Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Eat healthily so that younger family members follow suit to avoid being malnourished.

Three specialist paediatricians and a clinical dietitian pointed this out on Thursday, relative to the Aug. 1 to 7 “World Breastfeeding Week” (“WBW”), as the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention-Public Health/Clinics/Health Centres assistant undersecretary Dr. Hussein AbdulRahman Al Rand underscored the pioneering efforts of the country’s leadership in ensuring that breastfeeding remains a practice and the gold standard towards healthy childhood and adulthood through the formulation of a resolution. The resolution “safeguards parents from the exploitation of formula milk companies, limits  inappropriate marketing and distribution methods of beast milk alternatives, and reduce the spread of breastfeeding misconceptions.”

The three specialist paediatricians with maximum three decades of experience are Al Zahra Hospital-Dubai Dr. Nagwa Iskander Elkhouly, Emirates Hospital-Dubai Marina Clinic Dr. Lali Pataridze, and Health Hub-Al Futtaim Health Dr. Inderpal Deshwal. The clinical dietitian is Dr. Dana Al Hamwi of India Gate KRBL Ltd.

“Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility” is the “WBW 2021” theme. It aims to galvanise a well-established fact that mother’s milk, heavy on vitamins and minerals, redounds to the “survival, health and well-being of women, children and nations,” according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO). WHO, PAHO and Al Rand reiterated that even during pandemics like the prolonged Novel Coronavirus, lactating mothers, with the support of loved ones, must be encouraged to initiate breastfeeding within an hour of the delivery, to exclusively breastfeed their infants until six months, and to continue breastfeeding along with nutritionally adequate and safe complimentary food until age two and beyond.

The UK-National Health System public-funded healthcare system characterises malnourished children as suffering from stunted or faltering growth, unusually irritable, of low energy levels and always tired, slow and anxious. Additionally, WHO describes malnourished children as either undernourished (lack of nutrients) or over-nourished, underweight, overweight or obese, and wasted or of low weight/thin for their height.

Deshwal, whose clinical observational records indicated a “significant increase of overweight, obese and Vitamin D deficient children, said: “This could be due to the reduction in outside play and the reliance on convenient food so highly processed with sugars and fats. Each country should use recommended nutrient intakes for infants and young children based on international scientific evidence as the foundation of its nutrition and feeding guidelines. It is important that parents and caregivers know and understand the nutrient needs of each infant and child. They should pay attention to what they pick to feed them.”

Elkhouly repeated the breastfeeding tips as Al Rand had mentioned in accordance to WHO and PAHO guidelines. She and Deshaly have the same notes on the children’s health: “What matters is healthy food not quantity. Parents have to know they are the role model for their children in everything so they must eat healthily. Try as possible to eat together as a family and let the children eat by themselves. Respect their satiety. Children know when they are hungry and when they are full. Let them help in the food preparation. Make meals pleasant. Do not tempt children to buy unhealthy food.”

Pataridze suggested “healthy eating tips” for children until age five to avoid malnutrition: “Choose mono or polyunsaturated spreads like olive, rapeseed, or sunflower oil when preparing their food. Let them eat oily fish once or twice a week as part of good protein-filled diet. Include eggs, beans, other kinds of fish, poultry and meat. Let them always be hydrated. They must always drink full fat milk and dairy products like yoghurt and cheese, more vegetables and salads than fruit which contain naturally occurring sugars. They must be moderately to vigorously active for about an hour every day.”

On obesity, Pataridze said parents must make it a habit to consult a healthcare professional who determines whether a child is overweight or obese “using the child’s height and weight relative to his previous growth history.”