Is Your Child Growing? Check with PediaSure GrowthCam

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Research shows that 60% of a child’s growth in height happens within the first five years of life. While genetics play an important role, proper nutrition is critical in realizing a child’s full growth potential.

However, achieving good nutritional status can be challenging during the first five years of life, and growth issues may arise if those nutritional needs are not adequately met. Unfortunately, stunted growth – a prevalent form of malnutrition – affects 1 in 5 children aged five and below in Malaysia. Further, 57% of parents are unaware that their children could be at risk of stunting. Without timely intervention, stunted children are not only physically smaller but may experience long-term effects on their health, school performance and future work capacity.

To help parents recognize signs of nutritional inadequacy and keep children’s growth on track, Abbott launched PediaSure GrowthCam, a height measurement tool and online resource focused on supporting parents and helping children grow to their full ability.

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“Slowed growth is not just a physical issue. It also impacts learning and development in children, explains Dr. Nina Mazera, medical director, Abbott’s nutrition business in Malaysia. “We launched PediaSure GrowthCam, so families recognize the crucial role of nutrition in determining a child’s growth, especially in their early years. By giving access to measurement tools, nutrition education materials to support parents, we can help children achieve their full growth potential. This is symbolic of our unwavering commitment to helping children live their best lives.”

The PediaSure GrowthCam is an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) Filter that enables parents to measure and track their children’s height in just seconds and gauge if they are at the right height based on their gender and age.

  • Parents can also access other tools and useful resources through:
  • Height Predictor – a height calculator and predictor that parents can use to measure their children’s growth status and obtain the appropriate nutrition recommendation.
  • Dietary Guidelines & Sample Meal Plans – based on the Malaysian Healthy Plate, an easy-to-understand visual guide that encourages healthier eating habits through the quarter, quarter, half principle
  • Recipes for Kids – a list of simple and nutritious recipes for picky eaters and active toddlers that requires more frequent feeding.
    Abbott’s Nutrition Careline – nutrition counselling for parents

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Speaking at a panel discussion hosted by Abbott on ‘Putting Malaysian Kids Back on Growth Track’, consultant paediatrician Dr Yong Junina Fadzil explained that slowed growth is not just a physical issue, it also impacts learning and development in children.

“Without proper nutrition, growth faltering or even stunted growth can occur, leading to illness and cognitive development issues which have serious consequences later in life for children. The good news is that stunting is preventable, addressing undernutrition early to reactivate the growth plate helps them reach their full growth potential. Genetics determine the bone elongation but environmental factors, especially nutrition, help children reach their full height potential no matter how the geographical or cultural differences are. Therefore, it is important for parents to monitor their child’s growth and make sure that nutrition should be taken advantage of at the early stage of life to maximize the potential in the future,” said Dr Yong.

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Through its collaboration with experts and the community, Abbott aims to empower 100,000 families by the end of 2021.

“Abbott is driven by our mission to help people live their best lives, now and in the future. And we are committed to providing our consumers with products that will help nourish them at every stage of life. Through this program, we can empower parents to identify risks for growth issues and be proactive in supporting their children’s growth. This effort contributes towards our global sustainability goals of improving the lives of more than 3 billion people by decade’s end, said Timothy Monk, general manager of Abbott’s nutrition business in Malaysia.

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Proper Nutrition Enables Growth Catch-Up
Undernutrition has long-term effects on individuals and societies, including poor cognitive development, less income, recurring illness and poor self-esteem. The consequence is largely irreversible if not corrected at the early years of life, and once stunted at early childhood, a child remains shorter than their peers and is unlikely ever to catch up fully.

Parents and caregivers should continually assess their child’s growth and speak with a healthcare professional if they believe their child is falling behind. For children who have trouble meeting their nutritional needs through food alone, nutritional supplements such as PediaSure Plus can help. For more than 30 years and through 20 clinical studies, PediaSure has been scientifically proven to bring visible growth in weight, height and stronger immunity in children. It has 38 growth nutrients (including Arginine and natural vitamin K2) and triple protein complex to support longer and stronger bone growth and promote catch-up growth in early childhood. PediaSure is the no. 1 child nutritional supplement recommended by experts in Malaysia.

For more information on PediaSure GrowthCam visit https://pediasure.com.my/. Parents can share their stories about their children’s growth journey on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #RealMomsRealGrowth and follow MY Abbott Cares Facebook.

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