The First 1,000 Days of Life: The Invisible Root of Development and Human Capital
Los primeros 1000 días: La raíz invisible del desarrollo y el capital humano
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22258/hgh.v10i1.410Abstract
The first 1,000 days constitute the biological and social foundation of human development and human capital; therefore, they should be assumed as a State priority. This requires sustained strengthening of the health sector, particularly the primary health care level, and effective coordination between health interventions and social programs. In addition, it is essential to improve governance, management efficiency, and the strategic allocation of resources. Prioritizing the first 1,000 days represents a strategic decision to strengthen human capital in health and promote the country’s sustainable development.Downloads
References
Indrio F, Pietrobelli A, Dargenio VN, Marchese F, Grillo A, Vural M, et al. The key 1000 life-changing days. Global Pediatrics. 2023;4. DOI: 10.1016/j.gpeds.2023.100049.
McDonald C, Weckman A, Wright J, Conroy A, Kain K. Developmental origins of disease highlight the immediate need for expanded access to comprehensive prenatal care. Front Public Health. 2022;10:1021901. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1021901.
Cui S, Deng F, Lu M, Zhang M, Yang Z, Ma Y, et al. Maternal nutritional imbalance during pregnancy and the development of fetal-origin cardiovascular diseases. Front Nutr. 2026;13:1717069. DOI:10.3389/fnut.2026.1717069.
Beluska-Turkan K, Korczak R, Hartell B, Moskal K, Maukonen J, Alexander DE, et al. Nutritional gaps and supplementation in the first 1000 days. Nutrients. 2019;11(12):2891. DOI:10.3390/nu11122891.
Luca AC, Rosu ST, Diaconescu C, Mîndru DE, Gavrilovici C, Vizireanu A, et al. The First 1000 Days: Maternal Nutrient Intake—A Window of Opportunity for Pulmonary Hypertension—A Narrative Review. Nutrients . 2026;18(3):424. DOI:10.3390/nu18030424.
Blaauwendraad SM, Kamphuis ASJ, Javier Ruiz-Ojeda F, Brandimonte-Hernández M, Flores-Ventura E, Abrahamse-Berkeveld M, et al. Risk Factors in the First 1000 Days of Life Associated With Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review and Risk Factor Quality Assessment. Obesity Reviews. 2026;27(2):e70025. DOI:10.1111/obr.70025.
Hu J, Aris IM, Lin PID, Rifas-Shiman SL, Perng W, Woo Baidal JA, et al. Longitudinal associations of modifiable risk factors in the first 1000 days with weight status and metabolic risk in early adolescence. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;113(1):113–22. DOI:10.1093/ajcn/nqaa297.
Mudiyanselage SB, Dona SWA, Angeles MR, Majmudar I, Marembo M, Tan EJ, et al. The impact of maternal health on child’s health outcomes during the first five years of child’s life in countries with health systems similar to Australia: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2024;19(3):e0295295. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295295.
Capitani E, Lorenzini C, Biuzzi A, Alaimo L, Nante N. Factors influencing the first thousand days of life. The importance of Nurturing Care. J Prev Med Hyg. 2023;64(2):E172–7. DOI:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2023.64.2.2850.
Onsomu LK, Ng’eno H. The Importance of Investing in the First 1000 Days of Life: Evidence and Policy Options. Economies. 2025;13(4):105. DOI:10.3390/economies13040105.
Draper CE, Yousafzai AK, McCoy DC, Cuartas J, Obradovic J, Bhopal S, et al. The next 1000 days: building on early investments for the health and development of young children. The Lancet. Elsevier B.V.; 2024. p. 2094–116. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01389-8.
Heindel JJ, Vandenberg LN. Developmental origins of health and disease: A paradigm for understanding disease cause and prevention. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2015;27(2):248–53. DOI:10.1097/MOP.0000000000000191.
Moreno Villares JM. Los primeros 1000 días: una oportunidad para reducir la carga de las enfermedades no transmisibles. Nutr Hosp. 2019;36(1):218–32. DOI:10.20960/nh.02453.
Li S, Nor NM, Kaliappan SR. Long-term effects of child nutritional status on the accumulation of health human capital. SSM Popul Health. 2023;24:101533. DOI:10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101533.
World Bank Group. The Human Capital Index +. 2026. Report. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099811402092628470.
Magida N, Ncanywa T, Sibanda K, Asaleye AJ. Human Capital Development and Public Health Expenditure: Assessing the Long-Term Sustainability of Economic Development Models. Soc Sci. 2025;14(6). DOI:10.3390/socsci14060351.
Albarqi MN. The Impact of Prenatal Care on the Prevention of Neonatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Global Health Interventions. Healthcare (Switzerland). 2025;13(9). DOI:10.3390/healthcare13091076.
Xu A, Guerlich K, Koletzko B, Grote V. Nutrition interventions in the first 1000 days and long-term health outcomes: a systematic review. Pediatr Res . 2025;98(6):2023–34. DOI:10.1038/s41390-025-04215-6.
Schipper MC, Manshanden A, Philippe K, Ferré N, Luque V, Lecorguillé M, et al. First 1000 Days Strategies to Prevent Childhood Obesity: A Narrative Review and Recommendations From the EndObesity Consortium. Pediatr Obes. 2026;21(1):e70060. DOI:10.1111/ijpo.70060.
Debbag R, Torres JR, Falleiros-Arlant LH, Avila-Aguero ML, Brea-del Castillo J, Gentile A, et al. Are the first 1,000 days of life a neglected vital period to prevent the impact on maternal and infant morbimortality of infectious diseases in Latin America? Proceedings of a workshop of experts from the Latin American Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, SLIPE. Front Pediatr. 2023;11. DOI:10.3389/fped.2023.1297177.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Juan Morales
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- The authors will retain their copyright and will guarantee to the journal right of first publication of their work, which will simultaneously be under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License that allows third parties to share the work whenever attribuying their author and first publication in this journal.
- The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a pre-publication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (see The Effect of Open Access).
![](<p><img src="https://www.redib.org/themes/lotura/images/logo.svg" alt="REDIB" /></p>){kind=logo}
![REDIB](<p><img%20src="https://www.redib.org/themes/lotura/images/logo.svg" alt="REDIB" /></p>){kind=logo}
![Ciencia Nueva hará parte del índice de Revistas en Consolidación de América Latina AmeliCA - Gestión de la Comunicación y la Promoción Institucional](<p><img%20src="https://comunicaciones.utp.edu.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/Melica-21-de-sep-2021.jpg" alt="Ciencia Nueva hará parte del índice de Revistas en Consolidación de América Latina AmeliCA - Gestión de la Comunicación y la Promoción Institucional" /></p>)
