The First 1,000 Days

This book traces the history of the child’s brain during the 270 days of pregnancy plus the first two years of life. Its author, the neurobiologist Yehezkel Ben-Ari, is one of the most renowned specialists in autism and childhood epilepsy. It gives us the keys to learning to detect disorders linked to brain development. Contrary to popular belief, many neurological and psychiatric illnesses occur before the age of two, particularly during pregnancy and birth! A decisive period to prepare for the health of the future child, provided you have the right information.

This great scientist also tells us the story of his life, which shaped his work as a researcher, guided by the sense of commitment and a non-conformist spirit essential to innovation in science.

Yehezkel Ben-Ari is a leading French neurobiologist with more than 500 papers in leading scientific journals and major awards, including the highest French biomedical award (INSERM) & the European and US epilepsy foundations prizes. He has discovered the electrical properties of the developing brain present in all animal species, including humans, and described common alterations observed in many brain disorders. He is the father of the geoarchaeology concept ‘in utero insult deviate developmental processes’, leading to persistent immature networks that are the cause of the clinical sequels and possible therapeutic targets. He has validated that, notably in autism.

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Enrico Cherubini

This very nice book from Yehezkel Ben-Ari concerns the critical period, which lasts for about a thousand days, extending from the first moments of gestation to language acquisition, around the age of two. In this period the construction of the brain relies on genetic and environmental determinants “nature and nurture”. While nature provides a set of genes that control the general organization of the brain, nurture ensures that genetically built neuronal circuits adapt to the environment. This is also the period during which the newborn learns most through adaptive processes that involve experience-dependent mechanisms regulating several developmental steps, including synapses formation and elimination. Alterations of these processes already in utero lead to the formation of misconnected circuits endowed with a 'pre-symptomatic signature, the so-called “neuro-archeology”, a term used by Ben Ari, who made seminal contributions to better understanding how brain activity early in development matures in both health and disease. Using a simple and universally understandable language, Ben-Ari retraces the main stages of his interesting life, in particular his research activity: his interest in the formation of the brain early in development, the crucial role exerted by the depolarizing action of GABA and the deviation from these processes in neurodevelopmental disorders, first and foremost epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders. In physiological conditions, the depolarizing action of GABA results from the differential temporal expression of the cation-chloride co-transporters NKCC1 and KCC2, which are involved in Cl- uptake and extrusion, respectively. He also demonstrated that oxytocin, the hormone that stimulates labor contractions, triggers in the offspring brain the abrupt, transient shift of GABA from excitatory to inhibitory via upregulation of the chloride exporter KCC2. Thus exerting a neuroprotective action on the newborn’s brain, oxytocin reduces the severity of anoxia and exerts an analgesic action through the increased threshold to pain. In this book, Ben-Ari also retraces the discovery of bumetanide as a new therapeutic tool to treat Autism and many other Neurological Disorders. By blocking the cationic-chloride importer NKCC1, this drug is able to reinstate the inhibitory action of GABA and a proper excitatory/inhibitory balance in selected neuronal circuits. Therefore, I believe this book will be of great interest not only for specialists such as pediatricians and neurologists but also for families of epileptic and autistic children. It will help them to better understand these neurodevelopmental disorders and their therapeutic treatment.
Dr. Nouchine Hadjikhani

As a neuroscientist specializing in brain imaging and development, I am deeply impressed by The first 1,000 days, a remarkable synthesis of decades of research by Pr. Yehezkel Ben-Ari. In this book, he takes us on an extraordinary journey into the first crucial thousand days of life—from fetal development to early childhood—unveiling how the brain builds its intricate architecture. What makes this book so powerful is its ability to translate complex neuroscience into compelling storytelling. Ben-Ari brilliantly explores how early-life experiences, environmental factors, and even prenatal influences can shape the brain’s trajectory, affecting everything from cognition to emotional well-being. His pioneering concept of “neuroarchaeology” provides a fresh perspective on neurodevelopmental disorders, offering profound implications for autism, epilepsy, and even Parkinson’s disease. This is not just a book for scientists—it is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of human health. Parents, educators, and medical professionals alike will find invaluable insights into how we can optimize brain development and improve lifelong well-being. A groundbreaking and enlightening work, The first 1,000 days is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the mysteries of the human brain.
György Buzsáki, M.D., Ph.D.

The human brain underwent 300,000 years of perfection. This species-specific wisdom is given to every newborn as a constraint and advantage of brain connectivity and dynamics, provided everything goes as planned in intrauterine and early life. Neuroarcheology, the term introduced by the renowned neurobiologist Yehezkel Ben-Ari, is a new science that emphasizes the critical role of prenatal and perinatal development in mental and neurological diseases. Professor Ben-Ari is a great storyteller, and in this book, we learn not only about brain development but also about his journey in the complex labyrinth of science.

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Enrico Cherubini

Dr. Nouchine Hadjikhani

György Buzsáki, M.D., Ph.D.

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