"Calcium is important for them at this age... they grow so quickly and need a good foundation for good physical development."
The famous Got Milk? campaign in the United States should be tweaked in Singapore to: Got Enough Milk?. About 30 per cent of children here are not getting enough milk and are at risk of having developmental problems. The figure doubles as children grow older.
These findings came from a 2009 study conducted by National University Hospital's (NUH) department of paediatrics and Abbott Laboratories Singapore, which was released earlier this year.
As milk represents the main source of calcium in the young, this may suggest that some children are not getting enough calcium in the diet.
The Health Promotion Board recommends 500ml, or two glasses, of milk for children from three to six years old, and 250 to 500ml for those aged seven to 12.
Many people know that calcium is essential for building strong and healthy bones. But few are aware that it also plays a major role in many systems in the body such as the heart and nerves.
Associate Professor Daniel Goh, co-investigator of the research and head of NUH's paediatrics department, says the nutrient will have a big impact on the health of children later in life. Studies have shown that calcium deficiency may contribute to diseases such as hypertension, osteoporosis and breast cancer.
Insufficient calcium is less of a worry for preschool children, since most mothers LifeStyle spoke to give enough milk to their children who are between three and six years old.
Housewife Elizabeth Moh, 47, says her daughter Alison, three, drinks about 600ml of flavoured milk and takes one to two slices of cheese daily.
Stay-at-home mum Leanne Pattiselanno, 31, also believes her two sons have enough calcium every day.
Zachary, four, gets two cups of milk a day, which may be slightly less than the recommended two glasses, but he takes yogurt and other calcium-rich foods. She gives 10-month- old Eli about 700ml of formula milk, as she is weaning him off breastmilk.
She intends to add more calcium-rich foods such as cheese and ikan bilis into Zachary's meals, and plans to do the same for Eli when he is older.
Parents should also pay greater attention to their children's diet as they grow up. Older kids have more freedom in their choice of beverage and about half say taste determines their selection.
Housewife Janice Lim, 47, says her son Ronan, eight, and daughter Deanna, nine, stopped drinking non-flavoured milk a few years ago, and do not take it now except for the occasional drink of low-fat milk. But she believes they are getting enough calcium from their diet as they are growing well. They each have a cup of chocolate milk in the morning and at night, and take yogurt. Ronan adds: "I don't drink plain milk much because I prefer the taste of other flavours."
The study showed that milk consumption decreases with age but that of other beverages such as carbonated drinks increases markedly. This may lead to insufficient calcium in the diet, especially from milk.
The survey of 800 children found that up to 32 per cent of those aged three to six years take less than the health board's recommended daily milk intake. For seven- to 10-year-olds, 64 per cent were taking below the upper limit of its recommended 500ml of milk.
Based on milk consumption alone, up to 61 per cent of the primary schoolers may be getting less calcium than the 700mg daily recommended. The same is observed in a quarter of the younger group.
But all is not lost. Prof Goh says mothers are the biggest influence in children's beverage choices and they can encourage more consumption of milk by adding flavour or providing other sources rich in calcium. These can be dairy and non-dairy foods such as sardine, tofu, broccoli and dark green leafy vegetables.
"Research has shown that food preferences are acquired during childhood and eating habits acquired after adolescence are more resistant to change. Hence it is even more important to educate and cultivate the right eating habits in our children," he says.
Find out more about Grow with ImmuniGrow and Grow School with ImmuniGrow
If you are trying Abbott products for the first time, click here for a free sample.
AMP161111
Specially researched, developed and customised for Singapore children 3 – 6 years old
Specially researched, developed and customised for Singapore children 6 – 12 years old