Download here - Feeding Lancashire Together





Poverty damages: it damages childhoods
it damages life chances
it damages society.
Children from poorer backgrounds lag behind at
all stages of education & learning.
Poverty is associated with a higher risk of lifelong
illness and premature death.
Children living in a poor community are almost
twice as likely to live in bad housing.


Poverty results in various acute & chronic
stressors.
The effects of the 9 months a baby spends in
utero are far from negligible. The brain, made up
of billions of neurons, is developing very quickly.
Neurons are made of a cell at one end, with
dendrites around it,
then a long transmitter called an axon with a
terminal at the other end.
The more
connections
made across
the dendrites,
then the more
a child learns.
This Diagram shows the
difference between a
brain that has not had
much stimulation:
with one that has had a
lot of stimulation:
Daily Parent-Child Speech Interactions
SourceAdapted from Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American
Children, by B. Hart and T. Risley, 1995
The Emotional Keyboard
To grow up emotionally healthy, children need:



a strong reliable caregiver who provides
consistent and unconditional love, guidance
and support.
safe, predictable and stable environments.
many hours each week of harmonious
reciprocal interactions….this is crucial in the
first 6 - 2 4 months of infant’s lives to help
them develop a wider range of healthy
emotions, including gratitude, forgiveness
and empathy.
enrichment through personalised,
increasingly complex activities.





In response to overwhelming stress in young
children:
The brain drives the "fight or flight response"
and release of stress hormones.
The young child has limited capacity to manage
this overwhelming stress and experiences
increased fear and anxiety (physical and
emotional sensations).
Excessive anxiety & high levels of cortisol
(stress hormone) affect the brain’s ability to
regulate stress, and to complete higher
ordered functions.
Significant early adversity can lead to lifelong
problems (physical and mental health).
Drug abuse starts early & peaks during the teen years.
This increased risk is partly due to adolescents’ heightened
sensitivity to social influences (friends) and their still
developing brain; particularly areas critical to judgement and
impulse control.
OBESITY ?
BOTH
OR
UNDER
NUTRITION ?
The myelin
sheath is
mostly
made from
Omega 3
oils
If you suffer from
high cholesterol, high
blood pressure,
eczema, acne or
psoriasis, chances
are you are suffering
from an omega-3
deficiency.
Daily allowance of
salt:
1-3 yrs: 2g
4-6 yrs: 3g
7-10 yrs: 5g