Growth Watch Month was inaugurated on June 8 to bring healthcare professionals and parents together to prevent stunting in children and adolescents so they may attain their full growth potential for a brighter future.
The Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) initiated this annual nationwide event under its IMFeD For Growth programme, which began in 2012.
Growth Watch Month was jointly launched by the MPA and its partners, namely, the Malaysian Medical Association, Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists’ Association, Malaysian Association of Kindergartens, and Malaysian Association of Registered Early Child Care and Development.
According to Prof Dr Lee Way Seah, Chairman of IMFeD For Growth Programme, Growth Watch Month is largely dedicated to identifying children and adolescents who are either stunted or at risk of stunting. Through relevant activities, the organisers will advise their parents on the appropriate nutritional interventions and support needed to get their children’s growth back on track.
By age five, children are supposed to attain 60 per cent of their adult height. Sadly, based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022, 21.2 per cent or one in five were stunted.
NHMS 2022 also reported that 6.8 per cent of our adolescents were stunted. These individuals were not experiencing the full benefit of growth spurts that would bring them another 15 to 20 per cent closer to potential adult height.
The short and long-term effects of stunting are clear. Stunted children tend to fall sick more often, miss learning opportunities, perform less well in school, and have lower self-esteem. They are also at risk of becoming stunted in adulthood – a condition associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, decreased economic productivity, and lower lifetime-earning potential.
Prof Lee remarked: “We need to nip stunting in the bud. It always starts with growth faltering. This is when children are not receiving enough nutrition so their growth rate literally ‘slows’ down.”
He stressed that optimal growth can only be achieved when certain fundamentals are present, namely, good feeding practices, optimal nutrition, adequate physical activity appropriate for age, and regular growth monitoring from young.
According to Dr Selva Kumar Sivapunniam, President of the Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA), Growth Watch Month allows parents to focus on growth.
He said: “We will work with all relevant stakeholders to conduct educational activities. These will include media write-ups and interviews.
Dr Selva remarked that another major highlight of Growth Watch Month would be the IMFeD For Growth Annual Screening Campaign from August to November 2023 in all IMFeD clinics listed on https://clinics.imfed.my/. IMFeD has screened 127,000 children since 2018. – The Health
