Why first 1000 days are crucial for child survival, development

Furera Muhammad’s two young children have been coming top of their various classes since she enrolled them in school. The 26-year-old mother of three who is pregnant with her fourth child said she gave birth to all her children at a health facility, and also ensured that they were exclusively breastfed and received all required […]

Furera Muhammad’s two young children have been coming top of their various classes since she enrolled them in school.

The 26-year-old mother of three who is pregnant with her fourth child said she gave birth to all her children at a health facility, and also ensured that they were exclusively breastfed and received all required immunisation.

 “I attended antenatal care during their pregnancies and followed all we were taught to keep us and our babies healthy during pregnancy, and during the early years of their lives,” she said during her antenatal visit to the Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC), Pantami, Gombe State.

She said her husband is a mason while she does petty trading from home, adding that they have been striving to prioritize their children’s care even though they faced challenges, especially during the rainy season when her husband gets only few job offers.

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She said her first child who is eight years old came first in the last examination, while the second came fourth.

“I did exclusive breastfeeding and noticed that my children were not suffering from frequent stooling like the other children who were not exclusively breastfed.

“I also noticed a huge difference between my children and those whose mothers did not attend antenatal care, didn’t get immunization and healthy foods. Sometimes these children are rushed to the hospital because of illness or they fainted due to other health issues.

“I have also never experienced any of my children falling ill during this season when there are different disease outbreaks, and children hospitalized. Rather my children are healthy, strong and doing well in school,” she said.

She however called on the government and other stakeholders to help support mothers who are willing and ready to give their children optimal care, especially in the area of nutrition but cannot do so due to the prevailing economic hardships.

Medical experts say the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are a critical period for survival and lifetime development.

The first 1000 days of life comprise the days between conception and the first two years of a child’s life.

It is a critical period when children need adequate nutrition, and protection from diseases. High cognitive function and physical health is dependent on these factors, according to the  United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The Chief of the Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane, said the first 1000 days of life are critical for physical and brain growth.

He said the cycle of poverty begins in the early years. “The early years set the life-long foundation for human capital. Socio-emotional skills, and predicts future success and productivity.

“A well-nourished, healthy workforce is a pre-condition for sustainable development,” he added.

Speaking during a media dialogue in Gombe organized by the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office,  he said growth failure during this period is associated with long-term consequences inclusive of schooling, productivity and income, adding that undernutrition is most likely to occur in the first two years.

Dr Rane said nurturing care in early life is key to achieving potential such as cognitive and emotional performance, immunity and protection from diseases, protection from metabolic diseases in later life and body, and work capacity and productivity.

Another mother, Hauwa Adamu, 34, said she observed a lot of benefits from ensuring proper medical care for her children during their first one thousand days and beyond.

 “My children have not suffered from measles, and the current outbreak of diphtheria and other disease outbreaks because they are immunized. They have only suffered malaria a few times.

“I gave birth to only one of them at home, the rest were at this facility, and I did what we were taught during the ante-natal and post-natal care including the right complementary feeding after the exclusive breastfeeding. Five of my children except the last one are in school and doing well,” she narrated.

Hauwa Abubakar, 25,  a mother of two said she was taught how to feed her children using nutritious local foods in the community at the hospital,  and she has been feeding them with it.

She said, “I did exclusive breastfeeding and attended all immunisation sessions. The children are now five and two years and I give them vegetables, beans, porridge, and nutrient-rich pap that contain groundnut and other grains, among others.”

Mohammed Adamu Musa, immunization officer at the primary health care centre in Pantami said the facility has exceeded its daily immunization target of 28 to 30 to about 100 a day.

He said, “Immunization for children is important because it protects them from diphtheria, tetanus and tuberculosis among others. There is a lot of difference between children who are immunized and those not immunized. Even if an immunized child develops a disease it will be mild.

“To get more children immunized, we have volunteers who go to the communities to sensitize women who give birth at home to bring their children to the facility for immunization.”

Ahmad Muhammad Bello, facility secretary of the Primary Health Centre Pantami, said the facility educates women on the importance of antenatal care,  hospital delivery and immunization as part of activities to ensure optimal care during the critical 1000-day period of a child’s life.

 “We educate them on nutritious foods including local ones that they can afford. We also educate them on personal hygiene, family planning, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, sleeping under mosquito nets, anti-material drugs, ultra sound scan, and screening for diseases like HIV and syphilis. We also teach them how to prepare themselves very well for delivery to mention a few.”

He added that the first 1000 days of a child’s life are critical as there are effects on their cognitive and physical abilities if they don’t get required care during the period.

He said the facility also provides some free services for pregnant women and children under five through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) programme in the facility.

Dr Emedo Emmanuel, Health Specialist at UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, said  the first 1000 days is a “Period shown to have the greatest potential for positive impact on long-term health outcomes, for both mother and child.”

He said it is the window of greatest contact with the health system for women, mothers, newborns and children.

It is the “Period of greatest health risk and vulnerability to adverse health for women, mothers, newborns, and children; of great demand and challenge to the health system; a critical determinant of the survive, thrive and transform agenda, and which shape human and economic development and growth and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he stated.

UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Philomena Irene, said the introduction of good nutrition in the first 1,000 days lays the foundation for health, development and even prosperity of the next generation.

 “The 1,000 days between pregnancy and a child’s 2nd birthday are the most critical time for positive impact on a child’s cognitive and physical development. The health and well-being of a pregnant and lactating woman are directly connected to the growth and health of her infant.

“The right nutrition for the mother and for the child during this time can have a profound impact on the child’s growth and development and reduce disease risk, as well as protect the mother’s health. Undernutrition during pregnancy, affecting fetal growth, is a major determinant of stunting and can lead to consequences such as obesity, and nutrition-related communicable diseases,” Irene also said.

The UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane, called for high-impact intervention during the first one thousand days. He said these should include maternal supplementation and dietary counselling, essential newborn care, immunisation, exclusive breastfeeding and psychosocial stimulation among others.

The Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, said apart from the privileged ones, majority of Nigerian children are faced with problems such as living on the streets/homelessness, violent conflicts, deprivation, drug abuse, human trafficking, weaknesses of the juvenile justice system, child abuse, rape and violence, poverty and many other social vices.

He said the media could facilitate positive or negative behaviour change, and also stimulate positive action for the rights of children.