GOOD NUTRITION IN THE FIRST 1,000 DAYS offers parents a unique window of opportunity to secure the long term health and development of their baby.
A growing body of research indicates that getting nutrition right for infants and toddlers can ensure a lifetime of good health, a reduced risk of obesity and heart disease and improved reading, writing and maths skills.
Monday, 17th June 2013: The First 1,000 Days of life, from pregnancy through to two years of age, offers a unique window of opportunity to secure the long term health and development of an individual. Parents are encouraged to get the nutritional balance right during the first 1,000 days of life, as it is extremely important in helping intellectual development, whilst reducing the risk of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and allergies at later stages in life.
The First 1,000 Days covers four key stages; pregnancy, breastfeeding, weaning and toddler. Danone Baby Nutrition is seeking to create a movement of support for the First 1,000 Days. It is calling on parents, parent to be and health care professionals to support the movement in order to drive awareness of the importance of nutrition in the First 1,000 Days so that behaviour can be changed for the benefit of future generations.
The initiative was launched earlier today in Dublin with husband and wife team, Neven and Amelda Maguire, who are the proud parents of twins, Connor and Lucia, 15 months old. Neven and Amelda are the ambassadors for the public awareness movement and will lend their support to a wide range of activities in the months ahead.
Speaking today at the launch of the First 1,000 Days movement, renowned Irish Chef, Neven Maguire said, “As a father with a young family, I’m very much aware of the importance of nutrition, especially at the formative time of life. During the first 1,000 days, from pregnancy right through to the toddler stage, it’s important that children are exposed to a wide range of foods so that their taste buds develop in a healthy way.”
“My wife, Amelda, and I know how hard it can be for families with young children to consistently provide the best nutrition, however providing optimum nutrition throughout the first 1,000 days doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Through my involvement with this important initiative, I aim to draw attention to the issue of infant and toddler nutrition while also helping to provide simple and cost effective solutions to the constant nutrition challenge.”
Aileen Regan, Medical Director, Danone Baby Nutrition added, “A growing body of research has highlighted the importance of good nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life. This research, combined with our awareness of the challenges parents face to get nutrition right during pregnancy and for infants and toddlers compelled us to act. We believe that we have a responsibility to raise awareness of the importance of nutrition at this critical time.
At Danone Baby Nutrition, we are committed to driving awareness of the importance of the first 1,000 days of life. It is our intention to positively communicate the simple measures Mums to be,and Mums and Dads can adopt in order to optimise their child’s health and guarantee long term benefits. We know how busy and difficult it can be for parents nowadays; as a result we are putting a huge emphasis on educating about good simple nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life in a friendly and easy to follow manner.
In response to the introduction of this First 1,000 Days initiative by Danone Baby Nutrition, National Lead in Paediatrics, Dr Alf Nicholson had the following to say, “we need to encourage healthy eating for pregnant mums , breast feeding in young infants and the establishment of a healthy toddler diet — all will improve the future health of our children”.
To celebrate the launch of the movement, Danone Baby Nutrition in partnership with the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, unveiled the First 1,000 Days Recipe Book. This is full of recipes that will allow parents to optimise infant nutrition including recipes by Neven Maguire and by leading Irish Dietitians. The book aims to make it easier for people to optimise their children’s nutrition during this crucial phase of growth and includes a variety of recipes covering pregnancy, infant and toddler stages.
Log on today to view and download a copy of the recipe book at www.first1000days.ie
You can also check out the blog posts from Neven and Amelda Maguire, who will be regularly updating the site with seasonal top tips and healthy recipe ideas for busy mums and dads like themselves.
For full details about the First 1,000 Days and to join the movement log on to www.first1000days.ie
