropriate stimulation and nutrition.
Stimulation
Stimulation refers to a child’s active interaction and helps to strengthen connections in a child’s brain while encouraging milestone development.
After the age of six months, and upwards, it is important for parents to make sure that playtime activities are geared towards helping them achieve their developmental milestones
Play is an important part of a child’s overall brain development.
Nutrition
After the age of six months your child’s brain is continuing to develop rapidly. At this stage his brain and body require nutrients in order to develop and help him reach his full potential.
The best way for your child to get the right nutrients is through his diet. Some of the key nutrients that his brain and body need are:
- DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) together with other nutrients such as ARA (Arachidonic Acid), Choline, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 for brain development. DHA is an essential building block in the development of your child’s brain.
- Protein for physical growth.
- Carbohydrates such as lactose are broken down into glucose and galactose to be used by the body. The digestion of lactose steadily releases glucose into circulation, which is a primary source of energy to the brain. A steady release of glucose results in sustained energy to the brain.
Nutrition-wise way for happy tummies
While it is essential that your child gets all the nutrients that support 360o development, it is also important to keep his digestive system happy.
Delicate tummies are common in Asia. As your child’s digestive system is still growing and maturing, enzymes are not yet able to work at full capacity.
His digestive system needs nutrients in a form that his delicate tummy can easily digest and absorb.
Here are ways that may help to keep delicate tummies happy:
1. Partially hydrolyzed protein – These are partially broken down protein molecules via Protein Hydrolysation Process or PHP technology that still have the same nutritional value as whole intact protein molecules1. It is easier for young tender tummies to absorb and digest.
Broken down protein is easier to digest for babies.
2. A lower lactose level – It may help your child if he has difficulty digesting lactose2.
Mead Johnson’s Enfagrow A+ Gentlease Stage 3: Supporting baby’s 360o development
That is why Mead Johnson designed Enfagrow A+ Gentlease Stage 3, a super premium growing up milk that contains scientifically formulated levels of DHA to help meet expert recommended* for children one year onwards. DHA is an important building block for brain and eye development+.
The new Enfagrow A+ Gentlease Stage 3 is also formulated with easy-to-digest partially hydrolyzed protein. It provides balanced nutrition for supporting growth and development.
To find out more about the new Enfagrow A+ Gentlease Stage 3, click here.
Breast milk is the best for babies. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. After six months of age, infants should receive age-appropriate foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.
* FAO/WHO recommends daily dietary DHA intake of 10-12mg/kg body weight for children 12-24 months or 100-150mg DHA+EPA for children 2-4 years old or 150-200mg DHA+EPA for children 4-6 years old or 200-250mg DHA+EPA for children 6-10 years old. Reference: FAO 2010. Fats and fatty acids in human nutrition. Report of an expert consultation. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper no. 91. FAO: Rome.
+ For children up to 3 years of age.
References
- Lee, A. J., Thalayasingam, M., & Lee, B. W. Asia Pacific Allergy, 2013; 3(1), 3(1), 3
- Séverin Sindayikengera and Wen-shui Xia, J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2006 Feb: 7(2): 90-98
01/11P19/527
What activities do you do with your children to help support their 360o development. Share with us in the comments section below.
