‘Excess sugar in infant formulas detrimental, raises musculoskeletal disorder risk’

Expert paediatricians warn that babies who consume too much sugar in their food formulae may be more susceptible to obesity, bloating in the abdomen, musculoskeletal disorders, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

Experts who stated that placing sugar to taste is the conventional suggestion for children's optimal growth also stated that giving babies no sugar at all is not a smart idea.

The doctors explained that while babies need sugar to taste their food, too much of it could cause them to reject it.

Adding sugar to children's formula is not a bad practice, but when done in excess, it may be harmful to their health, according to Dr Stanley Onah, a consultant paediatrician at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi, Anambra State.

The problems associated with too much sugar in baby formula, according to him, can include obesity, diabetes in children, musculoskeletal diseases, and unhappy stomachs.

"I've heard a few women say that they don't put sugar in their babies' food, especially in pap, but that is incorrect," the consultant stated. To make meals appealing to them and appetising, you have to add sugar. The child will eat well if there is moderate sugar in the food.

"They will refuse food if it is not tasty, which will result in forcing the child to eat. To the best of my knowledge, youngsters can obtain nutrition from sugar.

Additionally, the baby might be ingesting more sugar than is typical for their body. According to Onah, "If the baby has an infection, their body will be consuming sugar faster and therefore need sugar in their food."

Crucially, the consultant paediatrician added that sugar provides kids strength and that some hyperactive kids are more likely to burn off sugar while they play.

Additional remarks were made by Dr. Bunmi Mokuolu, a consultant paediatrician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Kwara State. She noted that having too much of anything is harmful and that the phrase "too much, too little" helps to describe the problem.

She emphasised that salt should be added according to taste as well as not in excess.

It's not necessary to add too much sugar, according to Mokuolu. The way we season food with salt is exactly the same. A food that has been overly salted is unfit for consumption, whereas a food that has been under salted will taste bland.

Thus, salt and sugar should be added according to taste. You add sugar to taste to help the baby eat, but too much sugar can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, and bloating in the abdomen.

Kids are inherently energetic, with some even being hyperactive. Therefore, excessive sugar intake makes them more hyperactive, which I'm sure most parents wouldn't want. This is so because sugar is an energy source. Obesity and other harmful health issues may also be caused by increased sugar in a baby's or child's diet.

I would like to clarify, though, that sugar alone does not cause diabetes; instead, a number of other variables may contribute to childhood diabetes. To sum up, I would argue that while much sugar is unhealthy, it should be added to meals according to taste to make it palatable rather than bland.