Nutrition in the first 500 days of life

At the turn of the millennium a call for action was made based on the recognition that little or no improvements has been made in maternal and child nutrition despite considerable economic growth in most developing countries in the last two decades. The 'first 1000 days of life' has been recognized as a critical period for the growth and development of young children, resulting in important attention being given to increased survival, breast-feeding and complementary feeding practices.(2) However, as stated in a recent review by Mason et al(3), actions have been directed more to the child than to the mother. The first 500 days of life is the period from conception to about 6 months of age when the infant is entirely dependent for its nutrition on the mother, either by the placenta or exclusive breast-feeding.