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IDAI Advises Parents To Avoid Giving Their Children High-sugar Foods During Travel

The Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI) advises parents to refrain from providing their children with foods high in sugar and rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, as these can negatively impact health during travel. 

"As we know, travel often leads parents to be more lenient with their children's diets, including offering sweet snacks and sugary drinks to keep them calm," stated IDAI Chairman Piprim Basarah Yanuarso in a conversation with ANTARA in Jakarta on Monday. 

Piprim emphasized that parents frequently opt for packaged snacks as travel provisions for their children. This practice is concerning as it may affect children's immunity. 

Excessive sugar consumption can weaken a child's immune system during travel, with immune cell function (neutrophils) potentially decreasing by up to 40 percent within hours after intake. Common travel snacks often include white bread, biscuits, and excessive portions of white rice. 

All these foods contain rapidly absorbed carbohydrates that can elevate blood sugar levels, thereby diminishing a child's immune response and triggering digestive issues and hyperactive behavior. 

"When blood sugar levels are high, it can lead to a temporary energy spike, after which the child quickly becomes hungry again, resulting in tantrums and fussiness. Essentially, high-sugar packaged snacks and processed carbohydrates can contribute to metabolic syndrome if consumed continuously from an early age," he explained. 

Piprim recommends that parents who wish to prepare snacks for their children during travel should select foods rich in animal protein, such as eggs, chicken, fish, and meat. 

Parents can prepare these into nutritious and durable meals suitable for travel, such as boiled eggs, fried fish, or rendang beef. 

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Tag: IDAI Indonesian Pediatric Association