Birth to three matters - Communities and Local Government
Birth to three matters - Communities and Local Government
Birth to three matters - Communities and Local Government
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The National Heart Forum (2002: 4)expresses grave concern about ‘currenttrends <strong>and</strong> inequalities in diet, physicalactivity, obesity <strong>and</strong> smoking’ which are soserious as <strong>to</strong> be leading <strong>to</strong> ‘an epidemic ofcoronary heart disease, as well as stroke,cancer <strong>and</strong> diabetes in 40-50 years’ time’unless remedial action is taken now. Thismeans educating children <strong>to</strong> adopt ahealthy lifestyle from a very early age, aswell as taking action at national,local <strong>and</strong>family levels on the recommendations ofthe British Medical Association (BMA 1999)concerned with poverty, diet, exercise,smoking, drugs, <strong>and</strong> other measuresincluding improved access <strong>to</strong> ECEC.Protecting young children againstinfectious diseases through immunisationstargets one area that is responsible forinfant <strong>and</strong> childhood mortality (Kristensenet al 2002). Just under ten years agoinfectious diseases accounted for four percent of postnatal deaths in the UK in 1990,<strong>and</strong> for seven per cent of deaths ofchildren aged between one <strong>and</strong> four years.However, controversy about the ‘MMR’(measles, mumps, rubella) triple vaccinehas given rise <strong>to</strong> concern about childrenwho are not being immunised in 2002.While Christie (2002) claims experts havefound no links between the MMR vaccine<strong>and</strong> autism,there have been reports in thepopular <strong>and</strong> scientific press (See TheSunday Times 23 June 2002, <strong>and</strong> the BMJ,May 2002) that contradict one another onthe subject, <strong>and</strong> the debate continues.Travis (2002) reports the results of a surveyof 1003 parents in the UK which revealedthat <strong>three</strong> in every four parents surveyedwanted the government <strong>to</strong> provide ‘freeseparate measles, mumps <strong>and</strong> rubellavaccinations for their children amid risingconcerns about the combined MMRinjection’. (Guardian online 2002).(See Barr<strong>and</strong> Limb, 1997 for a review of medical,scientific <strong>and</strong> ethical issues relating <strong>to</strong>the MMR vaccines).It is not possible <strong>to</strong> cover all the healthissues concerning young children in thistext <strong>and</strong> readers are directed <strong>to</strong> the reviewby the British Medical Association (BMA1999) <strong>and</strong> their recommendations.However, in this chapter we have tried <strong>to</strong>provide an introduction <strong>to</strong> a number ofkey aspects of health in babies <strong>and</strong> youngchildren. Firstly, we explore researchevidence on brain development.YOUNG BRAINSIn the last twe nty- f i ve ye a r s, te c h n o l og i ca la dva n ces have enabled scient i f i cre s e a rchers <strong>to</strong> make new discove ries abo u tthe deve l o p m e nt of the human bra i n : i t sfo rm at i o n ,g rowth <strong>and</strong> cog n i t i ve act i v i ty,for example (see Nelson <strong>and</strong> Bl oom 1997 ).Howeve r, a number of re s e a rchers havea rgued that the ev i d e n ce should bere g a rded with some scepticism be ca u s esome of it is old, some from studies ofdiseased brains <strong>and</strong> some from studiesof rat s, rather than humans (Au b rey 2002;Bl a ke m o re 2002; Bruer 19 99 ).Meanwhile, Catherwood (1999) outlinedthese technological advances in thecontext of their relevance <strong>to</strong>108 EDUCATIONAND SKILLS B I RT H T O T H R E E M AT T E R S