First integrated 24-hour activity guidelines for early childhood launched

They standardise advice on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, as well as diet and eating habits

- Joyce Teo

To avoid promoting sedentary behaviour in their children, parents should not develop a habit of watching TV with their babies, or leaving them unattended for more than an hour at a time, if they want their offspring to adopt habits that will give them better health as adults.

These are among the recommendations found in Singapore’s first set of integrated 24-hour activity guidelines for early childhood that was launched yesterday.

The guidelines standardise advice in four main areas – physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep, as well as diet and eating habits – for young children, within a 24-hour period.

The guidelines may be advice that some people are aware of, but as Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon pointed out at the virtual launch, a recent survey done by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) showed that many parents are not aware of the impact of physical activity and screen time on their children.

Half of the parents, who claimed to know the existing guidelines, were unable to articulate them correctly.