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Abbott Mom Sharing Series – Healthy and Happy

Ms Howe Wen Li recognises the importance of providing the best for her children. She shares her reasons.

Looking at four-year-old Jovan Hsu, few will guess that he weighed 2.3kg at birth. Now tipping the scales at nearly 18kg, he is strong, healthy and seldom has a sick day.

Jovan's mother, Dr Howe Wen Li, a GP, attributes this to his balanced diet. "I wanted to provide him with the best nutrition possible, so I breastfed him until he was six months old," says the 37-year-old.

After six months, she started giving him Similac Follow-On formula as it contains nutrients essential to support his development. When Jovan was older, she moved him on to Gain. She also ensures that his diet is nutritious, with a good balance of carbohydrates and protein. Although he's not keen on vegetables, Dr Howe ensures her son makes up by taking lots of fruit and water. He also takes cod liver oil and multi-vitamins daily to build up his immunity as well as to meet his growth needs.

She says, "I am glad that Jovan seldom falls sick and hardly misses school. So far, he has been able to stay strong and healthy."

When the family travels overseas, she ensures that her kids stay away from street food as it might not be cooked under hygienic conditions. She notes, "We usually eat at the restaurants, or cook our own meals. We also drink only bottled water."

Build Me Up

In addition, to boost Jovan's physical strength and resistance to illnesses, Dr Howe encourages her son to be physically active, so he takes part in outdoor activities like swimming, cycling and soccer. Being a person who likes outdoor activities herself, she makes it a point to spend the weekends with the family at places like the park, zoo and beach. She believes that such outings will enable her children to appreciate the natural environment.

Since Jovan became a toddler, this dedicated mum has been taking him to the library regularly to inculcate a love for reading in him. Now everyday without fail, Jovan asks to be read to before he sleeps and is able to read independently. And when she found out he was interested in music, she signed him up for piano lessons. "Exposing a child to music at an early age opens up a new dimension to learning in a fun way," she states.

While Dr Howe tries to up the fun factor in Jovan's learning through a combination of music and games, she also believes in setting a routine for her child. This has helped improve his concentration to complete the tasks at hand, she explains. Every evening, Jovan plays 15 minutes of piano, before moving on to reading and writing. After that, it's playtime with puzzles and games.

Balancing Act

Dr Howe, who started working part-time three years ago because of her desire to spend more time with her children, admits that striking a balance between career and family remains a challenge.

"There can never be a perfect balance, so the ability to multi-task becomes very important. What makes a big difference, however, is the great support I get from my family members," she adds. "For instance, my mother, who stays with us, helps care for the children when my husband and I are at work. Also, my husband helps to take care of the children when I am busy. Yes, I chose to cut back on my career by going part-time, but I still give my best when I am at work. I enjoy my work and the interaction with my patients."

As a working mum, does she have any advice for other mothers?
"Love your children for what they are and try not to compare. Enjoy every moment you have with them. Cherish both the beautiful and challenging moments. Motherhood is a special gift but is also a continuous learning experience," she says.

Key nutrients for babies overall growth

Prebiotics (FOS) and Probiotics

Function: Support healthy digestive system and protect gut from harmful bacteria
Sources: Banana, yogurt, milk formula

Carbohydrates

Function: Provide energy for physical activity, such as walking, running and the maintenance of essential functions like digestion and respiration
Sources: Cereals, fruits, rice, potatoes, legumes like peas and beans

Nucleotides

Function: Building blocks of genetic material DNA and RNA, important for overall growth and development
Sources: Breastmilk, kidney, liver, seafood, legumes like peas and beans

Protein

Function: Vital building material for body's growth and repair and tissue replacement
Sources: Milk, meat, fish, cheese, beancurd, ikan bilis, legumes like peas and beans

Fat

Function: Essential for transport and storage of vitamins A, D, E, K; insulates the body to maintain body temperature
Sources: Margarine, vegetable oil, meat, egg yolk

Look out for upcoming issues of May – June 2008 Abbott Family Ties, where more mothers will share their own experiences on having smart, healthy, strong and happy children.

Missed out on ABBOTT MOM SHARING series? Visit our featured articles for children. More »

For more information on Similac Follow-On, click here. For babies above 6 months.		For more information on Gain, click here. For children 1 year onwards.		For preschooler 3 years onwards

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