Penang, 1 August 2015 – The second instalment of the “Mamil® MomMe Saturdays” took place at the prestigious Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, hosting approximately 40 mothers who were keen to find out how nutrition and good digestive health work hand in hand to prevent common childhood challenges like constipation.
“At Mamil®, we strongly believe that setting the right foundations for a child’s growth will have lifelong benefits. As an expert in child nutrition, we are particularly passionate about the essential nutrients that your child needs to grow well, as well as good nutrition that encourages good digestive health, reducing the likelihood of constipation,” said Ms. Jane Ee, Marketing Manager of Danone Dumex (M) Sdn Bhd. “Mamil® contains an internationally patented prebiotics oligosaccharide mixture GOS/lcFOS (9:1) that helps maintain a good intestinal environment. Good digestive health could support children’s overall wellbeing.”
Themed “Nutrition for Digestive Health amongst Children”, the half-day workshop saw guest speaker Wendy Yeow Kim Sian, Senior Clinical Dietitian at Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre, share a step-by-step journey in building a stronger understanding of how nutrition can help support good digestive health and the role it plays in healthy growth and development for a child.
“Variety, balance and moderation, based on the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines, are the keys to providing good nutrition for children,” said Yeow, who has over 11 years of clinical dietetic experience.
| YOUR CHILD’S DAILY NUTRITIONAL NEEDS1 |
| 4-6 years old |
7-9 years old |
| Cereals/grains: 3 servings |
Cereals/grains: 5 servings |
| Fruits: 2 servings |
Fruits: 2 servings |
| Vegetables: 2 servings |
Vegetables: 3 servings |
| Meat/poultry: ½ serving |
Meat/poultry: 1 serving |
| Fish: 1 serving |
Fish: 1 serving |
| Legumes: ½ serving |
Legumes: ½ serving |
| Milk and dairy products: 2 servings |
Milk and dairy products: 2 servings |
| Limited amounts of oil, fat, salt and sugar |
Limited amounts of oil, fat, salt and sugar |
She added that the guidelines highlight the importance of drinking enough plain water – those aged between 2-3 years old should drink 1-2 glasses of plain water per day while children above 4 years should consume 6-8 glasses per day.
The Link Between Diet and Constipation
The digestive system plays an important role in a child’s health and development2, from helping to ensure proper absorption of nutrients3 to supporting the immune function4. In actual fact, 70% of the immune cells are located in the digestive systemiv to serve as part of the body’s first line of defense and as a protective barrier against harmful bacteria.
As a result, children who have poor digestive health may have their growth affected and digestive problems like constipation and irregular bowel movement.5
“The discomfort of constipation can be extreme; what’s more, recurring or habitual constipation is a vicious cycle so mothers need to address the problem quickly and effectively,” explained Yeow. “In addition to ensuring that children have sufficient water and dietary fibre in their diet, a regular toilet time and the addition of food like fortified growing up milk with prebiotics GOS and lcFOS can support good digestive health including regular bowel movement.”
To find out more about upcoming Mamil® MomMe Saturdays or for more information on Mamil®, log on to www.mamil.com.my, www.facebook.com/DumexMamil or call the Mamil® CareLine at 1800 38 1038.
About Danone Dumex Malaysia
As a specialist in child nutrition, Danone Dumex Malaysia manufactures and markets a range of science-based and proven child nutrition products. Danone Dumex Malaysia is a member of the Danone group. With its mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is a world leading food company built on four business lines: Fresh Dairy Products, Early Life Nutrition, Waters and Medical Nutrition. Through its dual economic and social project, and its mission, the company aims to create shared value for all its stakeholders: its 100,000 employees, consumers, customers, suppliers and shareholders.
Present in over 130 markets, the company generated sales of €21.1 billion in 2014, with more than half in emerging countries. The company's brand portfolio features international brands (Activia, Actimel, Danette, Danonino, Danio, Evian, Volvic, Nutrilon/Aptamil, Nutricia) and local brands (Prostokvashino, Aqua, Bonafont, Mizone, Blédina, Cow & Gate, Dumex).
Listed on Euronext Paris and on the OTCQX market via an ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading social responsibility indexes including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, Vigeo and the Ethibel Sustainability Index. Danone is also ranked no. 1 in the 2013 ATNI index.
For further information on Danone Dumex Malaysia, visit www.dumex.com.my.
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1 Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents – Summary.
2 Bischoff. BMC Medicine. ‘Gut Health’: a new objective in medicine?; 9:24 (2011)
3 Nicholson EK et al. Science. Host-Gut Microbiota Metabolic Interactions; 336: 1262 (2012)
4 Vighi G, Marcucci F, Sensi L, Di Cara G, Frati F. Allergy and the gastrointestinal system. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008;153 Suppl 1:3-6.
5 Mayo Clinic. Constipation in children, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation-in-children/basics/symptoms/con-20034665
