Sifting Through the Noise: Identifying Core Fundamentals of Healthy Eating Early in the Life Cycle

Optimal nutrition is important across all age groups. However, nutrition provision during early years of life is more crucial and any aberrations in this period could lead to long lasting consequences. The first 1000 days starting from conception to the second birthday is the period of maximum growth velocity and brain growth and suboptimal nutrition in this period should be avoided at all cost.

Feeding and nutritional optimization in the early stages of life provides a critical window of opportunity. Implementation of nutritional interventions can be challenging in this age group due to multiple factors such increased nutritional needs, environmental circumstances, and feeding difficulties. Interventions should focus on improving maternal/fetal, infant, child, and adolescent nutrition so that every child can reach her or his full potential of growth and development. Interventions should be simple, sustainable, socio-culturally acceptable and should begin in the fetal period.