Long-term effects of early nutrition on child development (LEARN)

During the first years of life, child development is particularly influenced by nutrition, parenting, and family dynamics. In addition, long-term associations of early child nutrition, and warm and sensitive parenting behavior with the cognitive and socio-emotional development of adolescents have been established. However, the developmental processes are rather unknown and the interplay between nutrition and parenting behavior has hardly been studied so far. In particular, little is known about temporal dynamics: For example, are infants in a better mood or easier to soothe if you have eaten more or more frequently that day? Which nutrients would be particularly important? In addition, there is little research on the role of fathers in early childhood nutrition and development.

The LEARN research project examines child development, nutrition and maternal and paternal parenting behavior at different points in time (3, 6, 12, 24 months) in a prospective birth cohort study. These points in time are supported by 13-day evening interviews and continuous documentation of the child’s development in an app. In this way, several time scales (days, months, years) are taken into account in order to describe different development processes.

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