The First 1000 Days
It is widely accepted and acknowledged that children grow and change so rapidly in the first few years. This period in a person’s life is significant for many reasons and here are some of them.
- The human brain develops more quickly in the first 1000 days than any other time during life.
- Nutrition intake in the first 1000 days provides the foundation of lifelong health.
- There is evidence that from conception, the foetus actively responds to changes in their environment.
- A combination of genetics and environment predisposes children to a particular condition or behaviour called epigenetic system. This is the most sensitive in their first 1000 days.
- Babies double their birth weight by 5 months and triple it in their first year.
- Exposing children to language (including in the womb) can support vocabulary and overall language in later years.
- Babies put everything in their mouths because the most sensitive touch receptors are in their mouth.
- A newborn can hear as well as an adult. They can recognise a mother’s voice from birth through hearing as little as one syllable.
- The more children play, the stronger brain connections they form.
- Children thrive in healthy environments. Being kind and looking after yourself not only benefits you, but your child too.