The first 1000 days of life - both mother and baby need attention

The first 1000 days of life (from conception to age two) are crucial in a child's life. Investing in nutrition during this period is the best investment you can make for your child's lifelong development.

MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha in a communication session about the role of nutrition in the first 1000 days of a child's life.

For Children reporter had an interview with Master of Nutrition Le Thi Thu Ha, University of Public Health about the role of nutrition in these 1000 golden days.

Dear MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha, how do you evaluate the current situation of nutritional care for children in the first 1000 days of life?

MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha: The first 1000 days of life, also known as the golden 1000 days in a child's life, are an opportunity to lay the foundation for a child's academic success, health and overall well-being. Proper nutrition during the 1000 days, from the time the mother is pregnant until the child's second birthday, is the foundation for the child to grow, develop and learn well.

Many people are aware of the importance of nutrition for pregnant mothers, but pay little attention to nutrition for postpartum mothers. During this time, people often focus on the child, but in fact, the mother must have enough nutrition to have enough milk for the baby. When the mother has enough milk and enough nutrients in the milk, the child will develop well. Many studies have shown that children using formula milk can gain weight and increase height well, but the disease prevention will not be as good as children using breast milk and can easily get sick later.

So after giving birth, what nutritional care does a mother need, ma'am?

MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha: After giving birth, mothers often lack calcium because during pregnancy, calcium was saved for the baby, and after giving birth, calcium is saved for breast milk. Therefore, postpartum mothers often lack calcium, anemia, and iron. They also often have psychological problems because they spend too much time with their children.

Caring for the first 1000 days of a child's life does not mean only caring for the child's health. In fact, it is necessary to care for both mother and baby, a healthy mother means a healthy baby. During pregnancy, the mother's diet and pre-pregnancy reserves are the only source of nutrition for the developing fetus, showing the importance of adequate maternal nutrition during this period. In the neonatal stage, the baby's brain is learning functions including balance, coordination and movement that require adequate nutrition for normal development. Breast milk provides a variety of nutrients, growth factors and hormones that are appropriate for the baby's needs and are important for early brain development. Therefore, during pregnancy, it is necessary to supplement iron/folic or multivitamins for the mother. Supplement calcium, iodized salt, reduce indoor pollution and smoking, deworm, prevent malaria, use insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

Illustration photo.

Newborn: Exclusive breastfeeding, vitamin A supplementation for nursing mothers.

Stage 0-6 months: Exclusive breastfeeding, hand washing and hygiene practices. Economic support (combined with nutrition education), use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

Stage 6-24 months: Continue breastfeeding, supplement with appropriate foods, supplement with zinc, vitamin A, iodized salt, multi-micronutrient powder, practice hand washing and hygiene. Severe malnutrition requires intensive treatment...

Some parents think that their children's diet is already nutritious enough, so they no longer give them high doses of vitamin A. What do you think about this point of view?

MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha : Vitamin A plays an extremely important role in the health and development of children. One of the important functions of vitamin A is to strengthen the body's immune system. Children are susceptible to infections or diseases such as measles, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and ear infections if they lack vitamin A. Vitamin A affects immune health by stimulating responses that protect the body from disease and infection...

In addition to supplementing vitamin A through food sources, parents can give their children supplements in capsule form, especially in the first 3 years of life when children need to take high doses of vitamin A supplements.

Many people have the misconception that not giving their children Vitamin A or not having time to take their children to take Vitamin A will cause a deficiency in this nutrient, reducing the response and function of the child's immune system.

She said that in the first 1000 days of life, children need to be fully supplemented with milk. So what is the role of milk in children's development?

MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha: In the first 1000 days of life, children need to be fully supplemented with milk. For children under 12 months, milk is the main food. After 12 months, children still need 500-600 ml of milk/day, usually children in the city will still be cared for and drink enough milk. However, parents in the countryside pay less attention to the amount of milk their children get. Not enough milk will affect their height development. Therefore, parents still need to pay attention to regularly supplementing milk for their children.

So, what is the most important role of nutrition in the first 1000 days of a child's life?

MSc. Le Thi Thu Ha: Good nutrition helps prevent diseases in children. Nutrition plays a major role in helping children grow in height, weight, and perfect their brains during that period. However, it is also necessary to point out that nutrition is just one factor among many other factors that will affect children's growth and development during the first 1000 days.

The first 1000 days of life are the period when a child's habits and personality begin to form, so familyeducation is also very important. Early experiences and the environment from birth to 2 years old are very important, children learn by exploring their surroundings and practicing new skills through playing and communicating with their caregivers. A close emotional relationship between the child and the primary caregiver will lay the foundation for the child's healthy development.

Therefore, in addition to nutrition, encouraging activities from caregivers are also an essential factor for children's development. Supporting children's development can be done by caregivers anytime, anywhere, such as smiling, comforting, talking, singing, communicating with children through facial expressions, gestures, words, etc.

Long-term benefits of good nutrition in the first 1000 days of life:
- Children are 10 times more likely to be protected from deadly childhood diseases.
- Children are likely to go to school for 4.6 years more.
- As adults, children are 21% more likely to earn a higher income and are more likely to have a healthier family.

(baodansinh.vn)

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