Assignment 3

Final Inferences
The problem of stunting and malnutrition severely affects the quality of life the child will have. In rural
communities where short stature is so common the problem identification is an issue along with the lack
of proper knowledge about the importance of early childhood development, malnutrition in children can
cause severe permanent changes which cannot be reversed later. Malnutrition doesn’t just occur after
birth but it can also occur while the child is still in her mother’s womb, so the nutrition the child gets
after conception till the age of 3 should be really taken care of. It can lead to weak cognitive processes
which will lead to poor results academically, increases healthcare costs since the child will have a weak
immunity system which will result in a never-ending cycle of poverty. Parents should be properly
informed about the consequences of it, and nutritional diet based on the region and prominent foods
which are cheaper should be included. They should also be informed about how to identify stunting; if
the linear growth of a child is not visible, they might be stunted.

The development of the architecture of the human brain is most prominent during the first 1000 days
after birth hence the experiences and environment the child will go through will affect the brain circuitry
that forms which will inevitably affect the cognitive processes of the child. The brain is developed
through experiences, if a child is experiencing a lack of affection and a safe environment the toxic stress
indicators will be triggered, and if the child is immediately not shifted to a safer environment these
indicators will form stronger connections and will always be turned on. The type of life a child will have
can be either improved or degraded in the first 1000 days; once the circuits are formed (either healthy
or weak) they will not be that flexible to change after that so it is better to get it right the first time.
Information on the importance and consequences is a must, they should be provided to the parents in
the hospital where the child is being born so that the future of the nation can be bright and productive.

In India, the organizations working in the early childhood development sector only focus on the
nutritional and somewhat brain development of the child. The latter is not very well addressed and is
almost lacking in all the programs. Mainly the spaces the child interacts with and stays in the longest
period can have huge impacts on the brain development if they are designed properly, child-centric
designs especially in the rural communities like the one discussed in the workshop (patterns created by
the women in the area low to the ground for the children to touch and interact with) can help in the
healthy development of the child’s brain. Architects can have a unique perspective and approach
towards issues like these; therefore I think they can and should be consulted while creating such
programs and spaces.