Skip to main content

Abbott’s Growth Watch Empowers Parents to Beat Childhood Stunting

 

• 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.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Transforming Lives: The Impact of SM Group's KSK Program on Filipino Farmers

  Farming futures Jayson and Juanito proudly showcase a selection of produce at the SM City Clark’s Weekend Market. While modern agricultural techniques boost yields for some, there remains a number of Filipino farmers who struggle to keep pace. These experienced hands find themselves falling behind in a market demanding higher production, clinging to familiar yet often inefficient methods passed down through generations. One farmer from Pampanga, Jayson Garcia, sought to disrupt this prevailing narrative in his family. He knew that he had to chart a new course forward for his farm and innovate to remain competitive within the rapidly evolving landscape of modern agriculture. “Noon, mahirap ang magtanim,” he recalled their life before joining SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan. “Para bang tsambahan, basta pag itinanim mo ‘yan, hintayin mo na lang mamunga. Mas mahirap pa lalo kapag nagkaroon ng kalamidad,” he added.  SM Foundation’s training program focused on high-value crop cultiv
Post a Comment
Read more

A 15-Minute Tropical City in Pasay

  All within 15 minutes: Urban planning concept city to rise in Pasay For the modern urban dweller, 15 minutes is a lot of time.  A lot of productive things can be done – a high-intensity, interval training (HITT) workout or run a 1.5-kilometer route, clearing your emails, meditating, catching up on the news, or preparing a quick smoothie – all within 15 minutes.  But for the Metro Manila commuter, 15 minutes is barely enough to get from point A to point B. During rush hour, it is most likely that within this time, you still haven’t moved an inch.   Ever heard of the 15-minute city? It’s a modern urban planning concept that puts people and the planet first. The term was coined by Paris-based urbanist and Sorbonne University professor Carlos Moreno wherein he said that the ideal neighborhood or city is built in such a way where work, food, housing, education and cultural activities can be easily accessed within 15 minutes, whether by foot or by using a bike.  An artist’s render of a 15-
Post a Comment
Read more

Venue Infrastructure Challenges Concert Experience in the Philippines

Countries with better, bigger, and more competitive concert venues have reaped economic benefits, especially with the massive and significant influence of popular international acts like pop superstar Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Coldplay’s World Tour in consumer behavior and spending.  Driving tens of thousands of ‘Swifties’ and concert enthusiasts, the success of these concerts was an economic stimulus for countries worldwide, including Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Japan.  Filipino fans alike had to spend big and travel miles to watch the exclusive performance of superstar Swift in Singapore’s National Stadium while others went to Japan’s Tokyo Dome and Sydney’s Accor Stadium in Australia. The massive concert gigs boosted the respective country’s economies, benefitting entertainment, hospitality, retail, and transport industries significantly. While Singapore’s strategy for a Southeast Asia exclusive Swift performance piqued interest and likewise piqued its neighbo
Post a Comment
Read more