The next 1,000 days can set the scene for life
- Wits University
The first 1,000 days of a child’s life (conception to two) are critical for development. Research shows that the next 1,000 days (2 to 5) are also fundamental.
Nurturing care in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from conception to age two, are critical for development and health through childhood and later in life. The next 1,000 days (two to five-years-old) is just as important for later development.
A new Lancet journal series, Early Childhood Development and the Next 1,000 Days, revealed that these ‘next 1000 days’ can build on investments and gains in child growth and development, particularly if opportunities are missed in the first 1,000 days.
Associate Professor Catherine Draper, in the SAMRC/Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit (DPHRU), Wits University, led the Early Childhood Development and the Next 1,000 Days Lancet series, which was published on 18 November 2024. [Read what Draper said about the importance of the next 1,000 Days].
This, the fourth in this Lancet series, followed publications in:
• 2007: Early Child Development in Developing Countries
• 2011: Early Childhood Development: Delivering on the Promise
• 2016: Advancing Early Childhood Development: From Science to Scale.
Collectively, these series provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing the multifaceted factors influencing early childhood development (ECD), from prenatal care through early childhood, and emphasising the importance of nurturing care.
Leveraging the strength of hard evidence, UNICEF has been working with governments and partners to mobilise a landmark global commitment to ECD, as demonstrated by the SDG 4.2 on universal access to holistic developmental support in the early years.
The Next 1,000 Days series is an opportunity to review progress against this commitment, identify successes, recognise challenges, and reinvigorate commitment to every child’s right to have the best start in life.
To this end, UNICEF convened the Global High-Level Roundtable on the Continuity of the First and Second 1,000 Days in Early Childhood, on 11 March 2025.
The objectives of the Roundtable, conducted via webinar, were:
1. To advance evidence-based advocacy on the transformative power of sustained investment in the foundational years of human development
2. To showcase success and define the pathways to improve early childhood outcomes through bold, innovative solutions
3. To strengthen partnerships for investment in Early Childhood Development.
“This Lancet Series has brought together global researchers who share a passion for early childhood development and were keen to profile the ‘next 1,000 days’ as a crucial stage of development, especially in low- and middle-income countries [LMICs],” says Draper, who presented at the Roundtable.
Draper estimates that only 1 in 4 children (three-to-four years) receive adequate nurturing care in LMICs and most ECD interventions from high-income western countries. Children who have received early learning support and responsive care, however, are two years ahead in development.
“Children from LMICs not only need to feature more strongly in research on the next 1,000 days but should also be receiving the care they need to thrive. This includes supporting caregivers of young children and ensuring that they have access to high quality early care and education programmes,” she says.
Roundtable participants also included Victor Aguayo, UNICEF Global Director, Child Nutrition and Development; Pia Britto, UNICEF Global Director, Education and Adolescent Development; Intergovernmental agencies; donors and partners; and international governments, including South Africa.
The South African Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, who is passionate about Early Childhood Development, was a panellist.
Gwarube expressed a strong commitment to giving young children in South Africa the best start in life.