Using longitudinal evidence to support children’s healthy development and give them an equal start in life is the subject of our editor Yvonne Kelly’s keynote address at the Growing up in Ireland Annual Conference in Dublin today.
Her talk discusses findings from the most recent of the British ‘birth ‘ cohort studies – the Millennium Cohort Study that have so far informed policy development. They include work by researchers at the ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Studies where Yvonne is based on alcohol consumption during pregnancy, breastfeeding and the introduction of solid foods, the physical punishment of children , childhood obesity, reading to children in the early years, and sleep patterns throughout childhood.
She will also share work with the potential to inform future policy challenges such as young people’s drinking, social media use and mental health.
Ahead of her talk, she said:
“It is well established that what happens in the early years of life has long-lasting consequences for health and social success across the lifespan. Stark social inequalities in children’s health and development exist and emerge early in life. It is therefore crucial to identify potential tipping points and opportunities for intervention during childhood with the potential to affect change and improve life chances.”
- Download Yvonne’s slides from her Growing Up in Ireland keynote address
- Listen to Helen Pearson, author of The Life Project, talking about how the cohort studies have touched all our lives in the ICLS Podcast