How can parents better take care of their child in terms of what eating habits they should have, how much sleep they should be getting, or the amount of exercise they need each day? These are among the parenting concerns addressed in the new Singapore Integrated 24-Hour Activity Guidelines for Early Childhood.
On 21 January 2022, Singapore’s first set of activity guidelines for early childhood was launched by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Manpower. It was developed by the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH)-led Integrated Platform for Research in Advancing Metabolic Health Outcomes of Women and Children (IPRAMHO).
How Parents Can Take Care of the Health and Wellbeing of Their Child Early On
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This set of integrated activity guidelines for early childhood aims to set a strong foundation for healthy lifestyle behaviours in young kids aged under seven years old. It also homes to improve national health in general.
The new Singapore Integrated 24-Hour Activity Guidelines for Early Childhood focuses on four main areas which are the following:
- Physical activity
- Sedentary behaviour
- Sleep
- Diet and eating habits
Professor Tan Kok Hian—Head and Senior Consultant, Perinatal Audit and Epidemiology Unit, KKH, and Lead Principal Investigator of IPRAMHO—also stated, “Over the past five years, there has been emerging evidence that shows that physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for young children are closely related. Linked to this are eating behaviours and calorie intake. Together, these have a significant impact on a child’s health outcome.”
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Singapore Integrated 24-Hour Activity Guidelines for Early Childhood
| Age |
New guidelines |
| Infants (under one year) |
- Do at least 30 minutes of tummy time in a day with your baby.
- No screen viewing time nor even background screen time for baby.
- Avoid restraining and leaving your baby unattended for more than one hour at a time.
- To avoid overfeeding, your baby’s meals should be spaced two to three hours apart.
- Up to 3 months old – a total of 14 to 17 hours of sleep daily
4 to 11 months old – 12 to 15 hours of sleep every day, including naps.
|
| Toddlers (1 to under 3 years old) |
- At least 180 minutes of physical activities in a day. Outdoor active play is highly encouraged.
- Under 18 months old – no screen time
18 months old and above – Less than one hour.
- Introduce to your child healthy family meals. Offer them whole milk and water while you establish a structured routine for meal and snack times.
- A total of 11 to 14 hours of sleep daily with regular sleep and wake times.
|
| Preschoolers (3 to under 7 years old) |
- At least 180 minutes of physical activities in a day. Also include a minimum of 60 minutes of activities from moderate to vigorous intensity.
- Recreational screen time to be limited to less than one hour.
- As a family, you can encourage healthy eating habits and even have caregivers as role models. Also, limit the amount of sweetened beverages they consume.
- 3 to 5 years old – a total of 10 to 13 hours of sleep daily
6 years old – 11 hours of sleep daily
|
You can also view the full guidelines here.
Source: KKH website
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