Get Off to a Good Start

Science is crystal clear about the importance of a good start. The development a person goes through in the first 1,000 days—from a single cell to a toddler—is phenomenal. In no other period of life are so many biological milestones achieved. This is the foundation for the rest of life. Now that it's becoming increasingly clear that the health, behavior, and life chances of every person are determined by their early environment, it's becoming crystal clear that we need to change our perspective on health and behavior. Investing in a good start is the smartest investment we can make. Building a healthy, fair society starts with a solid foundation. Starting Right describes what's needed to provide a good foundation for healthy generations. The book shows what you can do to contribute to a good start and inspires you to take action to create an environment in which all children have the opportunity to develop optimally. Tessa Roseboom is Professor of Early Development and Health at the University of Amsterdam and Director of the Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute at Amsterdam UMC. Both personally and professionally, she is fascinated by how people are shaped by the circumstances in which they grow up and how the experiences of parents and ancestors are passed down from one generation to the next. Tessa is an active international advocate for investing in a good start. The ultimate goal of her work is to contribute to a more fertile breeding ground for future generations.