The first thousand days following conception is a critical period during which a large fraction of adult health is programmed. Societies can structure their support during this period in ways that enhance or damage not only the health and well-being of children, but also the health of the adults they become. Inequality is a major influence on early child health. How a country chooses to allocate its national budget for health and welfare services exposes its priorities. Some of the nations that put the most government funds per person on the first year of life have some of the best overall health; others that focus spending on the later years may have limited health improvements. Economic policies, however, can be overcome in some cases by social and cultural norms, which can override both supportive and unhelpful measures. The path to health looks at its source determinants and supports early life conditions that promote the well-being of children, which in turn will further their health as adults. 

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.

— Frederick Douglass, author, orator, human rights leader (1818-1895)

For the first time in our history, we see a generation of people whose life expectancy is less than their parents, and who will never realize their full potential. The greatest threat to our country comes from within our borders and is totally avoidable – it’s an epidemic of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease that is rapidly deteriorating the health of our people and our economy. The root cause can be found at the source: the First 1000 Days.

Origins FTD is focused on a segment of healthcare known as Maternal and Child Health. We are specifically focused on the 4 million live births annually in the United States, 2 million of which come from economically disadvantaged women. According to national health statistics the economically disadvantaged WIC women have a significantly higher incidence of malnourishment and health conditions.

Due to a combination of genetics, epigenetics and biological programming, a huge opportunity to affect birth outcomes occurs within the mother/fetus dyad during the First 1000 Days – conception to baby’s age 2.  It is all about ‘nourishment’ as defined in terms of nutrition and exercise, and a comprehensive holistic nourishment that includes body, mind and spirit. Active listening to the woman’s ‘life experience’ coupled with medical statistics will be teased from an AWEsome™ engagement with the woman and her support group. Origins FTD intends to include “a warm loving embrace” as part of the prescription.

Aunt Franny™ is your source for pregnancy care information

Cloud-enabled connected health provides an opportunity to augment each user's healthcare team with non-judgmental, rights-based support via A New (enhanced) Standard of Care for Maternal and Child Health. Origins avatar Aunt Franny™ engages pregnant women and their support groups during the First 1000 Days to understand their “life experience” through conversation, joining that information with medical stats available from Electronic Health Records (EHR). Aunt Franny™ provides evidence-based information and guidance to enable women to optimize their own health and that of their offspring. Users fully understand their individual health challenges through dialogue with the avatar and an extensive medical library, augmenting the information and care they receive from doctors, midwives, and nurses. Aunt Franny™️ will be culturally relevant to the identity of each pregnant woman, and their active, non-judgmental listening skills provide a foundation of respectful maternity care to mother, baby, family and community. Origins First 1000 Days is a woman-centric enterprise based on humanistic capitalism.