Source: The post First 1,000 days shape lifelong child growth has been created, based on the article “Nourish to flourish, the nutrition and cognition link” published in “The Hindu” on 25th August 2025. First 1,000 days shape lifelong child growth.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2- Issue relating to poverty and hunger
Context: The summary covers all major ideas and keeps a clear flow. The first 1,000 days are the non-repeatable window for growth. The article explains the science, links nutrition with cognition, describes ICDS initiatives, and sets priorities to secure children’s and women’s futures amid automation.
For detailed information on The frontliners of the first 1,000-day window of life – on addressing child and maternal health read this article here
Why the first 1,000 days matter
- A once-in-a-lifetime window: With a 2 p.m. flight, you must leave by 12 p.m.; the 12–1 p.m. hour is your critical window. Likewise, a child’s first 1,000 days are the critical window for lifelong development.
- Rapid brain growth: By age two, the brain reaches almost 80% of adult weight. Synapses peak early; density reaches adult levels by preschool. Frontal lobes surge in the first two years and shape planning and self-regulation.
- Nutrition’s irreversibility: Some deficiencies before three are impossible to reverse. Despite gains since 1993, stunting will reach 10% only by 2075 at current trends. Doubling the pace can target 2047.
Nutrition and cognition are one fabric
- Interdependent systems: Nutrition fuels brain function. Without adequate intake, permanent cognitive damage can occur. We are what we eat and what we think.
- Evidence from Vellore: A birth-cohort study in Vellore found early iron deficiency lowers verbal performance and processing speed at five. It also weakens expressive language before two.
- Stimulation plus nutrition works better: Stand-alone nutrition programmes have low to moderate impact. Combined nutrition and stimulation produce stronger results because early learning is fast and lasting.
Programmes shaping early childhood
- ICDS’s twin pillars: ICDS, a large childcare programme, can align nutrition and early learning as co-equal pillars.
- Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi: This initiative seeks to keep nutrition and cognition moving together in early years.
- Navchetana stimulation framework: Navchetana offers 140 age-tailored activities in a 36-month calendar. Parents, caregivers, and Anganwadi or crèche workers use it during home visits for play-based learning.
Home visits and caregiving practice
- Using the calendar at home: Well-conducted home visits apply the calendar so children under three get age-matched stimulation on time.
- Linking food and play: Visits also promote adequate, timely, nutrient-rich food alongside stimulation to support holistic growth.
- Preventing delays: This approach lowers the risk of developmental delays that stem from nutritional deficits.
Gaps and the road ahead
- Strengthen ICDS delivery: Nearly 14 lakh Anganwadi centres and workers lead this work, but gaps remain. ICDS must widen coverage and saturate target groups with high-quality health, nutrition, and early learning.
- Modernise and measure: Leverage technology, expand urban services, and improve access and delivery of pre-primary education. Evaluate health, learning, and psychosocial well-being of under-six children.
- Support women’s workforce entry: Expand crèche provision through public, community, and public-private models.
- Why urgency matters: What is lost early cannot be regained. Investing now empowers children and women and prepares society as automationreduces low-skill jobs.
Question for practice:
Discuss why the first 1,000 days are critical for child development and how ICDS, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, and Navchetana link nutrition with cognitive stimulation.
