Raising A Healthy Child (Sept 2019)
Your Eating Habits During Pregnancy Impacts Your Newborn?
Dr Oh explained what you eat during your pregnancy provides essential building blocks for brain development, healthy growth and a strong immune system in your child. You can read up more on the essential nutrients pregnant mummies need here.
What Should You Feed Your Newborn?
Once your baby is born, parents have to decide between formula feeding and breastfeeding. Dr Oh reassured parents that both breastfeeding and formula feeding have their own advantages but how much to feed and the frequency of feeding is subjective to the child. To read more about feeding as your child grows, check out Health Topics A to Z: Feeding Progression. She also highlighted the importance of weaning and what foods you can introduce to your baby during this stage of their growth.
What Foods Should Children Eat for Healthy Brain Development?
There are certain nutrients that are necessary for healthy brain development.
| Essential Nutrients | What Food Contain Such Nutrients |
|---|---|
|
Protein |
Meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds, as well as dairy |
|
Zinc |
Most types of meats, fish, dairy products, and nuts |
|
Iron |
Meats, beans and lentils, fortified cereal, bread, dark leafy vegetables, and baked potatoes |
|
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids |
Fatty fish like salmon, fish oils, and many foods are also fortified with them |
|
Choline |
Meat, dairy, eggs and many vegetables. |
|
Folate (especially important for pregnant mothers) |
Liver, spinach, fortified cereals and bread |
|
Iodine |
Seaweed, iodized salt, seafood, dairy products, and enriched grains. |
|
Vitamin A |
Liver, carrots, sweet potato, and spinach |
|
Vitamin D (aka “sunshine vitamin”) |
Best way to get this vitamin is outdoors. Fatty fishes such as salmon, fish liver oil, and products fortified with it, such as fortified milk. |
|
Vitamin B6 |
Liver and other organ meats, fish, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and non-citrus fruits |
|
Vitamin B12 |
Meat, fish, eggs, and dairy |
Essential Nutrients & What Food Contain Such Nutrients
Best way to get this vitamin is outdoors.
Fatty fishes such as salmon, fish liver oil, and products fortified with it, such as fortified milk.
What Are Some Healthy Ways to Strengthen Your Children’s Immune System?
The most important way is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your child’s immune system strong and healthy. Every part of your child’s body, including their immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:
- Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Get adequate sleep.
- Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
Bonus Tips on Raising Healthy Children
As mentioned earlier, just eating healthy is not sufficient for your children’s physical, mental and social well-being. One key tip is to reduce screen time as it can help improve your children’s sleep patterns and overall physical development. Here are the recommended screen time for children of different ages:
| Age | Recommended Screen Time |
|---|---|
|
0-2 years |
No screen time at all |
|
2-5 years |
Less than 1 hour per day |
|
5-12 years |
Less than 2 hours per day (excluding the time needed for homework) |
When you reduce screen time, you can increase other activities like reading, playing and spending time with your children.
About Author
Dr Oh Meng Choo graduated from National University of Singapore (NUS) with a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1997. She subsequently went on to obtain her Masters in Paediatrics and became a Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (United Kingdom). Prior to her private practice in 2006, Dr Oh was with National University of Singapore (NUS), Department of Paediatrics. Dr Oh’s clinical interest includes care of general paediatric patients, including emergency paediatrics, well-baby checkup, newborn screening, non-complicated ENT problems, vaccinations and giving medical travel advice.
Kids Clinic @ Bishan
Blk 116 Bishan Street 12 #01-28 Singapore 570116Tel: (65) 6356 8909
