The world is opening up after years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the economy slowly returning to its pre-pandemic status, parents, too, are starting to revert back to their regular, pre-pandemic lifestyle. With this, however, parents notice that their kids are growing up in a different environment versus previous generations.
“Iba na ang mga bata ngayon” is what we are realizing. They are more exposed to technology and other external stimuli as they have relied on mobile games, internet videos, and online messaging to entertain themselves and connect with their peers. But due to the limited exposure and activities for years, they also experienced delays in brain development. Luckily, parents can still address this and raise their kids into gifted kids in any situation by nurturing their brains first with proper stimulation and nutrition.
During the “Gifted Together” event held at the Shangri-La, The Fort Manila in Taguig City on January 26, Pediatric experts and parents, led by event host Issa Litton, discussed how raising a gifted kid starts with a gifted brain—and what parents can do to implement this winning formula.
Dr. Sean Deoni, Associate Professor, Pediatrics and Diagnostic Imaging at Brown University said 90% of a kid’s brain development happens during the first five years of their lives. A big part of this development is the brain’s myelination, a process by which information is processed quickly for better understanding.
In fact, studies have shown, particularly the World’s First Pediatric Neuroimaging Study, that “an increase of +36% percent in myelin can lead to faster language development, together with proper nutrition and stimulation”, says Dr. Sean.
“The brain continues to develop as we grow older. But the brain’s development also has a trajectory that is often dictated by how it grows during our childhood, particularly from birth to five years of age. And studies have shown, particularly at the World’s First Pediatric Neuroimaging Study to help advance brain development, that processes during brain development, can enhance the brain’s functions. These processes—for instance, myelination—can be supported by proper diet and nutrition,” Dr. Deoni said.
Dr. Ryan Carvalho, Chief Medical Officer & Global Head of Nutrition Product Development Center said that brain development depends highly on two factors: time and nutrition. Docosahezaenic acid (DHA) in kid’s milk is known to be an essential nutrient that promotes health and development. DHA, with a kid’s regular healthy diet, is believed to help promote adequate brain development. But Carvalho said that with the additional health risks due to the pandemic—particularly how it has affected the kid’s dietary habits and exposure to health risks and stimulation—this may not be enough.
Carvalho said improving kid’s diet and nutrition can usurp these adverse effects and put brain development on the right track. For instance, he noted that studies have shown that DHA together with Milk Oligosaccharides (MOS+), which includes Sialic Acid, helps double up the development of memory, learning, and cognitive skills in kids.
Carvalho explained, “With how our world has changed due to the pandemic, it’s important to pay closer attention to our kid’s diet. Kids are more susceptible to hindrances in their brain development. So parents should implement changes and improvements to their lifestyles and diets to prevent these roadblocks from affecting their kids in their growth.”
As a mother herself, Georgina Wilson said it’s enlightening to learn how important nurturing the kid’s gifted brain is in raising a gifted kid. “With so many factors affecting our lives and health, we as parents need to be more proactive in learning these things,” she said. Wilson added that joining parenting groups and reading articles on raising kids, taking educational classes, as well as supplementing her kid’s diet with PROMIL have helped her and her kids.
“That’s why in Wyeth Nutrition, we strive to bring in experts because we want to listen to the needs of Filipino parents, so that we can continuously innovate our products,” said Mea Guinhawa-Gabunada, Group Brand Manager for PROMIL, Wyeth Philippines Inc.
As studies have proven, a gifted kid begins with a gifted brain. And parents can help raise these gifted kids with the help of PROMIL.
PROMIL FOUR has the NutriGift System with Milk Oligosaccharides (MOS+), which, with DHA and a proper diet, can double up your kid’s brain development! PROMIL GOLD FOUR has Alpha-Lipids, an ingredient that helps increase the brain’s myelin production, known to help advance language development.
Achieve the winning formula of a #GiftedBrain equals gifted kid and be #GiftedTogether with PROMIL!