“Good Nutrition is a foundation of a child’s survival, health, and development”.
There is no question that nutrition plays a vital role in supporting our growth and development, protecting us from infection, and maintaining our overall health and well-being. This is true no matter how old we may be. However, it is especially important during periods of growth and development such as the first 1,000 days.
Nutrition from utero to the first 2 months of an infant’s life greatly impacts their future health and development. It is critical for normal brain development because this is the period of the brain’s most rapid growth, adaptability, and highest plasticity (Graham, 2017). During pregnancy, a mother’s diet is paramount, not only because it is the only source of nutrition for the developing baby, but also because this is the time wherein nutrients are needed for the creation of new neurons and synapses necessary for neurodevelopmental processes. Upon infancy, the nourishment the baby receives from breastmilk fuels the development of motor functions (e.g., balance, coordination, and posture) and hippocampal-prefrontal connections (1,000 Days, n.d.). In the toddler age, food containing protein, iron, zinc, and iodine are essential for a child’s rapidly developing brain where the speed of a child’s neural processing increases and their brains are busy forming synapses needed to allow brain cells to communicate amongst each other (1,000 Days, n.d.). If adequate nutrition isn’t available or provided for during the first 1000 days, brain development slows and a child’s mental and emotional potentials may be thwarted.
Other than brain development, through adequate nutrition, the child’s immune system is strengthened — reducing their susceptibility to communicable diseases and minimizing their risk for obesity and the development of non-communicable diseases. The child’s overall physical growth is supported.
Good nutrition is truly important for a child to grow, develop, learn, thrive and survive.
REFERENCES:
Graham, C. (2017, August 16). Nutrition and the 1st 1000 days of a child’s life. Early Childhood Commission. https://ecc.gov.jm/nutrition-and-the-1st-1000-days-of-a-childs-life/
1,000 Days. (n.d.). Nutrition in the first 1,000 days: A foundation for brain development and learning. https://thousanddays.org/wp-content/uploads/1000Days-Nutrition_Brief_Brain-Think_Babies_FINAL.pdf