Public policy implications of promoting growth

Translating the new science of growth into constructive policy will not happen naturally. Rather, the emerging science will need to be reframed to address certain core policy requirements. First, the complexity of early genetic and environmental interactions should be respected as their impact may vary in different, real-world settings. Second, the scale of impact is important to gauge as early-life interactions, while real, may not account for a large portion of later outcomes. Third, judgments regarding critical periods and the amenability of early-life influences to later intervention should be made cautiously as the etiologic nature or timing of early-life interactions do not, per se, determine if their life course effects are amenable to later interventions. Fourth, there is a need for incremental efficacy, such that the new science significantly enhances the impact of extant policy-based interventions. Finally, the translation of the new developmental science into policy should be viewed in a historical context and responsive to social and cultural needs. This provides a basis for reframing the new science of growth in a manner that best ensures that the science receives the constructive policy response it so urgently demands.