A child's health is shaped by far more than inherited genes or the food placed on the table, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician from Ateneo de Manila University said during a public lecture on October 21, 2026 — adding that family routines, school schedules, cultural habits, and community conditions also influence how children grow.
Dr. Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco, a professor at the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health and director of its Center for Research and Innovation, delivered the remarks during the university's Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture series, titled "Raising a Healthy Child: A Functional Medicine Lens on the Family as an Ecosystem of Health."
Genes Set a Stage, Not a Script
Sumpaico-Tanchanco told her audience that DNA alone does not determine health outcomes. According to the Ateneo de Manila University, the physician explained that conditions and experiences at the earliest stages of life — including nutrition and stress during pregnancy and early childhood — can influence gene activity without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
"Our genes do not determine everything about our health," she said, as quoted in the university's press release issued October 30, 2026. She added that while these early influences may shape health risks later in life, they do not dictate a child's future.
Habits Children Absorb From Adults at Home
As children develop, they acquire patterns around food, sleep, physical activity, coping strategies, and help-seeking behavior, Sumpaico-Tanchanco said. Cultural expectations and upbringing shape these patterns, while household resources determine what caregivers can realistically provide.
She noted that children learn by observing adults. Encouraging a child to eat vegetables is harder when parents avoid them; enforcing screen-time limits is complicated when adults remain absorbed in their own devices. In Filipino households, she added, grandparents, relatives, and other caregivers — including those supporting children of overseas workers — also help shape these routines.
School Schedules and Sleep Gaps
Sumpaico-Tanchanco specifically questioned school schedules that require children to wake as early as 4 or 5 a.m., and noted that bedrooms are not dark enough to support adequate sleep. Screen use, she said, further crowds out rest, active play, and family interaction.
Attention and Behavior Seen Through Multiple Lenses
When assessing a child's attention or behavioral difficulties, Sumpaico-Tanchanco said clinicians must look beyond a single diagnosis. Sleep quality, nutrition, physical discomfort, developmental stage, and stress — alongside school and family experiences — all need to be considered together.
"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, according to the Ateneo de Manila University press release.
Functional Medicine as a Complementary Framework
Sumpaico-Tanchanco described functional medicine — a discipline she is certified in through the Institute of Functional Medicine — as a framework for organizing these interconnected influences on health. She emphasized that the approach complements, rather than replaces, appropriate clinical diagnosis and treatment.
She cautioned that suspected connections between lifestyle factors and symptoms require proper clinical assessment. Broad testing or restrictive dietary changes are not justified without a clinical basis, she said.
Starting Small: Practical Steps for Families
Rather than overhauling a family's entire lifestyle at once, Sumpaico-Tanchanco advised beginning with one or two achievable changes — such as establishing a consistent bedtime, gradually introducing unfamiliar foods, or creating intentional opportunities for children in condominium settings to play with peers.
She also made clear that families cannot carry the responsibility alone. Affordable food, accessible healthcare, safe neighborhoods, and supportive school and work arrangements are structural conditions that make healthier routines possible, she said.
Community and Policy as Part of the Equation
"A healthier future begins in the everyday life of a child nurtured by a family and supported by a community," Sumpaico-Tanchanco said.
The full Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture by Dr. Sumpaico-Tanchanco is available on the Ateneo de Manila University YouTube channel. Media inquiries may be directed to media.research@ateneo.edu, according to the university.
Photo credit: Ateneo de Manila University (CC BY-NC-ND)