We are pleased to present the N&G 2026 Best Abstract Awards
The N&G award recognizes young physicians for their work in two categories: “Infancy ‘The First 1,000 Days” and “Obesity”. The awards are supported by an educational grant from the NNI (Nestlé Nutrition Institute) for the best abstracts submitted to the 13th International Conference on Nutrition & Growth.
The award recipients, selected by the N&G scientific committee, will be presented during the Conference. Each abstract will receive a €5,000 prize.
Join us in congratulating the winners:
The Obesity Best N&G Research Award
Winner: Kozeta Miliku, MD, PhD
Affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto
Abstract Title: MILK FAT INTAKE, ADIPOSITY AND OBESITY IN CANADIAN CHILDREN
Current dietary guidelines recommend reduced-fat milk for children over age two to prevent obesity, despite limited pediatric evidence.
In this prospective analysis of over 2,000 Canadian children from the CHILD Cohort Study, caregivers reported the fat content of milk consumed (skim to whole). Adiposity was assessed at ages five and eight using body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio, and body fat percentage, alongside contemporary definitions of obesity.
We found that children who consumed whole milk (3.25% fat) had consistently lower adiposity measures compared to those consuming skim milk. At age five, whole milk intake was associated with lower BMI and reduced odds of obesity. These associations persisted at the age of eight where children consuming whole milk at age five had lower BMI, lower body fat, and lower odds of obesity and preclinical obesity at age eight. These findings challenge longstanding dietary recommendations that promote reduced-fat milk to prevent childhood obesity. Instead, whole milk consumption may support healthier growth trajectories during a critical developmental window.
Introduction
Dr. Kozeta Miliku is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto, whose research focuses on early-life nutrition and cardiometabolic health. Her work leverages large population-based birth cohorts, including the Canadian CHILD Cohort Study, to examine how dietary patterns and food processing shape growth, adiposity, and obesity risk from birth through childhood.
Dr. Miliku’s research program integrates advanced epidemiologic methods with detailed dietary assessment to address pressing questions in pediatric nutrition, with a particular focus on milk composition, ultra-processed foods, and developmental windows of vulnerability. Her work has been published in leading international journals and has contributed to evidence informing child nutrition guidance and policy. She is actively involved in trainee mentorship and international collaborations in nutrition and developmental origins of health and disease research.
The Infancy Best N&G Research Award
Winner: Ms. Nathália Teixeira de Oliveira
Affiliation: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Abstract Title: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HEATWAVE EXPOSURE AND BMI-FOR-AGE TRAJECTORIES IN BRAZILIAN CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE.
Early-life exposure to heatwaves may specifically impact infant growth and nutritional status. This study evaluated the association between heatwave exposure during the first months of life and body mass index-for-age (BMI/A) trajectories among 49,412 Brazilian children aged 6–23 months. Utilizing anthropometric microdata from the Brazilian Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (2015–2019) and municipal meteorological data, heatwaves were defined as 3 or more consecutive days with mean temperatures exceeding the 90th percentile. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that greater heatwave exposure in early life was associated with significantly lower BMI/A trajectories. Compared to non-exposed children, those exposed for three months or more exhibited significantly lower BMI/A values. These findings suggest that extreme heat exposure between 0 and 6 months
of age may adversely impact weight gain during infancy, highlighting the vulnerability of young children to climate stressors and the necessity of investigating potential confounders in this growth impairment.
Introduction
Nathália Teixeira de Oliveira is a nutritionist with a specialization in Pediatric Nutrition Therapy. She holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition and is currently a PhD candidate in Nutritional Sciences at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil. She is a researcher at the Observatory of Nutritional Epidemiology, where her work focuses on child nutrition, child growth, and nutritional epidemiology. Her recent research has particularly emphasized the role of environmental and climatic determinants, including heatwave exposure, on early-life growth and child health outcomes.