• Childhood stunting
is a health issue in the Philippines, and 2 in 3 moms are unaware of the
long-term effects of stunting on childhood growth
• The Growth Watch
initiative aims to accelerate efforts to help parents identify children’s
growth issues early,
seek treatment and prevent malnutrition
• Abbott is banding with communities to raise awareness, and offer online tools, educational resources, nutrition assessment and counselling to promote childhood growth
Global statistics
show childhood malnutrition is still a persistent health burden, including in
the Philippines.1 According to the Department of Health, 1 in 4 children aged
five and below are short for their age or stunted. 2 Abbott is increasing
awareness and working together with mom celebrities and communities to tackle
stunting among children in the Philippines.
Abbott’s Growth Watch
initiative shines a light on childhood stunting, a form of malnutrition. It
aims to empower parents to screen for and recognize stunting in their children
so that they can improve their children’s nutrition, if needed.
Stunting can
challenge a child’s development, impact their overall health and limit their
future potential. Children affected by stunting can be at risk of significant
immune deficiencies, compromised cognitive function, behavioral problems,
diminished bone health, and decreased muscle mass.3 , 4 ,5 , 6 The Philippine
Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028 identified poor feeding practices and
low nutrition literacy among the causes of malnutrition in the country.7
Additionally, 2 in 3 Filipino moms don’t recognize stunting as an important
child development issue.8
"There is a
clear need to educate parents on the prevalence and impact of childhood
stunting on growth and development," explains Dr. Jose Dimaano Jr.,
nutrition medical affairs director for Abbott in Pacific Asia. "Early
identification of growth issues and quick intervention for children found to be
at risk of nutrition deficiency can have a profound impact on the fight against
stunting. This is why Abbott is taking a multidisciplinary approach in
supporting parents by working with communities and healthcare practitioners to
provide tools and information to spot the signs of malnutrition and take
action."
In collaborating with
celebrity moms Chesca Kramer, Nadine Samonte, Divine Lee, Nina Corpuz,
influencers and online mom communities, Abbott intends to increase awareness of
stunting and support parents with tools and educational resources that can help
children reach their full growth potential.
''Since its inception
in 2021, Growth Watch has educated and reached more than 161,000 families, and
the goal is to double the reach by the end of next year,'' said Angelico
Escobar, general manager of Abbott’s nutrition business in the Philippines.
''Abbott is driven by our mission to help children have a healthy start and
reach their optimal growth. We know that malnutrition is complex and affects
children’s growth across all socioeconomic classes. The work of Growth Watch is
one of Abbott’s efforts to fight global malnutrition and to help children
achieve their growth potential through measurement and proper nutrition.''
In 2021, Abbott
launched the Abbott Center for Malnutrition Solutions, an initiative to reduce
malnutrition. The center, a collaboration between Abbott and external experts
and partners, is focused on the identification, treatment and prevention of
malnutrition for the most vulnerable populations in the world including
children, aging adults and under-resourced populations. The Growth Watch
initiative also contributes toward Abbott's 2030 Sustainability Plan goal to
transform care for malnutrition, chronic and infectious diseases.
As part of the Growth
Watch initiative, parents and guardians are invited to join mom communities to
establish the habit of measuring their children’s height, and provide proper
nutrition to safeguard the growth, well-being and development of children
across the country. Tools and resources available include:
● PediaSure Plus
Growth Calculator
● PediaSure Plus
Height Chart
● Free growth
assessment and nutrition counseling
Nutrition plays a
crucial role in addressing malnutrition and stunting challenges. Addressing
undernutrition early can help mitigate growth issues and ensure children reach
their full developmental capacity. For children who do not get enough nutrients
through food alone, nutrition supplements, such as PediaSure Plus, can help
fill some of the gaps. The oral nutritional supplement, recommended by doctors,
is formulated with 37 key growth nutrients including natural vitamin K2 and
arginine to support 1.5 times faster growth in 8 weeks and strong bones.6
For more information
on the growth tools and resources, visit
https://www.family.abbott/.../tools-and-resources.html.
For free growth
assessment and nutrition counseling, register online or by calling Abbott’s
Careline - Metro
Manila: (02) 8995-1555 and PLDT toll free hotline: 1-800-10-995-1555.
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