This infographic shows specific nutrition interventions that span the course of the critical 1,000-day period between a woman’s pregnancy and a child’s second birthday when there is a unique window of opportunity to build healthier and more prosperous futures for mothers and their babies.
Malnutrition has many root causes including poverty, lack of education, erratic seasonal crop cycles, climate change, women’s inequality, and poor access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. As the world works to tackle these major challenges, which will help end child malnutrition in the long-term, there are four essential actions we can take now to prevent children from dying of severe malnutrition. These interventions span the course of the critical 1,000-day period between a woman’s pregnancy and a child’s second birthday when there is a unique window of opportunity to build healthier and more prosperous futures for mothers and their babies.
Dr. Larry Grummer-Strawn, Technical Officer Dept. of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organization (WHO), presents to the International Coalition for Advocacy on Nutrition (ICAN) regarding the official guidance, challenges, and concerns with promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding in the time of COVID-19. The WHO continues to recommend mothers with suspected COVID symptoms who choose to breastfeed can as long as they practice proper respiratory and hand hygiene. Read more here.
The nutrition and women’s empowerment sectors are mutually reinforcing, and it is time to link them more intentionally. Nutrition interventions are critical to making concrete, cost-effective, and long-lasting improvements to the status of women and girls around the world.
There are three specific areas where a more intentional focus on nutrition offers advantages for women and girls in their fight for gender equality:
Breastfeeding is one of the smartest investments a country can make to build its future prosperity. It offers children unparalleled health and brain-building benefits. It has the power to save the lives of women and children throughout the world, and the power to help national economies grow through lower health care costs and smarter workforces. Yet many societies are failing to adequately support women to breastfeed, and as a result, the majority of the world’s children – along with a majority of the world’s countries – are not able to reap the full benefits of breastfeeding.
A mother’s health care needs do not stop with childbirth. New mothers experience a range of health conditions—ranging from physical pain to exhaustion to anxiety and depression. In addition, women in the U.S. are more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications in the weeks and months after childbirth than during pregnancy and delivery. One key factor in helping women get the health care they need after childbirth is access to health insurance.
The 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s 2nd birthday offers a unique window of opportunity to build healthier and more prosperous futures. This is when a child’s brain begins to grow and develop and the foundations for their lifelong health are built. Good nutrition plays a critical role in supporting the health and well-being of women and children during the first 1,000 days and beyond.
Evidence-based, proven programs that reach low-income families with healthy foods and nutrition education are a critical investment in the health and well-being of moms and babies. One such program is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
As kids grow, they need different drinks in different amounts to help keep them healthy. Here’s what you need to know:
Teaching kids to love healthy drinks now will have a lasting impact! Cheers!
Learn more at www.healthydrinkshealthykids.org.
