– Mental ill-health:

Mental ill-health is now the foremost burden if ill-health and escalating. In the UK the cost was estimated at £113 billion in 2013, a cost greater than heart disease and cancer combined. The continued escalation of mental ill-health if left unchecked can only have one sombre end point. It is the greatest threat to the sustainability of humanity,l Attempts at treatment of the various guises of mental ill-health, in the elderly or children meet with mixed success. The reason is that the major set of brain cells divide before birth. The brain defends itself against change after formation by recycling its components. Disorders initiated prior to birth are irreparable. There is no catch up for stunted growth or development.

Although every effort needs to be made to help those affected, the logical way to address the global issue has to be to address maternal health and nutrition, even before conception. In this way it will be possible to cut the vicious cycle of what is a rising, multi-generational malady. Treating those who have a mental illness, important as it is, none the less is like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

– The biological priority of humans is the brain:

As the front-page picture illustrates the biological priority in human development is the brain. The mother is the person responsible for bringing the chid into this world and hence her health and nutrition will be a pivotal factor in ensuring a healthy start to life with full health and abilities.

Sadly, too little is known about the nutritional requirements for the brain sixty percent of which is made of fat. Brain fat is made with specialised essential fats that you have to have in your diet. Then there is a collection of trace elements essential to its development and maintenance. What little is known is seldom applied.

Last century the nutritional paradigm was focussed on protein and body growth. This error happened because most nutritional research facilities were devoted to the interest of the animal industry and plant requirements. Protein for body growth is relevant to cows, pigs, chickens and horses.

On the other hand, human milk has the least amount of protein of any large mammal. By contrast to cows and horses milk it is a rich source of essential fats required for the infant and child’s completion of brain growth and development. Happily most pregnancies have successful outcomes. However, if a baby is born too small and or very preterm, the function of the child’s brain may be adversely affected for life. Damage or disorder during early development results in a lifelong disability. Developmental disorders of the brain include disabilities of vision, hearing and learning, autism, epilepsy, ADHD and cerebral palsy. All of these have a fundamental root in a prenatal disorder of brain development which results in a child sentenced to life time of physical and or mental limitations. Cerebral palsy can have severe consequences and is in effect a stroke before birth. A stroke in adulthood has a nutritional component in its cause. It is similarly likely that a stroke before birth may have a nutritional background with an infection and subsequent inflammation as a either an independent or co-existing cause. Tragically, the prevalence of low birthweight and preterm birth in the UK is unchanged since 1950, despite the wealth of advances in science and medicine. This is a shocking admission.

– Low birthweight, prematurity: causes of lifelong brain disorders:

The Foundation has supported work aimed at understanding the cause of low birth weight and premature birth. Babies born preterm and at low birthweight, particularly those born small for their gestational age are at the highest risk of disorders of brain development.

Developmental disorders of the brain include disabilities of vision, hearing and learning, autism, epilepsy, ADHD and cerebral palsy.

All of these have a fundamental root in a prenatal disorder of brain development which results in a child sentenced to life time of physical and or mental limitations.

Cerebral palsy can have severe consequences and is in effect a stroke before birth. A stroke in adulthood has a nutritional component in its cause. It is similarly likely that a stroke before birth may have a nutritional background with an infection and subsequent inflammation as a either an independent or co-existing cause.

Tragically, the prevalence of low birthweight and preterm birth in the UK is unchanged since 1950, despite the wealth of advances in science and medicine. This is a shocking admission.

– Mothers and Pregnancy:

The work supported by the Foundation has pinpointed the importance of maternal health and nutrition before and around the time of conception more so than during pregnancy. That is, the outcome of pregnancy is mainly decided before conception. Although this does not mean that good health and nutrition has no impact during pregnancy.

What it does mean is that the principle biological decisions regarding pregnancy outcome, whether the baby is born too early, too small or a bouncing healthy individual is in the province of maternal health and nutrition of the mother in the months running up to conception. Indeed, it also suggests that the health and nutrition of the girl during puberty when her reproductive system is getting its act together will also be of significance. This evidence makes common sense and has major public health implications.

– A start needs to be made in schools:

To defeat the rise in mental ill health and developmental disorders will require enhancing population health starting in schools when the physiological efficiency of the reproductive system is getting its act together in puberty. The health and nutrition of the mother is vitally important in deciding the future health and mental abilities of her child. The reason this is so absolute is that the bulk of brain cell division takes place early in the pregnancy and any distortion, stunting or disorder cannot be made good later in life. Damage at this early stage is irreparable.

The implantation of the fertilised egg happens on about the 7th day. It implants into the milieu intérieur of the mother. It is only logical that her milieu intérieur was not established over night but is the result of her recent history, nutrition, health and behaviour pattern.

Moreover, by the time the mother comes to the maternity unit for pregnancy care, some 12 weeks after conception the cells that will form the cortex of the brain are already migrating to do so. Events after that will not influence basic neurogenesis although they might impact connectivity.

** For more details, please download the PDF document "Aims of the Mother & Child Foundation". [DOWNLOAD]