KIDS DON’T JUST SAY THE FUNNIEST THINGS…THEY EAT THEM
TOO
Toddlers’
eating habits cost UK families millions of pounds in damages a year, but what
is the real cost to their health?
A SURVEY RELEASED today reveals
that the nation’s toddlers regularly have mouths full of mum’s jewellery and
chew on family essentials like car keys and cameras – with the average toddler
costing mum and dad £60 in damages during their first three years[1],
equating to a shocking nationwide loss of over £14.5 million a year[2].
Cow & Gate Growing Up Milk, who
commissioned the survey to highlight the hard to get nutrients required to
support toddler growth and development, found 21 per cent of parents’ bundles of joy
caused more damage in the home than the family pet1! With 86 per cent of children spending up to 30 minutes per day1 chewing or sucking on household items like remote controls, which
came top of the carnage list of items most
commonly damaged1.
In light of additional research reporting
that the typical UK toddler is more likely to have eaten a burger than broccoli[3], the new poll shows that a supper of crayons, keys and toys is commonplace for our little
ones.
Released to coincide with Cow
& Gate’s new TV advert,
the survey also reveals that inquisitive taste buds are not limited to the
household, with creepy crawlies also appearing on this unusual menu of toddler
fare, with a quarter of children chowing down on between five and fifteen
insects, worms and slugs in their first five years1. It’s not just the celebrities
participating in Bushtucker Trials it seems!
Whilst “mouthing” is not to be discouraged, Doctor Leanne Olivier, nutritionist and spokesperson for Cow & Gate, comments: “It’s common for little ones to put weird and wacky things in their mouths, from cushions to remote controls, but they won’t find the essential nutrients they need to support their amazing growth there! A healthy balanced diet including just two beakers of Growing Up Milk[4] each day is a simple way to provide little ones with the hard to get nutrition that they need.”
Dr Richard Woolfson, child psychologist for Growing Up Milk, adds:
“The results of this survey confirm that “mouthing” is very common amongst
toddlers. It’s simply another form of exploration and discovery. Mouthing lets
curious and inquisitive toddlers learn about the object’s texture, resistance,
taste and structure. That’s why you need to watch closely – your toddler will
happily mouth anything they get their hands on, big or small, safe or hazardous.”
Toddler Tasting Tactics – Some bitesize facts:
·
The top ten items that toddlers most commonly
put in their mouths are: toys (17%), crayons and pencils (16%), remote control
(13%), keys (11%), camera, phone and iPod (10%), soft toys (9%), plastic plates
and bowls (6%), items of clothing (5%), security blanket (4%) and jewellery (3%)1
·
Over a quarter (28%) of toddlers have eaten more
than five insects, worms and slugs in their first five years1
·
30 per cent of toddlers mark their territory and
display the first signs of ownership by sucking on their beloved security
blankets, soft toys and toys1
·
More than half of parents (57%) say that their
toddler has damaged something in the home as a result of “mouthing” 1
·
7 per cent of frustrated parents state that
their toddler frequently causes damage in the home, causing destruction more
than four times a month1
Cow & Gate’s latest advert
for Growing Up Milk highlights just how hard it can be for toddlers to get the
essential nutrients they need as we see curious little ones putting ordinary
household items in their mouths as they ‘feed their personalities’.
ENDS
For more information, contact:
Frank PR 0207 693 6999
Notes to Editors:
·
Cow & Gate’s brand new advert ‘Lick Lick
Chomp’ is currently airing on television and is available to view on YouTube
·
Growingupmilkinfo.com
is a resource created by Cow & Gate for parents who want to
find out how using a Growing Up Milk for children aged one to three can support
toddler nutrition
[1]Data gathered from 1,000 parents
of children aged 1-5 surveyed between 22-23 November 2012
[2] Statistics based on ONS data - 723,913 live births in England and Wales in 2011:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/birth-summary-tables--england-and-wales/2011--final-/sb-births-and-deaths-in-england-and-wales--2011--final-.html
[3] The Toddler Census was based on survey data gathered by Opinion Matters
in July 2011 from over 1,000 mums and insight gathered from professionals in
the field of toddler nutrition, child psychology, parenting and trends,
underpinned with statistics on toddlers from a variety of sources including the
National Diet and Nutrition Survey and the Infant and Toddler Forum. Among
those involved in authoring the final report were leading nutritionist,
journalist, author and mother of two, Amanda Ursell
[4] Two 150ml beakers of Growing Up Milk is an easy way to
provide your toddler’s diet with the
hard to get nutrients they need, including vitamin D, iron and omega 3
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