We are pleased to announce that the winning paper for the British Journal of Nutrition Paper of the Year Award 2021 is:
'The association between restricted intrauterine growth and inadequate postnatal nutrition in very-low-birth-weight infants and their neurodevelopmental outcomes: a 50-month follow-up study'
We spoke to lead author Professor Uberos about his research:
'Adequate nutritional energy intake during the early neonatal period is an important factor in ensuring neurological development in very low birth weight infants. In fact, according to our data, nutritional energy restriction during the early postnatal period is associated with visual disturbances and may triple the risk of infantile cerebral palsy.' Professor Jose Uberos.
This paper was selected from the shortlisted papers by an independent panel of experts including past Presidents of The Nutrition Society and a global leading nutrition expert from outside the UK.
'Congratulations to Professor Uberos and his colleagues on their discovery that nutritional energy restriction during the early postnatal period is associated with visual disturbances and can triple the risk of childhood cerebral palsy. These findings strengthen the evidence base for the importance of nutrition in early life in maintaining good health in children.' Professor John Mathers, BJN Editor in Chief.
All the shortlisted papers are freely available for everyone to read here
The award lecture will be held on day four of the 2022 Summer Conference, taking place 12 - 15 July.