What time period is the most sensitive for a child’s developing brain and body? You guessed it, prenatal, pregnancy and postpartum!

Child health and wellbeing are unmistakably tied to parental health. Our health and wellbeing prenatally and during the first three years of life affect all future learning, behavior, and health.

Research demonstrates that childhood health begins with a healthy parent prior to conception. Key aspects of maternal health, such as adequate nutrition and exposure to stress in utero, impact the development of the human brain during pregnancy. Maternal health prior to and during pregnancy plays a key role in child health at birth, which helps establish the basis for lifelong health and development. Parental mental health also impacts children through the quality of caregiving and the relationship between parents. Children also need frequent, preventative care throughout their lives to track their social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development, and to identify needs early and address them quickly. Critical and sensitive periods of growth during the earliest years create a window of opportunity for improving a child’s lifelong trajectory for growth and development. (pn3policy.org)