The First 1000 days starts from conception up to the first two years of a child; it is divided into three (3) essential parts: 270 days of conception and pregnancy,180 days covering 0-6 months of the infant and another 550 days for the 6th to 24th month of a child’s life. Interventions made in this period have profound impacts on a child’s ability to grow, learn and thrive. It is in this time that mothers and children should be well nourished and cared for. As such, this period is also dubbed as the “golden window of opportunity”.
Six critical interventions are laid out based on studies, these interventions should be continued and scaled up in order to establish optimum health, growth, and neurodevelopment across the lifespan. To add, World Health Organization and the Lancet Journal emphasizes that at least 90% coverage of services must be met to reduce stunting by 20%.
These six critical interventions are subdivided into the 3 essential parts of the first 1000 days:
In the first 270 days of pregnancy, the expectant mother should:
1) Have at least 4 pre-natal visits: once for the first and second trimesters, and twice during the third trimester;
2) Take iron-folic acid supplements for 180 days; and
3) Receive balanced protein-energy dietary supplementation for 90 days.
During the infancy (birth to 5 months):
4) For the first six months of life, the child should be exclusively breastfed for optimal development and immunity against illness and diseases. As efforts are made to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, milk donations should not be allowed in strict compliance to the Executive Order 51 or the Milk Code. Support and counselling must be provided to lactating mothers also.
For the older stage of infancy and toddlerhood (6-24 months):
5) Children need to receive age-appropriate complementary food in addition to breastmilk; and
6) Children should also be provided with micronutrient supplements such as vitamin A and Micronutrient Powders.
In essence, three of these interventions can be availed for free in local health facilities. With the proper support, mothers can freely breastfeed their children also. Local government units are called to provide dietary supplementation to pregnant women and 6-24 months children to help them meet their daily energy and nutrient intakes.
Further, one of the enabling laws to support the implementation of these interventions is the RA 11148 or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” or most commonly known as the First 1000 Days law, issued 29 November 2018. This policy aims to expand the services in the First 1000 Days of life to address malnutrition in the country, with focus on the pregnant and lactating women, adolescent females, infants and young children.
The first 1000 days matters for a lifetime. In order to create a brighter and a more prosperous nation, all stakeholders are called to invest in nutrition. It is vital for all to take part on ensuring the delivery of these six critical interventions. Efforts directed on focusing on the first 1000 days will help eliminate the burden of malnutrition. As the 2021 Nutrition Month Campaign advocates, “Malnutrisyon patuloy na labanan, First 1000 Days tutukan!” (NO I Liezel Joy D. Reyes)
References:
UNICEF. (12 April 2013). The first 1000 days of life: The brain’s window of opportunity. Retrieved on 22 July 2021 from https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/958-the-first-1000-days-of-life-the-brains-window-of-opportunity.html
National Nutrition Council. (July 2021). 2021 Nutrition Month Talking Points
Thousand days. (nd). Why 1000 days. Retrieved on 22 July 2021 from https://thousanddays.org/why-1000-days/
American Academy of Pediatrics. (February 2018). Advocacy for Improving Nutrition in the First 1000 Days to Support Childhood Development and Adult Health. Retrieved on 22 July 2021 from https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/141/2/e20173716
Official Gazette. (23 July 2018). RA 11148. Retrieved on 22 July 2021 from https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2018/11nov/20181129-RA-11148-RRD.pdf
