Recommended dietary allowances for growth, development and performance.

Sufficient scientific evidence has accumulated in our understanding of the impact of the quality of the diet during growth and development to suggest changes in the RDAs. We now recognize that: the quality of the prenatal diet has dramatic impact on growth and development in utero, on birth weight, and on infant mortality and on morbidity during childhood; the diet of the infant, especially during the first three years, has profound effects on the intellectual and physical (work capacity) performance potential during adolescence, and affords a decrease in the probability of morbidity and mortality; the quality of the diet during growth and development throughout adolescence has a life-long potential in the thwarting of chronic degenerative diseases. The implication is a decrease in health care costs and an increase in productivity. Certain limiting nutrient RDAs will need to be updated accordingly.