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The first 1,000 days of life, experts say, are the most important in a baby's nutritional needs. The first 1,000 days are calculated from conception to when a baby turns two.
The World Health Organisation identifies the first 1,000 days as critical: the time when nutrition has direct ramifications for the health, height, intelligence, and the general well-being in the baby's future.
The Global Nutrition Report 2015 shows that one in three people globally is malnourished, and the problem exists in every country on the planet.
What 3 things are you proud of about your personality??The report further points to glaring problems that if not acted upon may farther ponder the state of World health. Major among them is childhood stunting and wasting.
Nutritionist Grace Gitau, who works at Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance National Secretariat, says that stunting and wasting can be traced to a child's first 1000 days.
"These are the days when all the vital and important organs and organ systems in the body are formed. Any mishaps result in permanent problems," Grace says.
A survey conducted among pregnant women in Nairobi concluded that micronutrient deficiency is a major public health problem.
"We also found a trend where women discover pregnancy after months. They therefore miss out important nutrition that is critical for the health of the baby," Dr Echoka Elizabeth, one of the researchers explained.
For Gladys Mugambi, head of nutrition at the Ministry of Health, it is absolutely necessary that the first 1,000 days a baby receives the best nutrition.
"Damages that occur during this time - if nutrition is not being followed well - are irreversible," she says.
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