First 1,000 days
Childcare concept / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The first 1,000 days describes the period from conception to 24 months of age in child development. This is considered a "critical period" in which sufficient nutrition and environmental factors have life-long effects on a child's overall health. While adequate nutrition can be exceptionally beneficial during this critical period, inadequate nutrition may also be detrimental to the child. This is because children establish many of their lifetime epigenetic characteristics in their first 1,000 days.[1] Medical and public health interventions early on in child development during the first 1,000 days may have higher rates of success compared to those achieved outside of this period.[2]
Adequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days can have a direct and indirect influence on both short and long term health outcomes.[3] There are various risk factors in the first 1,000 days which, if present, are predictors of later obesity.[4][5][6] Stunted growth may be remedied (catch-up growth) by attainment of proper nutritional status. This is especially important in adolescent girls, where it may break a cycle of inter-generational underdevelopment.[7]
As a period of rapid growth and development, the first 1,000 days of life are foundational to child development and vulnerabilities to future non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.[8]