Early Nutrition and Health – Short and Long-term Consequences

Normal growth and development are sensitive markers of good nutrition

Early growth is associated with short-, medium- and long-term development, health, and wellbeing of an individual.

Nutrition has a central influence on growth, especially during the first 1000 days of life. Early nutrition intervention will always have a more positive outcome, than delayed intervention

The ‘fetal origins’ hypothesis proposes that alterations in fetal nutrition and endocrine status result in developmental adaptations that permanently change the structure, physiology, and metabolism, predisposing them to diseases in adult life (Barker, 1998).

Globally, 5.3 million children under the age of five died in 2018 (WHO 2019). Most of these deaths occurred in the first 5 years, with almost half of these in the first month of life.

Breast milk is uniquely tailored to meet the specific needs of the baby as its composition changes to match the age and various nutrient needs of the baby. Healthy nutrition practices guarantee a healthy adult productive population.