Pre-natal And Early Developmental Influences On Health And Disease Offer A New Window Of Opportunity For Health Promotion Health Promotion Board (HPB) Announces New Healthy Origins And Firm Foundations Programme

HPB is moving its health promotion efforts further upstream to empower parents-to-be and parents to give their children a healthy headstart in life. This will further strengthen the seamless continuum of health promotion efforts for parents and youths, from pre-nate through to 17-23 years.

2 A new programme - the Healthy Origins and Firm Foundations Programme will be launched from April 2011 where parents-to-be and parents of young children, up to the age of six, will be engaged in HPB s latest long-term strategy to combat chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity in the population.

Healthy Origins and Firm Foundations Programme

3 The Healthy Origins and Firm Foundations Programme aims to raise awareness of the pre-natal and early developmental influences on health outcomes in later life. It also offers parents-to-be, parents and other key stakeholders the information and skills to empower them to take practical steps to foster wellness during pregnancy and to nurture healthy lifestyles during their children s early years.

4 As part of the programme, HPB will reach out to parents-to-be and parents in various settings including workplaces, hospitals and the community to raise their awareness about the pivotal role they play in nurturing the health of their offspring and educate them about how they can shape the health and wellbeing of their children.

5 Collaborations will be also established with the maternity and children s hospitals to advance health promotion efforts targeted at the pre-natal and early developmental stages of life. A health education resource package for new mothers will be developed in collaboration with these hospitals and distributed through these settings to provide the mothers with informative and practical tips to maintain healthy pregnancy and raise healthy children in their early developmental years.

6 Other stakeholders, such as infant and child care centres as well as pre-schools, which are deeply involved in the early growth and development of children, will also be partnered to provide a supportive environment to nurture healthy lifestyles. New evidence-informed dietary guidelines for pregnancy and the young will also be developed. More information about the Healthy Origins and Firm Foundations Programme can be found in Annex A.

7 Dr K Vijaya, Director of HPB s Youth Health Division, said: To tackle chronic diseases including obesity, it is vital that we adopt a holistic approach which spans the entire spectrum of life. The Healthy Origins Programme and Firm Foundations Programme supports this approach and represents a strategic move in our health promotion efforts further upstream early to influence significant phases of growth and development to yield long-term health benefits for the individual and population. It will complement our existing child and youth health promotion initiatives.

The Science of Foetal Origins

8 The Healthy Origins and Firm Foundations Programme is grounded on an increasing body of evidence which suggests that the pre-natal and early developmental phases of life can influence the onset of chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity in later years.

9 The science of Foetal Origins, pioneered by Professor David Barker has led to a revolutionary understanding that chronic diseases, often manifested in adulthood, are programmed during pregnancy and the early stages of growth and development. Professor Barker s work highlights that a woman s body composition, which is influenced by her diet and lifestyle, before conception and during pregnancy have important effects on the subsequent health of her offspring and on future generations. Babies born towards the lower end of the normal weight range have an increased risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. The risk is further increased by rapid weight gain after the age of two years. Babies who are unusually heavy are also at increased risk of chronic diseases in later life.

10 The fight against obesity and chronic diseases is not an easy one. It is a battle which cannot be won overnight. HPB has already put in place a comprehensive and well-thought strategy to combat obesity and other chronic diseases. Its latest move to focus on pre-natal development is remarkable and will certainly strengthen its existing efforts. In fact, the Healthy Origins and Firm Foundations Programme has the potential to positively shape the health and wellbeing of generations of people in Singapore. said Professor Barker.

11 The foetal origins of health and disease provide a robust scientific rationale for health promotion and disease prevention efforts to start early during life in the womb and be further strengthened in the early years of growth and development. added Professor Barker. More information on Professor Barker is attached in Annex B.