A child's health is shaped by more than inherited genes or the food on the table: family routines, relationships, cultural practices, and everyday conditions also influence how children grow, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician said during a public lecture held on October 21, 2026.
The remarks were delivered by Dr. Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco, a professor at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health and director of its Center for Research and Innovation, as part of the Ateneo de Manila University's Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture series. Her talk was titled "Raising a Healthy Child: A Functional Medicine Lens on the Family as an Ecosystem of Health."
DNA Is Not Destiny
According to Ateneo de Manila University, Sumpaico-Tanchanco told attendees that genetic material alone does not dictate health outcomes. She explained that nutrition, stress, and other conditions experienced during pregnancy and early childhood can influence how genes behave — without changing the DNA itself.
"Our genes do not determine everything about our health," she said, as quoted in the university's press release dated October 30, 2026. Early-life influences may help shape health risks later in life, she said, but they do not dictate a child's future.
Children Learn What They Live
Sumpaico-Tanchanco said that as children grow, they absorb patterns around food choices, sleep, physical activity, coping mechanisms, and how to seek help — all shaped by cultural norms and household circumstances. The resources available to caregivers, she noted, directly affect what healthy routines are even possible to maintain.
Children learn from what adults do, she noted. Urging a child to eat vegetables carries little weight when parents themselves avoid them; similarly, limiting screen time becomes difficult when adults are constantly on their own devices. In many Filipino homes, she added, grandparents, extended relatives, and other household members — including those caring for children of overseas workers — also help shape these routines.
Early School Start Times and Sleep Deficits
The pediatrician specifically raised concerns about school schedules that push children to wake as early as 4 or 5 in the morning. She also pointed to bedrooms that lack sufficient darkness for quality rest, and noted that heavy screen use further displaces sleep, active play, and time spent with family, according to Ateneo de Manila University.
Reading Behavior and Attention in Full Context
When evaluating attention difficulties or behavioral concerns, Sumpaico-Tanchanco said clinicians must resist narrowing their focus to a single diagnosis. Sleep quality, nutritional status, physical discomfort, developmental stage, stress levels, and both school and home environments must all be weighed together, she said.
"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, as cited in the Ateneo de Manila University press release.
Functional Medicine as a Complementary Tool
Sumpaico-Tanchanco described functional medicine — a discipline she holds certification in through the Institute of Functional Medicine — as a framework for understanding how multiple factors interact to influence a child's health. She was clear, however, that the approach is meant to complement standard clinical diagnosis and treatment, not replace it.
She cautioned against broad testing or sweeping dietary restrictions unless there is a sound clinical basis for them, stressing that any suspected links between lifestyle and symptoms must first be properly assessed by a clinician.
Practical Starting Points for Families
Rather than recommending a complete lifestyle overhaul, Sumpaico-Tanchanco advised families to begin with one or two manageable changes — a consistent bedtime, gradual introduction of new foods, or arranged opportunities for children in condominium settings to play with other kids.
She also stressed that families cannot carry this responsibility alone. Affordable food, accessible healthcare, safe living environments, and reasonable school and workplace arrangements are structural conditions that enable healthier daily routines, she said.
The Role of Community and Policy
"A healthier future begins in the everyday life of a child nurtured by a family and supported by a community," Sumpaico-Tanchanco said, according to the university.
The full lecture is available on the Ateneo de Manila University YouTube channel. Media inquiries may be directed to media.research@ateneo.edu, according to the university.
Source: Ateneo de Manila University