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Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an enhanced well-baby visit
Insights
Early childhood development is crucial for lifelong health and success. An enhanced 18-month pediatric visit can bridge the opportunity gap by promoting positive parenting and connecting families with resources.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Pediatric Primary Care
Background:
- Childhood development and environment significantly impact long-term physical health, mental well-being, academic performance, and behavior.
- A widening 'opportunity gap' exists in Canada, necessitating proactive interventions during early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical need for enhanced pediatric visits, specifically at 18 months, to address developmental health disparities.
- To advocate for universal assessment of early childhood developmental health in Canada.
Main Methods:
- Focus on an enhanced 18-month well-baby visit.
- Incorporate anticipatory guidance and physician-prompt tools.
- Connect families and children with community resources.
Main Results:
- Enhanced visits promote healthier choices and positive parenting.
- Physician-prompt tools and community resource connections are key components.
- Measuring and monitoring key indicators of early childhood health and well-being is essential.
Conclusions:
- An enhanced 18-month visit is vital for supporting child development and mitigating opportunity gaps.
- Universal assessment and support for developmental health at 18 months are recommended for all Canadian children.
- Collaboration among physicians, governments, and organizations is needed to implement these recommendations.
Abstract:
Evolving neuroscience reveals an ever-strong relationship between children's earliest development/environment and later life experience, including physical and mental health, school performance and behaviour. Paediatricians, family physicians and other primary care providers need to make the most of well-baby visits-here a focus on an enhanced 18-month visit-to address a widening 'opportunity gap' in Canada. An enhanced visit entails promoting healthier choices and positive parenting to families, using anticipatory guidance and physician-prompt tools, and connecting children and families with local community resources. This statement demonstrates the need for measuring/monitoring key indicators of early childhood health and well-being. It offers specific recommendations to physicians, governments and organizations for a universally established and supported assessment of every Canadian child's developmental health at 18 months.
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