Wholebeing Approach: Fostering Maternal and Child Health Across the First Thousand Days

Ensuring Wholebeing: A Comprehensive Approach to Mothers and Their Children's Development in the First Thousand Days and Beyond

The first thousand days of a child's life lay the groundwork for their physical, psychological, and social development that optimizes health into adolescence and adulthood. This critical period is marked by the reciprocal relationship between the mother and child as they navigate through the stages of pregnancy, infancy, early childhood, and beyond. The intergenerational dynamics underscore the significance of designing health and social policies with a holistic perspective.

The third edition of Temasek Shophouse Conversations held on June 7th, 2021, convened experts from various fields to discuss the dynamic relationship between mothers and their offspring during this foundational period.

Dr. Tim Moore, Senior Research Fellow at Murdoch Children's Research Institute The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, emphasized that neurological development begins even before birth, as the fetus adapts to the mother's nutritional and emotional environment throughout pregnancy. This underscores the vulnerability of both mother and child to long-term impacts from factors such as stress and mental health issues.

Woon Saet Nyoon, Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation Cares, underscored the importance of a comprehensive approach that considers all aspects of maternal and child well-being - physical, psychological, social, and emotional. The Temasek Foundation Integrated Maternal and Child Wellness Hub, co-launched with KK Women’s Children's Hospital KKH, offers an integrated system that screens and provides early intervention services, optimally addressing health requirements from pregnancy through adolescence. It also fosters a cohesive community-based care model focusing on nutrition, development, parenting skills, and mental health.

A collaborative effort is essential for supporting maternal and child mental health. Ng Wei Chen, Senior Assistant Director at KidSTART Singapore, highlighted the program's comprehensive support ecosystem provided to low-income families from pre-pregnancy through childhood. The expansion of KidSTART from the Temasek Foundation KIDS 0-3 Programme piloted with KKH demonstrates improvements in family function, parent-child interaction and bonding, child health outcomes, birth weight, cognitive ability development.

Navigating challenges during times of pandemic requires an adaptive approach. Head of MindCare Jeannie Wan noted that COVID-19 has exacerbated mental health issues among mothers seeking help for financial and parenting concerns. Adjustments to global standards due to safety measures have also affected maternal well-being. Factors such as increased anxiety, disrupted bonding between mother and child, and lack of social support underscore the need for proactive care.

Karen Tan, a patient advocate and theatre actress, stresses that encouragement from fellow mothers who have overcome depression plays a crucial role in breaking stigmas around seeking help. She advocates for collective action by mothers to support each other, empowering them with confidence and resilience beyond societal expectations.

Ensuring optimal child development is about more than the mother-child interaction; it necessitates robust social and systemic supports that rse awareness and encourage engagement on the topic. By fostering a culture of openness and mutual d among mothers, we strengthen community bonds that uplift mental health and wellbeing across generations.

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