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First five years of life is a critical phase, and nutrition contributes 80% to a child’s overall physical growth
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In Malaysia, 1 in 5 children between the ages of 1-5 years suffer from stunted growth1
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PediaSure, now available in Plain Flavour with 0% Sucrose, is the only scientifically proven child nutritional supplement with visible and measurables results
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 16 October 2020 – Nutrition supports good health and is critical for the first five years, for a child to achieve their maximum growth potential. In a continuous effort to support Malaysian parents and provide complete and balanced nutrition to drive optimal physical development of their children, Abbott has launched the new PediaSure Plain Flavour with 0% Sucrose.
Supporting Childhood Growth with Nutrition
Growth faltering and stunted growth – a form of malnutrition – is a condition where children experience a slower rate of height and/or weight gain in childhood than expected for their age and gender. Stunted growth is considered a growing public health concern, affecting 1 in 5 children ages five years and below, and rising in prevalence across Malaysia – from 16.6% in 2011 to 21.8% in 20191.
“Without proper nutrition, recurrent infections or illness can cause growth faltering or even stunting. This could lead to poor cognitive development and other serious consequences later in a child’s life,” said Dr Nina Mazera Mohd Said, Medical Director of Abbott’s nutrition business in Malaysia. “The good news is that stunting is preventable. By identifying those at risk for under nutrition and intervening with proper nutrition early on, we can help to reactivate the growth plates, and put the child on track to reaching their full growth potential.”
“Genetics determine the bone elongation, but environmental factors – including prominently, proper nutrition – help children reach their full height potential, regardless of geographical or cultural differences,” she further explained.
Nutrition, which contributes up to 80% of a child’s overall physical growth in the first five years of life, can play a significant role in addressing the issue of undernutrition and stunting2. Nutrients such as Vitamin D, calcium, protein, and fiber are of the utmost importance when it comes to a child’s growth and development. Vitamin D and calcium both contribute to building strong, healthy bones in children, fiber is important for supporting a healthy digestive system, and protein plays an essential role in many bodily functions, including recovery and repair of tissues in the muscles, skin, organs, blood, hair and nails. Lesser known nutrients like arginine and vitamin K2 are necessary too.
Complete and Balanced Nutrition Is Important for Child’s Growth
With PediaSure, parents can see the improvements in their child’s appetite in four weeks, visible growth in eight weeks and less sick days in 16 weeks3,4. Beyond that, PediaSure also improves gut health and addresses issues around picky eating, leading to more holistic development for children.
“Malaysian parents are faced with the challenge of sifting through a myriad of information about their children’s nutrition and growth,” said George Mountrichas, General Manager of Abbott’s nutrition business in Malaysia. “At Abbott, we seek to simplify this process while giving parents the peace of mind in making the best choice for their children’s growth and development.”
“PediaSure offers complete and balanced nutrition, as well as visible and measurable growth results that parents can see in a matter of weeks. The newly introduced plain flavour with 0% sucrose variant offers parents more options based on their children’s tastes, lifestyles, preferences, and health needs, while delivering the same result as Vanilla and Chocolate variants,” he went on to say.
The new variant offers the same benefits as the current PediaSure Vanilla and Chocolate in helping children achieve visible growth in eight weeks3,4. It is packed with Arginine, Natural Vitamin K2, and 36 other key nutrients with probiotic that aid physical development, albeit with no sucrose.
PediaSure’s Plain Flavour with 0% Sucrose comes in five sizes: 600g, 850g, 1.2kg, 1.6kg and 1.8kg. It is available at all major retailers including pharmacies, supermarkets, hypermarkets, baby stores and Chinese medical halls nationwide, as well as on Lazada and Shopee.
About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Their portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Their 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with them at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and AbbottGlobal.
[1] National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019: Factsheet. Available from https://mpaeds.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/5.-Fact-Sheet-NHMS-2019-English.pdf. Last accessed 2 July 2020.
[2] Jelenkovic, A. et al. Genetic and environmental influences on height from infancy to early adulthood: An individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts. Sci. Rep. 6, 28496; doi: 10.1038/srep28496 (2016).
[3] Huynh DTT et al. 5th International Conference on Nutrition & Growth 2018. Oral nutritional supplementation improved linear growth in Filipino children at nutritional risk
[4] Huynh DTT et al. J Hum Nutr Diet (2015), 28, 623-635, Longitudinal growth and health outcomes in nutritionally at-risk children who received long-term nutritional intervention
[5] National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019: Factsheet. Available from https://mpaeds.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/5.-Fact-Sheet-NHMS-2019-English.pdf. Last accessed 2 July 2020.
[6] Jelenkovic, A. et al. Genetic and environmental influences on height from infancy to early adulthood: An individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts. Sci. Rep. 6, 28496; doi: 10.1038/srep28496 (2016).
[7] Huynh DTT et al. 5th International Conference on Nutrition & Growth 2018. Oral nutritional supplementation improved linear growth in Filipino children at nutritional risk
[8] Huynh DTT et al. J Hum Nutr Diet (2015), 28, 623-635, Longitudinal growth and health outcomes in nutritionally at-risk children who received long-term nutritional intervention
