Nourish to flourish, the nutrition and cognition link , Pg6

Key Highlights:

• The first 1,000 days of a child's life are critical for brain development and future success.
• Nutritional deficiencies before age three can have irreversible cognitive impacts.
• India's stunting prevalence may only reach 10% by 2075 at the current rate of decline.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched "Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi" to integrate nutrition and cognitive development.
• Navchetana, a national framework, offers 140 age-tailored activities for early childhood stimulation.

Detailed Insights:

• Brain development is most rapid in the first two years, reaching almost 80% of its adult weight, emphasizing the importance of early nutrition.
• Early childhood iron deficiency can negatively impact verbal performance, cognitive processing speed, and expressive language development.
• ICDS, one of the world's largest childcare programs, uniquely prioritizes both nutrition and education for early childhood development.
• Anganwadi centres and workers are crucial in providing nutrition and stimulation, but coverage and service quality need enhancement.
• Expanding crèche provisions through various models can empower women to join the workforce.
• Investing in early childhood nutrition and stimulation is essential for children to reach their full potential, especially with increasing automation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Stunting: Low height for age, indicating chronic malnutrition.
• Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.
• Cognitive Development: The development of mental processes such as learning, memory, language, and problem-solving.