Fat in the Critical 1,000 Days

On 7 April 2011 in Washington, D.C., the International Union of Nutritional Sciences, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Unilever and the Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group held a meeting on Fat in the critical 1,000 days:  Ensuring adequacy of essential dietary fats for mothers and young children in low and middle income countries. Nutrition experts from Bolivia, Ghana, Malawi, Mexico, South Africa, India, Europe and the US spoke about the importance of fatty acids for optimal growth, enhanced immunity and neurobehavioral development.

Approximately 150 participants representing UN organizations, national governments, and the public, private, academic and NGO sectors met to review the evidence on essential fats in terms of function, assessment, and programs as they relate to the critical 1,000 days of life from pregnancy through 24 months of age. One of the principal aims of the meeting was to apply scientific knowledge to program improvement.

In the long term, the meeting hopes to increase: understanding of key opinion formers working in middle and low income countries regarding the role of essential fats in maternal and child health; data collection on essential fats intake and status in nationally representative surveys; and breastfeeding and consumption of foods and products containing essential fats by pregnant and lactating women and young children.

Read the meeting report and the presentations