Raising a Healthy Child: Family life and surroundings provide holistic care

Raising a healthy child takes more than good genes and nutritious food, as family routines, relationships, cultural practices and everyday surroundings also play crucial roles in children’s growth and development, according to an Ateneo de Manila University medical expert.

From early school schedules and long commutes to screen time and household habits, the conditions children experience daily can influence their physical, emotional and behavioral well-being.

Dr. Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco emphasized these interconnected factors during her Ateneo Breakthroughs lecture, titled “Raising a Healthy Child: A Functional Medicine Lens on the Family as an Ecosystem of Health,” on Oct. 21, 2026.

Sumpaico-Tanchanco is a professor at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health and director of its Center for Research and Innovation.

A developmental-behavioral pediatrician, she holds a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology and is certified in functional medicine by the Institute of Functional Medicine.

She stressed that a child’s health is not determined by genetics alone, as environmental conditions and experiences during the earliest stages of life can also influence long-term health outcomes.

“Our genes do not determine everything about our health,” she said.

Sumpaico-Tanchanco explained that nutrition, stress and other circumstances during pregnancy and childhood can influence gene activity without changing the underlying DNA sequence, a process associated with epigenetics.

These early influences may shape a person’s risk of developing certain health conditions later in life, although they do not necessarily determine future health outcomes.

As children grow, they develop habits involving food, sleep, physical activity, emotional coping and seeking help, often based on the routines and behaviors they observe at home.

Cultural expectations, parenting practices and household resources also influence these habits and determine what caregivers can realistically provide.

Sumpaico-Tanchanco noted that children often imitate adults, making parental behavior an important factor in developing healthy routines.

Encouraging children to eat vegetables, for instance, becomes more difficult when parents themselves avoid them.

Similarly, enforcing screen time limits can be challenging when adults spend much of their time using smartphones and other electronic devices.

In Filipino households, grandparents, relatives and other caregivers also influence children’s upbringing, particularly in families where parents work overseas.

Beyond the home, the wider environment can either support or undermine children’s health and development.

Sumpaico-Tanchanco questioned school schedules that require children to wake up as early as 4 or 5 a.m., potentially reducing the time available for adequate sleep.

She also pointed to bedrooms that lack sufficient darkness for restful sleep and excessive screen use that can interfere with physical activity, family interaction and rest.

The World Health Organization (WHO) similarly recognizes adequate nutrition, responsive caregiving, early learning opportunities and a safe environment as essential components of healthy childhood development.

These factors become particularly important when assessing children experiencing attention difficulties or behavioral challenges.

Sumpaico-Tanchanco emphasized that clinicians should examine sleep patterns, nutrition, physical discomfort, developmental conditions and stress alongside a child’s family and school experiences.

Such an approach allows health professionals to understand the broader circumstances influencing a child’s behavior rather than focusing solely on symptoms.

“The benefit of seeing the whole child is that a valid diagnosis becomes the beginning of an individualized plan and not just the end of our curiosity,” she said.

She described functional medicine as a framework for examining these interconnected influences while complementing established medical diagnosis and treatment.

However, she cautioned that suspected links between lifestyle factors and health conditions require proper clinical assessment and should not automatically lead to extensive testing or restrictive diets without sufficient medical justification.

For families seeking to improve their children’s health, Sumpaico-Tanchanco recommended starting with one or two practical and achievable lifestyle changes rather than attempting a complete overhaul of household routines.

These adjustments could include establishing a consistent bedtime, gradually introducing unfamiliar foods or creating opportunities for children to engage in active play and social interaction.

For families living in condominiums, she suggested intentionally arranging activities that allow children to play and interact with other children.

She also emphasized that promoting children’s health should not rest entirely on parents and caregivers.

Access to affordable and nutritious food, quality health care, safe neighborhoods and supportive school and workplace arrangements can make healthy routines more achievable for families.

Her message reinforces the importance of treating children’s health as a shared responsibility involving families, schools, health professionals, communities and policymakers.

“A healthier future begins in the everyday life of a child nurtured by a family and supported by a community,” she said.