Did you know that children’s brains grow and change more in the first 1,000 days of their lives – than at any other time?
The first 1000 days of a child’s life, refers to the period of time from conception through pregnancy to their second birthday – is an important foundational period that sets the stage for your child’s future health and well-being.
The seeds of an infant’s health are planted in utero, and they continue to grow throughout early childhood. The Moms health has a direct impact on the baby from her thoughts, what she puts in her body to the way she breathes. With so much conflicting information out there, how do you know who to listen to?
My advice: get as much information as you can about a subject you are dealing with, keep what you resonate with and let the rest go. Alway, always listen to your instincts, they will not lead you astray.
Here’s how “the first 1000 days” impacts mental and physical well-being.
During this critical period of growth and development, a child’s brain’s capacity and structure are shaped at an exponential rate; 80% of the brain develops within the First 1000 Days. Your baby’s brain and body are rapidly developing, and the experiences they have during this time can have a lifelong impact on their health and development.
Children thrive when they have supportive environments, feel safe, loved and have good nutrition in these early years.
Nutrition is a critical part of the first 1,000 days. During pregnancy, it’s important to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. This will help ensure that your baby gets the nutrients they need to develop and grow properly.
After your baby is born, breastfeeding is recommended as the best source of nutrition for the first six months of life. Breast milk promotes healthy brain development, and it’s been linked to higher intelligence, IQ scores, and motor function skills – as well as decreased risk of allergies, eczema, stomach upset, SIDS, and certain viruses.
Beyond the nutritional value breastfeeding helps shape the face, the jaw and the airway. Your breast is made for your infant size shape. If an infant cannot latch or it is painful they may have tethered tissue also known as tongue tie; it can be released as soon as the infant is born to make nursing easier for you and your baby.
Don’t worry if breastfeeding isn’t possible, infant formula is a good alternative. Formula-fed babies can still get proper nutrition. A location consultant can help with the shape, size and flow of the nipple that is right for your baby. One size does not fit all. How your baby sucks and swallows affects their developing airway, ears, jaw, and breathing. Selecting the right bottle is more important that we talk about. Like most things we don’t think about them until they are an issue. A consultation with a lactation consultant sets your infant up for success.
Certain foods have been proven to positively affect your baby’s memory and capacity to learn, while others can hinder it.
Your baby’s brain is one of the first organs to take shape, with development beginning in the third week of pregnancy. It will grow at a staggering rate of about 250,000 nerve cells per minute consuming more than half of the available energy during gestation. Keeping that in mind, it’s no surprise that what you eat and drink can have a significant impact on a baby’s brain development.
Taking a prenatal vitamin will help ensure you get the balance of nutrients your baby needs. These include folic acid, iron and vitamin B12 to make red blood cells, vitamin C to produce collagen, vitamin D for bone building, and zinc for brain development. If your vitamin upsets your stomach, don’t just ditch it; try taking it with a meal, before you go to bes or talk to your doctor about switching brands.
With conflicting research and concerns about mercury levels, there’s plenty of confusion about whether fish is safe for pregnancy.
When cooked in a healthy manner (such as baking or broiling), fish can be a nutrient-rich component of your diet. However, due to a wide array of factors, most fish and other seafood also contain unhealthy chemicals, particularly mercury. In the body, mercury can accumulate late and quickly rise to dangerous levels.
High levels of mercury principally affect the central nervous system, causing neurological defects. If you have high levels it can be passed to your infant.
For this reason, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and WHO have all cautioned against the consumption of high-mercury foods for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children. As mercury is considered by the WHO to be one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern, there are also specific guidelines set forth by the EPA for healthy adults based on weight and gender. You can have a blood or hair test to see how much heavy metals there are in your system. There is a supplement you can take to help rid your body of them. It is not easy to do, so knowing your level before you get pregnant is a good idea.
On the list of fish to avoid: tuna, shark, swordfish, mackerel, and tilefish all tend to have higher levels of mercury and should always be skipped while breastfeeding.
Some lower-mercury options include salmon, catfish, pollack, whitefish, tilapia, and shrimp. Even with these varieties, you should limit all fish to 12 ounces (about two or three servings) per week. And opt for canned light tuna over canned white albacore, which contains more mercury.
Beyond nutrition, the first 1,000 days are also a critical time for your baby’s cognitive and emotional development. Babies need lots of love and attention during this time to develop a secure attachment with their caregivers. This can help set the stage for healthy social and emotional development later on. Interacting with your baby through play, reading, and talking can also help stimulate their cognitive development and build strong neural connections in their brain.
Physical activity is also important during the first 1,000 days. Infants should have plenty of tummy time and opportunities to explore and move around. This can help promote the development of gross motor skills like crawling, standing, and walking. However, it’s important to ensure that your baby is always supervised during physical activity to prevent accidents.
During the first 1,000 days, it’s important to keep an eye out for any potential signs of developmental delays or health issues. This can include delays in reaching developmental milestones, how they breathe, eat, hearing or vision problems, or chronic health conditions. Regular check-ups with your pediatrician can help ensure that any issues are caught early and addressed quickly.
A baby’s brain already contains 10 billion cells during the 24th week of pregnancy– and these cells thrive on nutrition from the mother. If she’s not eating enough calories or nutrients, the brain won’t form properly, which may lead to developmental delays and birth defects.
A baby’s brain continues to develop after they are born, especially during the first few years of life. In fact, the brain makes 700 neural connections per second during age one, and it reaches 80% of adult brain size by age two.
The brain starts as a handful of microscopic cells. By 2 years of age, the brain has developed into a complex organ that allows children to learn to walk, talk, and read. And it’s ready for new changes and experiences, like learning math, reasoning, new languages and complex thought.
These brain changes are amazing, but they are also dependent on each other. That means that if the brain lacks a necessary building block during this time, it will miss out on the developmental process that building block was supposed to make. This is why the first 1,000 days are so critical – and a great time to make sure your baby is off to a healthy start.
Their teeth are no exception, many parents believe they are going to lose them anyway, this is the practice set. While it is true, they will lose their baby teeth, some kids are born missing permanent teeth called (congenitally missing) so they will need to keep the baby teeth a lot longer than expected if not for life.
There is something that is not discussed often and that is baby teeth should have spaces between them. In fact, ideally, you should be able to fit a nickel between each baby tooth. By the age of 2 your child all their baby teeth should have erupted into their mouth.
If there are no spaces between them there will be less room for the adult teeth that replace the baby teeth because they are bigger so they will need more space. Which may lead to crowded teeth. Not to mention the fact that if the baby teeth are touching there will not be enough room for the tongue to fit on the roof of the mouth. When the tongue does not rest on the roof of the mouth the upper arch and roof of the mouth grow long and narrow. When the tongue is up it puts pressure on the upper teeth helping it grow wider so the upper teeth fit over the lower teeth. When the palate also known as the roof of the mouth grows wider so does the airway. The roof of the mouth is the floor of the nose.
Why is this important because the nose warms, moistens, humidifies and filters the air we breathe. We get nitrous oxide CO2 exchange which gives our brain more oxygen. If there is not enough room for the tongue and it stays low we tend to breathe through our mouth.
When a child breathes through their mouth they get less oxygen, less sleep they will have trouble focusing and concentrating which may have an affect on their behavior.
Mouth breathing causes the body to stay in fight or flight due to lack of sleep. Sleep deprived children are often diagnosed with ADHD. When in reality it is an airway breathing lack of oxygen problem. We really need to consider what is going on in our child’s mouth much sooner than we were told. Our mouth gives us warning signs; we just need to look for them. The sooner we address them the easier it is to fix.
I recommend a Myo Munchee at the age of 6 months to help our kids chew more, keep the tongue up and breathe through their nose. It is a great way to transition from a pacifier or thumb sucking habit to help guide growth and development of the jaw and face. If the baby teeth are touching they need help. They will not grow out of crowded teeth, they will grow into bedwetting, lack of sleep, sleep disorders, behavioral problems, ADHD, not being able to swallow pills, picky or noisy eating, asthma, breathing issues, and more. Consult a professional that has airway knowledge and can give you advice on how to proceed for you individual concerns.
In summary, the first 1,000 days of your baby’s life are a critical period of growth and development. Proper nutrition, emotional support, physical activity, Breathing, Sleep and regular check-ups can all help ensure that your baby develops properly and sets the stage for a healthy and happy life. Remember to cherish this special time with your little one, and seek support from family, friends, or healthcare professionals if you need it.
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Thank you for reading!
https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/first-1000-days
https://www.parents.com/baby/feeding/nutrition/why-the-first-1000-days-really-matter/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234146/
