What will take your child further: IQ or EQ?

Nurturing tomorrow's leaders today

Raising children is one of the toughest and yet the most fulfilling jobs in the world.  Good parenting helps foster empathy, intelligence, honesty, self-reliance, kindness, and cooperation. 

When parents are asked what they want for their children, the most common response is that they want them to be happy and successful. Most parents work to give their children the best start possible. While parents may want to push their child down a particular path, it is a parent’s responsibility to provide the right tools - whether through education, lifestyle, or nutrition - that ultimately prepares a child for complete independence and the ability to pursue whatever path they choose.  

 

Raising IQ & EQ-balanced children for the future

Many Asian parents raise their children with a focus on intelligence quotient (IQ).  Although parents understand the importance of EQ development, they are often unaware of the best ways to nurture it.. Just as a high IQ can help yield top test scores, a high EQ can help produce success in social and emotional situations.1

A child with a healthy balance of IQ and EQ has better capabilities in comprehension and self-awareness as well as the ability to quickly learn, understand and retain information given.2 The key to raising a well-rounded child with balanced emotions and intelligence is to establish a solid support system at home. 

 

Importance of nutrition in child brain and emotional development

“You are what you eat” is a popular mantra that rings true for all, especially in child development from the ages of 1 to 3 years. 

Children’s brains continue to develop until late adolescence and more rapidly during 1 to 5 years old.3 90% of brain development happens in the prefrontal cortex of a child’s brain, which allows children to express strong emotions verbally3 However, this isn’t fully developed in young children. This means that toddlers can experience an intense emotion, but they don't have the ability to verbalise, nor deal with it.3

Nutrition plays an important role in developing a young child. 

  1. Nutrition for a child's mind

    Young children, whose brains are rapidly developing, need:

    • a nutrient-dense diet to help to develop both intellectually4 

    • diet that includes dairy lipids and fatty acids for intellectual development.8

    These include: 

    • milk fat globule membrane (MFGM)4

    • docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)5, and 

    Research has shown that both of these are key nutrients in early childhood development as they help support brain and eye development.

 

  1. Nutrition for a child’s emotion

    Research shows that nutrition is indeed one of the crucial factors in the cognitive development of children and this includes their EQ development. 

    Giving your child nutrients including MFGM’s bioactive components such as phospholipids and sphingomyelin can: 

    • improve behavioural regulation which helps your child understand their emotions and express them properly.10

    • help the brain develop properly, allowing the brain and nerves to fully form and produce more meaningful connections.10

    • Avoid using food as a reward, as it can teach them to rely on it for comfort. 

 

Role of MFGM and DHA in child development

The process of brain development is pretty rapid in children, so much so that by age two, the size of a child’s brain is already about three-quarters of the adult brain.6 The brain grows 175% at  the age of one. Another 18% growth takes place in the second year and only an additional 21% growth takes place from age two to adulthood.6 This amazing growth is fueled by DHA.6

DHA is a long-chain, polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acid. It is commonly found in oily fish (such as anchovies and salmon), some seafood and chicken.6

Apart from DHA which fuels IQ development, another ingredient in particular that has been shown to support a child’s brain function, EQ development, and immunity is MFGM.7

MFGM in milk contains many bioactive components such as sphingomyelin, gangliosides, and choline are necessary for the brain and nerves to fully form and produce more meaningful connections.8 MFGM mainly works by helping the brain develop properly, which sets a strong foundation for cognitive and emotional intelligence development.8

Choosing the right milk formulation, specially designed for growing children, is essential in supporting your child in their growing years and developing minds. Coupled with optimum nutrition of DHA and MFGM, your child gets the support he/she needs for immunity and brain development so he/she can learn about the world faster and better - potentially becoming future-ready.

For more information on improving your child’s IQ and EQ development with MFGM and DHA click here. 

Join the Enfamama A+ Club today and learn tips to improve your child’s IQ and EQ development with exclusive club content, plus other amazing club benefits!

 

References

  1. Healthline. EQ vs. IQ: Which One Is More Beneficial? https://www.healthline.com/health/eq-vs-iq
  2. National Library of Medicine. The Role of Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Intelligence in Cognitive Control Processes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4664650/ 
  3. National Library of Medicine. The role of nutrition in children's neurocognitive development, from pregnancy through childhood https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3607807/ 
  4. National Library of Medicine. Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation in children. Systemic Review with Meta Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7996302/ 
  5. Oxford Academic. The Role of Dietary Fat in Child Nutrition and Development. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/129/11/2094/4721978 
  6. National Library of Medicine. Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation in children. Systemic Review with Meta Analysis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7996302/