“Good Nutrition is a foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development”.
I definitely agree with this quote. Nutritional support during pregnancy and early infancy is critical to a child's ability to develop, learn, and thrive and aids in the baby's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. The fragility of the first 1000 days can be explained by several factors, which include rapid growth and development, high nutritional needs, increased susceptibility to illnesses, high sensitivity to programming effects, and complete reliance on others for care, feeding, and social interaction.
First and foremost, good nutrition is essential for a child's survival. Underweight, a measure of child malnutrition, was responsible for 48 percent of total child fatalities in the Philippines in 2015, a proportion greater than the global average of 45 percent (Save the Children, 2017). Moreover, children from severely food-insecure households are nearly three times at higher risk of death. According to the Lancet 2013 Maternal and Child Nutrition Series, undernutrition causes 45 percent of child mortality, including fetal growth restriction, inadequate nursing, stunting, wasting, and vitamin A and zinc deficiencies. Undernutrition affects immune function, increases vulnerability to infectious infections, and hastens the progression, severity, and duration of disease, all of which contribute to infant mortality. It is also a consequence of poor health, as infectious disorders (such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis, and HIV) raise energy demands while reducing appetite and food absorption (Bhutta, et al., 2013).
Second, good nutrition plays a foundational role in a child's health. Providing the correct balance of nutrients to babies during their first 1000 days helps them avoid infections and allows their developing brains and bodies to reach their full potential. A lack of macro and micronutrients can cause children to fall into a vicious cycle that stunts their growth. This vicious cycle begins with poor nutrition, which can lead to infection and weakened immunity. Proper nutrition has numerous physical benefits, including giving children the energy to live life to the fullest, preventing malnutrition, maintaining the immune system, preventing obesity, and lowering the risk of chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes (Campbell, 2021).
Third, good nutrition has a significant impact on a child’s development. The brain of a baby develops faster during the first 1,000 days of life and it is during this time that neural connections and proper cognitive functioning occur. The ability of the infant to form and recall memories as well as motor functions such as posture, balance, and coordination are also well-recognized to develop during this period. Neuronal development, myelination, and synapse formation require protein, fat and fatty acids, zinc, iron, folate, and iodine. Inadequate consumption of these minerals and micronutrients may result in a lifelong deficit and interfere with neurodevelopment. Breastfeeding is the idealistic food for brain growth and development during the first two years of life because it contains hormones, growth factors, and a variety of nutrients that are essential for this process. It also affects the quality of the experiences and interactions they have with caregivers, which is found to be critical for both cognitive and socio-emotional development (AL-Zwaini, AL-Ani & Hurley, 2020).
Thus, timely nutrition-specific interventions can have a major influence on reducing child mortality both locally and globally. Improving accessibility, reducing administrative barriers to nutrition programs, and strengthening the benefit packages for moms and babies should be a priority to ensure that these young children have the best nutrition for their development and growth.
References:
AL-Zwaini, I. J., AL-Ani, Z. R., & Hurley, W. (2020). Introductory Chapter: Impact of First 1000 Days Nutrition on Child Development and General Health. In I. J. Al-Zwaini, Z. R. Al-Ani, & W. Hurley (Eds.), Infant Feeding - Breast versus Formula. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93642
Bhutta, Z.A., et al. (2013). Evidence-based interventions for improvement of maternal and child nutrition: what can be done and at what cost? The Lancet Maternal and Child Health Series 382 (9890), 452-477.
Campbell, K. (2021). The first 1000 days of life: the importance of good nutrition. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/infant-nutrition/0/steps/25409
Save the Children. (2017). Lives cut short. https://resource-centre-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/lives_cut_short.pdf
UNICEF. (2020). Nutrition, for every child - UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/media/92031/file/UNICEF Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030.pdf