from Lancet Global Health and UC Davis
Adequate nutrition during pregnancy and childhood improve both growth and brain development, but researchers at the University of California Davis say their study shows nutrition alone is not enough. Other aspects of nurturing care are just as important in supporting smarter as well as taller children. Authors say they were surprised how much nurturing—such as parents playing games or telling stories with their children--played compared to nutrition. The study in the journal Lancet Global Health suggests compared to nutrition alone, nurturing can have far greater effects on children’s cognitive skills, language skills and motor development. Health programs that promote nutrition alone also need caregiving to help children thrive.