Region: United States

The First 1,000 Days: Listening to America’s Mothers

The First 1,000 Days: Listening to America’s Mothers summarizes the findings from in-depth interviews and ethnographies conducted by 1,000 Days with nearly 60 mothers of young children from across the country. Building upon our first-of-its-kind report on the nutritional health of America’s mothers, babies and toddlers – The First 1,000 Days: Nourishing America’s Future – this new report goes beyond the numbers to lift up the voices and stories of moms themselves.

Feeding Guidelines for Infants and Young Toddlers: A Responsive Parenting Approach

Early life diet and feeding behaviors play an important role in establishing healthy food preferences and behaviors and are crucial for preventing childhood overweight and obesity. This report presents evidence-based recommendations for promoting healthy nutrition and feeding patterns for infants and toddlers from birth to 24 months, with an emphasis on dietary quality, portion sizes, and mealtime environment. Physical activity, soothing, and sleep are also discussed in the report, as they have also been shown to influence early life feeding behaviors and weight outcomes. These guidelines were developed by an expert panel convened by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. They are based on current scientific evidence related to responsive parenting practices. The aim of the guidelines is to empower caregivers to address the nutrition and well-being of infants and toddlers by offering them healthier food and beverage options in response to their behavioral cues. The guidelines can be used by parents and caregivers in the home, as well as be applied in child-care settings where many infants and toddlers are served.

1,000 Days Policy Brief: Paid Leave

1,000 Days believes that all workers deserve paid time off from work to care for their young children. For this reason, 1,000 Days calls for comprehensive paid family and medical leave that helps all working parents in the U.S. give their children the strongest start to life.

1,000 Days Policy Brief: Health Insurance

1,000 Days believes that every child in America deserves a healthy first 1,000 days. For this reason, 1,000 Days supports guaranteed access to high-quality, affordable health insurance that offers comprehensive benefits for pre-conception and pre-natal care, maternity services, breastfeeding and post-partum supports, pediatric care and other critical maternal, infant and young child health services.

Executive Summary – The First 1,000 Days: Nourishing America’s Future

The problem of poor nutrition is pervasive throughout the U.S. Too many American women and young children suffer from high rates of obesity, food insecurity, unhealthy diets, and low rates of breastfeeding. In order to illuminate the challenge of malnutrition in the United States and galvanize a movement to ensure that every child has a healthy start to life, 1,000 Days – with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation – launched a first-of-its-kind report on the nutritional health of America’s mothers, babies and toddlers.

A Snapshot of The First 1,000 Days in America

The problem of poor nutrition has dire consequences for women, infants and children in the U.S. When examining how young children and their families are faring when it comes to nutrition, the statistics paint a troubling picture. As part of its report on the nutritional health of America’s women and young children – The First 1,000 Days: Nourishing America’s Future – 1,000 Days provides a snapshot of the first 1,000 days in America.

The 10 Building Blocks of Nutrition

The science is clear about what children need during the first 1,000 days in order to grow, learn and thrive. Based on a literature review of existing scientific evidence, along with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other leading experts, 1,000 Days identified a set of 10 “building blocks” for good nutrition in the first 1,000 days. These building blocks represent what every child needs to have the strongest start to life and all 10 of them are essential to healthy growth and development.

The First 1,000 Days: Nourishing America’s Future

The problem of poor nutrition is pervasive throughout the U.S. Too many American women and young children suffer from high rates of obesity, food insecurity, unhealthy diets, and low rates of breastfeeding. In order to illuminate the challenge of malnutrition in the United States and galvanize a movement to ensure that every child has a healthy start to life, 1,000 Days – with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation – launched a first-of-its-kind report on the nutritional health of America’s mothers, babies and toddlers.