Nutrition and immunization work together to ensure child's health, says medical experts

Several health experts have emphasized the importance of nutrition and immunization in ensuring the health of a child.

During the Health Connect Vax to School Webinar on Thursday, National Nutrition Council CALABARZON Nutrition Officer III Theresa Rivas said the first 1,000 days of a child — from conception up to two years old — is crucial in developing their future abilities to grow, learn, and thrive.

Proper nutrition in the specified time period will prevent malnutrition, which often manifests as stunting, obesity, wasting, or micronutrient deficiency.

“Proper nutrition in the first 1,000 days produces positive impact in his or her personal health and development as a child and in his or her productivity and family health later in adult life,” said Rivas.

Malnutrition also affects the cognitive development of a child, as stunted children often had 40% less brain mass and had less-developed brains than healthy children.

“Minsan, yung ating mga malnourished na kabataan [ay] hirap umintindi ng lesson sa school. Hindi dahil sila ay ayaw matuto o tinatamad mag-aral, kundi dahil may disadvantage na po sa kanilang brain development… Hindi po ganoon ka-developed ang kanilang brain during the first 1,000 days," she said.

(Sometimes, our malnourished youth find it difficult to understand lessons in school. It's not because they don't want to learn or that they're lazy in school, but because they are at a disadvantage with their brain development... Their brains aren't developed well during the first 1,000 days.)

“Poor nutrition during this critical period can result in irreversible effects. Hindi na po natin ito maibabalik, especially on the physical and mental development of the child,” she added.

Rivas noted that vaccination was a “sensitive intervention” that helped support better nutrition outcomes and protected children from illnesses that can worsen malnutrition.

“Individuals who are well-nourished are more likely to respond effectively to vaccines. In contrast, malnutrition weakens immunity, making individuals more vulnerable to illness despite being vaccinated. By combining proper nutrition with timely immunization, we give children the best chance to grow well, stay safe, and succeed in school,” she said.

Philippine Foundation for Vaccination Board Member Dr. Maria Christina Alberto, in her discussion, also debunked several myths pertaining to nutrition and vaccination.

She highlighted that only providing nutrition was not enough to protect a child from illness.

“Even children who are healthy can get infected. Although not all vaccines can confer lifelong immunity from two or three doses, there are ways that we can guarantee lifelong protection from vaccination. That’s why we have what we call regular vaccination and boostering to guarantee protection for children,” she shared.

“Importante po na nauunawaan ng mga magulang na ang pagbabakuna can protect children throughout their lifetime as long as we give them the booster shots,” she added.

She also said that immunization in childhood can affect their school performance, and can provide benefits even until adulthood in the form of protection against illnesses like cancer.

“Poorly nourished kids are more likely to die from infections like diarrhea and pneumonia, and children who are infected with VPDs are more likely to fall into malnutrition,” she said.

Alberto noted that to have a healthy child, they must have good nutrition, appropriate mental health support, exercise, sufficient rest and sleep, and a complete and timely vaccination.

Meanwhile, Philippine Academy of Physicians in School Health President Dr. Allen Mallari tackled collaborative care strategy, which places importance on cooperation and coordination across several sectors to promote the health and wellness of children.

“It takes a village to raise a child… We’re not pushing these [health topics] to the children. We’re helping them to make healthy choices early on,” he said.

Mallari noted that health-promoting schools, promoted by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) will help schools become a “silo of health” that teaches children about self-care and promotes healthy living.

“Schools are uniquely positioned to promote consistent health messages, particularly in communities where family support may be limited due to socio-economic factors… Being poor does not or should not be an excuse not to live a healthy life. By incorporating health education in schools, we can help bridge equity gaps by providing all children, regardless of background, with consistent and reliable health information,” he said.

Mallari also encouraged all sectors of society to act and called for stronger policies and programs on holistic health promotive and disease preventive care for children.

The Health Connect Media Forum was initially launched in 2020 to become a platform for “timely, evidence-based dialogue” addressing health issues in the Philippines. — LA, GMA Integrated News