Nutritional status and neurodevelopment in early childhood

Abstract

This review article, which is the result of a larger research entitled “Characterization of food and nutritional security in children in early childhood”, aims to reveal the relationship between nutritional status and neurodevelopment in this phase of children’s life, from birth to 5 years of age. The guidelines of the bibliographic theoretical inquiry from the hermeneutical key were followed when preparing this review. Sixty articles were selected from the last 15 years, in order to track the approach around the topics of nutritional status and neurodevelopment and their interaction and incidence in the life cycle of early childhood. As a result, the terms of nutritional status, malnutrition, evaluation of nutritional status and child neurodevelopment are conceptually clarified. Likewise, the characteristics and implications of the concepts in the development of the child and its adaptive processes were reviewed. These texts show points of encounter between nutritional status and neurodevelopment in early childhood. Although most of the studies reviewed propose a direct relationship between nutritional status and neurodevelopment in early childhood, there are authors who state that if this relationship exists, it is not as determinant as some of the physiological and endocrine processes that are carried out during this period. The invitation is to continue looking for answers around this relationship. It is possible to conclude that the nutritional status is one of the environmental factors involved in the neurodevelopment of children, potentiates the neuronal abilities for a balanced growth and, therefore, a neurobiological sustenance is needed driven by nutrients to activate it, which could allow children to acquire skills for adaptation. © 2018, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.