Prenatal and Childhood Nutrition PDF

INTRODUCTION

Research on early brain development has exploded during the two last decades. Today, the architecture of the infant brain is known to be influenced by emotional, biological, and environmental factors that can inhibit or enhance potential in the developing child. External stressors including poor nutrition or neurotoxins can suppress neurocognitive function and even change actual brain structure, causing developmental delays, social emotional disorders, and contributing to overall developmental dysfunction. At the same time, interventions that mitigate early biological or environmental stressors on the developing infant brain can change the trajectory of a negative outcome to a more positive one.

Nutrition is not only a basic need that all humans have to sustain life but it is critical to successful early development. This compendium of research lends deeper insights to the links between nutrition and healthy brain function—and from the reverse perspective, between nutrition and neurocognitiive disorders. This research is critically important to parents, early educators, and interventionists, as well as health professionals who are invested in healthy outcomes for infants. Practitioners and policymakers need research-based approaches in order to provide successful interventions for young children, both in prevention and ongoing services for children with disabilities.

Finally, Prenatal and Childhood Nutrition: Evaluating the Neurocognitive Connections provides a research context for policymakers, educators, and families. The link between academics and nutrition should play a key role in decisions regarding education. If we know that we can give children a strong start by improving prenatal and early childhood nutrition, that knowledge should inform our actions and policies regarding prenatal and early childhood health.