“Good Nutrition is a foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development”.
What are your insights on this quote?
Indeed, good nutrition positively impacts a child’s survival, health, and development. This is especially true in the first 1000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday, which is a period of both tremendous potential and vulnerability. The care provided for a child in their first 1000 days can mean the difference between a thriving future and one characterized by struggle. Hence, in this period, it is important to provide the child with proper nutrition, as it plays a foundational role in enabling them to grow, learn and thrive (Cusick & Georgieff, 2016). To understand better the importance of good nutrition, its impact on a child’s survival, health, and development will be discussed.
First, the impact of nutrition on a child’s survival will be explored. Good nutrition is the bedrock of child survival. It was found that undernutrition significantly contributed to child mortality as it compromises immune function, increases susceptibility to infectious diseases, and hastens the progression, severity, and duration of disease (Schroeder & Brown, 1994). Specifically, undernutrition contributes to child mortality due to fetal growth restriction, stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies, and suboptimal breastfeeding. In fact, in 2011, 3.1 million children died as a result of undernutrition (Itzokwitz, 2015). Hence, the overall promotion of nutrition must be done globally to consequently improve the survival rate and quality of life of children.
Secondly, nutrition also has an impact on a child’s health. The first 1000 days establish an imprint on the development of healthy tissues, organ structure, and function for lifelong health. An emerging body of scientific evidence shows that providing essential building blocks during this crucial time period establishes a foundation of health across a person’s lifespan and their predisposition to chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more. Hence, improving nutrition during the first 1000 days safeguards the health of children (Zelman, 2019).
Lastly, nutrition also plays a foundational role in a child’s development. During the first 1000 days, the brain grows more rapidly than at any other time in a person’s life. Important primary structures and processes that support fundamental behaviors form during this time period. This involves structures involved in social development. In this stage, a child needs the right nutrients to feed their brain’s rapid development, emphasizing the role of good nutrition in the development of a child (Schwarzenberg et al., 2018).
References:
Cusick, S., & Georgieff, M. K. (2016). The first 1,000 days of life: The brain’s window of opportunity. UNICEF Office of Research–Innocenti. https://www. unicef-irc. org/article/958-the-first-1000-days-of-life-the-brains-window-of-opportunity
Itzokwitz, L. (2015). Role of Nutrition in Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths: Technical Guidance Brief. United States Agency for International Development. https://www.usaid.gov/global-health/health-areas/nutrition/role-nutrition-ending-preventable-child-maternal-deaths
Schroeder, D. G., & Brown, K. H. (1994). Nutritional status as a predictor of child survival: summarizing the association and quantifying its global impact. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 72(4), 569.
Schwarzenberg, S. J., Georgieff, M. K., Daniels, S., Corkins, M., Golden, N. H., Kim, J. H., ... & Magge, S. N. (2018). Advocacy for improving nutrition in the first 1000 days to support childhood development and adult health. Pediatrics, 141(2).
Zelman, K. (2019). Power of the First 1000 Days: Early Nutrition for Lifelong Health. https://www.incredibleegg.org/nutrition/articles/power-first-1000-days-early-nutrition-lifelong-health/