Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies, Healthy Communities

The first one thousand days of a child’s life are crucial for her proper development. Beginning at conception and spanning the first two years of life, many factors come into play that impact her potential to live a full life as an active contributor to her community. Before she is born, her mother’s nutritional status and health affect her growth. After birth and until the first year of life, she depends on her mother’s breast milk to supply her with the necessary nutrients to help her grow and remain healthy. As she begins to eat other foods, she needs a constant and well-balanced supply of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and micronutrients to maintain proper brain development. These essential nutritional guidelines coupled with focused, appropriate healthcare measures during her first thousand days of life will dramatically improve her chances of living a full, happy, and productive life.