The Department of Health has reminded parents to give their children a good start to nutrition with a balanced diet.
Speaking at a press briefing today, the department's Principal Medical & Health Officer (Family Health Service) Dr Rita Ho said a healthy diet in early childhood is of great importance to long-term health. She noted parents' misconceptions about the benefits of formula milk can limit the intake of other important food groups for children over 12 months, including grains, vegetables, and fruit.
She said mothers should consider exclusively breastfeeding their babies for the first six months, as breastmilk is the best natural food for them. When introducing complementary foods, mothers should continue breastfeeding children up to age two and older.
The department also advises parents to provide a variety of nutritious foods, and to limit milk intake to 360 to 480ml per day for children over a year old.
