“Good Nutrition is a foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development”.
What are your insights on this quote?
Good nutrition indeed plays a foundational role in facilitating the most optimal growth and development of children, especially in their first 1000 days. In other words, nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy, infancy, and toddlerhood detrimentally affect a child’s cognitive ability, motor, and socio-emotional skills which may be irreversible throughout childhood and even adulthood.
There are three crucial stages in the first 1,000 days: pregnancy, infancy, and toddlerhood. During these stages, the child is in a state of rapid growth and nutrition vulnerability. For instance, the brain is said to develop more rapidly compared to any other point in a human lifespan during the first 1000 days of a child. This rapid growth needs a regular and sufficient supply of nutrition to meet the brain’s demand for growth. When nutritional needs are not met at the right amount and at the right time, the effects can be profound and long-lasting.
According to UNICEF (n.d.), 144 million children under the age of 5 are affected by stunting - they are too short for their age, and their brains may never develop to their full cognitive potential. The less visible form of malnutrition called hidden hunger affects more than 340 million children under 5 worldwide. This is a condition where children lack the essential vitamins and other micronutrients delaying their growth, weakening their immune system, and impairing brain development. On one hand, 47 million children globally are wasting. They are “desperately thin”, with weakened immune systems, and are at increased risk of death. However, it is important to note that overnutrition doesn’t really equate with good nutrition. 38 million children under 5 globally are overweight.
During the pregnancy stage, the child is reliant on his/her mother’s diet. Nutrients from the mother serve as the indispensable fuel that drives the transformation of the child in the womb. These nutrients facilitate the creation of new neurons, cells that form the tissues, and many other components of the body. When the mother lacks the essential nutrients for pregnancy, the neurodevelopmental processes of the child in the womb may be impaired. Specifically, nutrients that play essential roles in building the brain are iron, protein, copper, folate, zinc, iodine, and certain fats. In addition, to facilitate good nutrition during early childhood, it is important to strictly breastfeed the infants during the first six months. Thereafter, nutritious complementary foods shall be planned and executed as breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the child’s energy and nutrient requirements. Breast Milk has no substitute and is recommended to be given to infants within one hour after birth. Continuous breastfeeding is also recommended for infants up until 2 years of age or beyond.
Without questions asked, well-nourished children in their first 1000 days are able to grow and possibly experience all the best things in life. They are well-developed, enough to be able to stand on their own as they grow old. They are more resilient and stronger to overcome all the hurdles of life.
References:
think babies. (n.d.). Nutrition in the first 1,000 Days. Retrieved March 19, 2022, from https://thousanddays.org/wp-content/uploads/1000Days-Nutrition_Brief_Brain-Think_Babies_FINAL.pdf
UNICEF. (2020). Nutrition, for every child - UNICEF. Retrieved March 19, 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/media/92031/file/UNICEF%20Nutrition%20Strategy%202020-2030.pdf
UNICEF. (n.d.). Nutrition. UNICEF. Retrieved March 19, 2022, from https://www.unicef.org/nutrition#:~:text=UNICEF%2FUN0253412%2FPasquall-,Good%20nutrition%20is%20the%20bedrock%20of%20child%20survival%20and%20development,need%20to%20survive%20and%20thrive.