What are the first 1000 days? How do they influence the rest of our life?
How does the nutrition of grandmothers, mothers and fathers influence our development during the first 1000 days? Does the preconception period and the 7000 days after infancy matter?

And what shift in public health thinking is needed to set up healthier trajectories for children in South Africa?

The First 1000 Days - from conception to a child’s second birthday - is a unique period
of opportunity when the foundations for health and development across the person's lifespan are established. The right nutrition and care during the 1000-day window influences not only whether the child will survive, but also his or her ability to grow, learn and rise out of poverty. As such, it contributes to society’s long-term health, stability and prosperity.

In this period, a child’s brain grows faster than at any other time; 80% of a baby’s brain is
formed by the time they are two years old. For healthy brain development in these years, children need a safe, secure and loving environment, with the right nutrition and stimulation from their parents or caregivers. This is a window of opportunity to lay a foundation of health and well being whose benefits last a lifetime – and carry into the next generation.

In tonight's edition of Science & Cocktails Johannesburg, Shane Norris, a leader in the field of developmental origins of health and development, will give us an overview of cutting edge findings about the first 1000 days – including the particular challenges South Africa faces and how this impacts the first 1000 days - and the latest thinking on how we can intervene to set up healthier trajectories for children growing up in South Africa.

Afterwards, smoky craft cocktails and a musical performance by Amakat' Amnyama will create a stimulating environment for our brains to keep growing.

Image: Untitled (Alê Oyamada/flickr) Licenced under creative commons