BKKBN: Sugar Water May Reduce Appetite For Children, Potentially Stunting

Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo. (Doc BKKBN)

SUMUT - Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo said that giving sugar to children will only reduce appetite and increase the potential for stunting in children (stunting).

Grand water is not dangerous, but not useful. It only contains carbohydrate elements. Carbohydrates are necessary, but protein is very important," said Hasto in Belawan, Medan City, North Sumatra (North Sumatra), quoted from Antara, Thursday, July 7.

Responding to that there are still many families who misinterpret sugar water as a source of nutrition to replace formula milk, Hasto said that the content of carbohydrates from sugar water is very high and lowers children's appetite.

This is because the child is full first and already enjoys the sweet taste of sugar content. As a result, theopic child will refuse when given other foods such as the mother's fruit and breast milk.

"So a child like that, it's okay to have given sugar water, he's actually happy with that. We just get thirsty because it's hot and then given ice tea, when we are told to eat fruit, we don't want to, tell them to drink milk. That's our fault," said Hasto.

Hasto suggested that children should be given foods such as porridge, rice, or high protein foods such as eggs and bloating fish as a substitute for sugar water so that their child's nutritional intake is maintained. Especially in the First 1,000 Days of Life (HPK) which must really be maximized.

"So assistance is more important than providing food or other assistance in stunting. Moreover, food assistance is cut and run. Love and then leave, stunting will not go down. So if you give it, you have to have six months and the food must be balanced," said Hasto.

The BKKBN itself, said Hasto, has formed a family assistance team (TPK) which is expected to educate 90 percent of families throughout Indonesia regarding stunting or nutrition management problems in families.

The escort is also carried out in the health sector before the fertile couple (PUS) married, either measuring the level of hemoglobin (Hb) in the blood, upper arm circumference, and so on. The results of the health escort will then be included in an application called Elektronik Siap Nikah dan Hamil (Elsimil).

With the presence of TPK which can socialize and improve family health knowledge, Hasto hopes that the TPK can be more aggressive and diligent in visiting each house so that the data collected is always updated and no families are at risk of stunting escaping escort.

"We have given credit every month, IDR 100,000 to the TPK to send information so that it updates, the instructions already exist. Those sent are height, then if it's less than 48 centimeters, if it's 46, for example, our application immediately reads that the child is stunted," he said.