Young Lives longitudinal evidence shows that early growth stunting can be reversed over a much longer period than originally thought - beyond the first 1,000 days, even up to the age of 15 years - and that physical recovery is associated with better performance in cognitive tests and progression through school.

These findings have been widely published in high-impact journals, including the Lancet, with important policy and programme implications for extending nutrition interventions into middle childhood and adolescence and improving children’s ability to learn incorporated into the work of the World Bank, UNICEF and Save the Children.