1. NUTRITION How it effects Brain Growth & Development

2. How the brain develops Development of the brain and nervous system of the embryo begins shortly after conception Ectoderm  neural tube  spinal cord & brain (2-4 weeks) Umbilical cord and placenta not formed until week 2 of the embryos life

3. How the brain develops Period of the fetus (3 rd month) Nervous system (brain & spinal cord) connect with organs and muscles Weeks 13-24, brain neurons are mostly complete (2 nd trimester)

4. How the brain develops At birth, the brain has all the neurons it will need for life An infants brain is 25% of its adult weight at birth The above is assuming that the fetus was carried to term By the age of 2, the brain will be 75% of its adult weight (90% by age 6)

5. How the brain develops Between birth and age 2, children will go through several stages of cognitive development including sensory development & language development Ex) 8-18 months = first words approx 2 years = combining words 6 years = 10 000 word vocabulary

6. Nutrition & Brain Development Prenatal nutrition Rapid development early in life Importance of nutrition in the main stages of development

7. Nutrition during pregnancy Conception to 2 nd week –Umbilical cord not formed –Mother’s food intake does not have an effect on the embryo

8. Nutrition during pregnancy Week 2 to birth –Nutrients to unborn child via mother –Most critical time for development of central nervous system –Folic acid Early in pregnancy Also late in pregnancy

9. Nutrition during pregnancy Folic acid deficiency ( Biotech Week, 2004) –Anencephaly = irregular brain formation –Stem cell division –Lifelong brain impairment

10. Nutrition during pregnancy Proper nutrition Recommended amount of nutrients Alcohol & smoking Normal cognitive development

11. Nutrition for Infants Breast Milk vs. Formula Convenience vs. health 3 rd world vs. developed countries

12. ( Better Nutrition, 2000) –Premature infants –Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids –Faster brainstem maturation

13. Nutrition for Infants When the bottle may be better –(Lawson, 2003) –Vegan mother’s –Vitamin B12 deficiency Developmental delays Attention span, notivation

14. Nutrition in young children (Core, 2003) –Poor nutrition = hampered mental development Information processing Language Below average for age Marasumus

15. Nutrition for Continued Growth After the most critical stages of cognitive development –Minimal size development left (full adult weight by age 16) –Maintenance

16. Nutrition for Continued Growth Healthy mind –Balanced diet –Essential nutrients –variety

17. Summary Most critical stages of cognitive development Effects of poor nutrition Healthy eating Healthy mind