Mommy, how do you really know what’s best for your child?

You’ve probably seen first-time mom Sarah Lahbati pushing a supermarket cart  loaded with cartons of Nido and her adorable long-haired toddler curled up inside. In a bouncy song-and-dance number, she dishes out this message, “Check the label, Mommy. Check the label, Mommy!”

Sarah is, of course, referring to the milk that mommies give their toddlers (that is, when they’re no longer being breastfed).

But how do mommies really know what’s best for their children? For some answers to this all-important question, here are excerpts from The Philippine STAR interview with Dr. Maria Josephine Yuson-Sunga, associate professor, St. Luke’s College of Medicine and medical director, Nestle Infant Nutrition Philippines.

THE PHILIPPINE STAR:  When buying milk for their children, what ingredients should mommies look for? What essential ingredients should a milk product have?

DR. JO SUNGA: Carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc. And special ingredients such as DHA, prebiotics and probiotics.

On the other hand, what ingredients shouldn’t be found in a milk product supposedly for children?

Moms should just be careful in ensuring children receive nutrients in moderation. For example, too much sugar will not be good.

Give us a rundown of children’s age-specific milk requirements.

There are no clear or specific ingredients just for a particular child’s age. However, nutrient composition and contents according to proportion (seen in the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake or RENI) should be appropriate to support the physical growth of the child.

It is important to look at age appropriateness of milk in the context of total formulation, that is, the combination and levels of nutrients to meet the nutritional requirements of a child at a particular development milestone. This is why if you check the label of NIDO 3+, for example, you will see that the RENI used is for children above three to six years old. Additional nutrients, such as probiotics not present in other milk products, only enhance this nutrition platform. They provide an added benefit that may be valuable to the child at that stage (for example, as a toddler ages, he needs to have protection from within so he can play, explore, and socialize more).

Is it true that milk can cause diabetes in children?

No. What is now clear from clinical trials is that high-protein levels in infant formula can predict the development of obesity and later on risk for diabetes. It is obesity in children which is a risk for diabetes at an earlier age.

What about kids who are lactose-intolerant. How do moms ensure they get what’s needed for their growth and development?

There are food sources of calcium such as yogurt and cheese.

How does a child’s milk requirement change when he starts going to school?

Appropriate calcium and protein levels; less sugar to prevent obesity; vitamins and minerals.

What’s the best time to give milk to an active child?

Any time of the day.

For a toddler who’s picky about food, can milk make up for his dietary needs?

No. Although the mom can perceive that giving milk is an appropriate substitute, training the child to acquire right eating habits and to like food is very important.

For mommies who want to check it out, tell us more about the CheckMoMuna campaign.

#CheckMoMuna is the latest campaign of NIDO 3+ to help moms answer a very important question as they raise their children: “How do you really know what’s best for your child?” With a variety of inputs from different people, moms can be bombarded with a lot of information that makes it difficult. Other moms can just decide based on brands which communicate the loudest. NIDO 3+, through its newest endorser, first-time mom Sarah Lahbati, tells mommies to always check the label especially when it comes to choosing the milk for their child.

How are you reaching out to the moms in the rural areas?

NIDO 3+ has an ongoing communication campaign on TV, radio, and on digital, to reach moms even in rural areas. NIDO 3+ will continue to build on this advocacy for the rest of the year.

* * *

Dr. Jo Sunga: Moms should ensure children receive nutrients in moderation.

Choose Kid-Safe Toys For Christmas

During the launch of its annual “Kid-Safe Toys for Zero Harm, Zero Waste,” the EcoWaste Coalition advised parents “to insist on the right of their children to safe toys regardless of where the toys are sold and bought.”

Thony Dizon, coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect, reminds parents, “Regardless of where you shop for toys, please be on the lookout for dangerous toys that can injure innocent children.  Ensure that our kids are provided with toys that promise good fun, entertainment and education, and are protected against physical and chemical harm.”

Dangerous toys are those that pose burn, chemical, choking, ingestion, laceration, strangulation, and other hazards, including those that can injure the eyes and damage the ears, so warns EcoWaste.

“We appeal to the toy industry, particularly to the toy manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers, to respect our children’s right to safe toys and not to put toys on the market that have not undergone and passed the required physical and chemical safety tests and are not adequately labeled,” adds Dizon.

To assist consumers in selecting kid-safe toys, the EcoWaste Coalition gives the following tips:

1. Read the product label very carefully: Pay attention to the warnings, age recommendation and safety instructions; look for the product manufacturing details and the license to operate (LTO) number, which is issued to authorized toy manufacturers, importers or distributors.

2. Select toys that are appropriate for the child’s age, aptitude, skill, and temperament, and follow the age recommendation.

3. Look for toys that are bigger than a child’s mouth to avoid choking (“the smaller the child, the bigger the toy”); avoid toys that can easily break into small parts or with small unsecured components that may be ingested or placed in the nose or the ears.

4. Buy toys from reliable traders and obtain a valid proof of purchase to facilitate replacement, refund, compensation or warranty claim if needed.

5. Watch out for toxic toys or playthings laden with health-damaging chemicals such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and phthalates.

6. Avoid toys with paint coatings — unless certified as lead-safe — to prevent kids from being poisoned when they bite, chew, lick or swallow toys with lead coatings.

7. Avoid PVC toys that contain many hidden toxic additives such as heavy metals and phthalates.

8. Avoid art toys and play cosmetics that are not confirmed as non-toxic.

9. Avoid toys that shoot small or pointed objects into the air that may cause eye or body injuries.

10. Avoid toys that have sharp edges or points that may bruise or cut a child’s sensitive skin.

11. Avoid toys with cords or strings longer than 12 inches that may wrap around a child’s neck and cut off a child’s circulation.

12. Avoid musical toys, rattles and squeeze objects making too loud noises or shrills that can damage a child’s sensitive hearing.

13. Avoid stuffed toys with small parts such as buttons or eyes that may be pulled loose and be swallowed by a child; avoid those with pellet-like stuffing that may get into a child’s hand and
mouth when the toy breaks open; watch out for broken parts, seams and edges; and opt for washable stuffed toys.

14. Avoid battery-operated toys that are not firmly secured as batteries and their chemical ingredients may cause internal bleeding, chemical burns and choking when ingested.

15. Avoid toys that tend to induce aggression and violence such as toy guns, knives. and other toy weapons.

EcoWaste Coalition also advises parents:

1. Remove and keep the toy plastic packaging out of children’s reach to avoid risk of suffocation.  Refrain from throwing reusable toyboxes and wrappers to the bin; find other functional uses for toy packaging to reduce waste.

2. Follow carefully the procedures for proper toy assembly and use and keep the instructions for reference.

3. Teach a child how to play safely, and closely supervise small children to help prevent any untoward incidents.

4. Check toys regularly for signs of wear or broken pieces that may cause injury, and keep toys clean.

5.  Teach a child to put toys away after play to avoid accidents.