“Good nutrition is a foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development.”
I completely agree with the quote, and I believe that it can be used to emphasize the importance of nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. This period from the conception of the baby up until the child reaches two years of age, is described as “a critical window of opportunity to shape a child’s development” due to it being the time when a person’s brain develops the fastest compared to any other period in their life. Although proper nutrition is important for people of all ages, it is especially significant in the first 1,000 days as nutrition during this period can have effects that are profound and long-lasting.
Pregnant women are advised to meet their nutritional needs not only to be able to handle the demands of the pregnancy but also to support the growth of the fetus. Mothers are also educated about the importance of breastfeeding. Described as “an investment in health,” breastfeeding is found to reduce the risks of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and other conditions (CDC, 2021). However, in spite of the efforts to improve breastfeeding rates in the country, it was reported in 2017 that only 34% of Filipino children under the age of six months are breastfed exclusively (UNICEF, 2017). Increasing funding, enacting paid family leave and workplace breastfeeding policies, improving access to skilled breastfeeding counseling, fully implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, etc. are steps that can be taken to help increase breastfeeding rates.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, August 23). About breast feeding: why it matters. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/about-breastfeeding/why-it-matters.html
Stirling-Reed, C. (2021, April 22). The importance of nutrition during the first 1000 Days of Life. SR Nutrition. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2020/12/the-importance-of-nutrition-during-the-first-1000-days-of-life/
United Nations Children’s Fund. (2017, August 2). UNICEF, WHO urge Philippine government to improve public investment in support for breastfeeding, child and maternal health programmes. UNICEF. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/unicef-who-urge-philippine-government-improve-public-investment-support