Nutrition, brain development and cognition in infants, young children and elderly

Abstract

Cognitive development of infants and young children requires new stimuli in their environment for their brain to grow rapidly through neurogenesis, axonal and dendritic growth, synaptogenesis, cell death, synaptic pruning, myelination, and gliogenesis. Adequate nutrition through exclusive breast- feeding, micronutrient rich good quality complementary and age appropriate quantity of food, and intellectual stimulation throughout infancy and childhood are critical to optimal brain development and function. Genetic and environmental factors interact to provide a basis for physical growth, cognitive and socio- emotional development. Experience-dependent enriched learning in the home, school and the wider social community stimulates cognitive development and socio-emotional functioning right up to adulthood. Poor health and living in poverty and violence leads to a vicious inter-generational cycle of loss of intellectual, emotional, physical and economical potential. Protective factors such as maternal education and food security can impact child-rearing and facilitate early stable socioemotional development that can positively affect cognitive development and prevent infants and young children from stunting/undernutrition. At the far the end of life cycle, the role of nutrition in preventing cognitive decline in the elderly is still unclear. There is a strong association between high homocysteine levels in blood associated with folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency and declining cognition.