UNICEF: Nutrition Critical in First 1,000 Days of Child’s Life

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday, said the first 1,000 days of a child’s life was crucial for physical development and brain growth.

The period, it also stressed was critical for the survival of a child.

Similarly, UNICEF also stressed that a woman’s nutrition during pregnancy, breastfeeding as well as baby’s nurturing care in the first two years was extremely important for a healthy future.

The Chief of UNICEF Field Office Bauchi, Dr. Tushar Rane, who spoke during a two-day media dialogue on the, “First 1,000 days of a Child’s Life,” organised by UNICEF Bauchi Field Office for participants drawn from Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Adamawa and F.C.T Abuja, held in Gombe State.

According to him, “the first 1,000 days of life is  the time spanning between conception and a child’s second birthday which is an important period of opportunity when the foundations of optimum health, growth, and neurodevelopment across the lifespan are established.”

Rane, who spoke on, “What is first 1,000 days? Why is it important to child survival and lifelong thriving? said maternal and child nutrition and health could determine the child’s ability to grow, stressing that poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days cause irreversible damage to a child’s growing brain and body.

“The period of rapid brain growth and maturation is 80 per cent by two years and failure of growth during this period is associated with long term consequences which includes schooling, productivity and income.

“Stunting is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment while gaps between the risk and poor in reading, language, cognitive development emerge before primary school. Cognitive/linguistics delays accumulate early and last a life time, hence early life is sensitive period for brain development,” he said.

The UNICEF Chief said if a child was not properly breast-fed or given proper nutrition early, a case of stunting sets in which have potential consequences, pointing out that nurturing care in early life was very important.

He said high impact intervention during the first 1,000 days included maternal supplementation and dietary counselling, weight gain tracking, infection control and antenatal care from conception to delivery, adding that intervention from zero to five months of a child’s life include exclusive breast feeding, immunisation, infection prevention and treatment and nurturing care. 

Speaking earlier, the Communication Officer, UNICEF Field Office Bauchi, Opeyemi Olagunju, said the objective of the media dialogue was to educate journalists on the peculiar threats to a healthy first 1,000 days in the Bauchi Field Office focus states.

He added that the media dialogue would also aim to create awareness for the media on the importance of first 1,000 days to a child’s survival.