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The infection A2Z web series:
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Early years |
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Child health surveillance and screening |
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Government resources relevant to the early years |
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Websites providing general information on the early years |
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Web resources focusing on specific early years topics |
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Other on-line resources for healthcare workers |
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On-line paediatric textbooks |
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Early years
As babies grow and develop, parents will face different issues and concerns at different stages. The rights and responsibilities to provide for children's health and welfare rest with parents. But a range of services provided by the NHS, local authorities, voluntary and independent organisations, health centres, nurseries, pre-schools and schools, family centres and community-based support services have a vital role in helping parents to ensure children develop healthily and reach their maximum potential.
Every family in the UK has a named Health Visitor who will be a major source of information and advice on everyday difficulties. Health Visitors also aim to promote the health of the whole community and play an active role in child health surveillance and screening. Current practice is moving away from a wholly medical model of screening for disorders and towards greater emphasis on health promotion, primary prevention and targeting efforts on active intervention for children and families at risk.
Specific topics that parents may wish to discuss with healthcare workers concerning the early years of a child’s life could include:
Guidance from healthcare professionals on these issues must be evidence-based wherever possible. Some useful websites providing information and guidance on issues arising during the early years of a child’s life are listed below. |
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Child health surveillance and screening
The fourth report of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) [HALL D and ELLIMAN D eds (2003) Health for all children. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press], referred to as Hall 4, provides indepth and comprehensive recommendations for healthcare professionals working with children and families. The report followed a review of the evidence for existing child health surveillance and screening activity, including the purpose, content and timing of interventions. The impact of social, economic and environmental factors on children's health was also taken into account, along with the advice of the National Screening Committee (NSC), which considers all screening programmes on a national level.
The RCPCH review found little or no evidence for the effectiveness of some health checks being carried out routinely by health professionals on children's health or wellbeing. Consequently, Hall 4 recommends that certain checks be discontinued and that a reduced core programme of child health surveillance, with some enhanced screening activity, is offered to all children based on interventions proven to be effective in supporting children's health and development. Hall 4 also recommends that this should incorporate enhanced health promotion work to inform and educate parents about their children's development and needs, so that they can seek the right advice and help when they need it. These proposals highlight a need to draw more effectively on the regular contact that children and families have with other professionals in, for example, pre-school or family centres, and to ensure that there are clear routes for liaison, consultation and referral to health professionals when there are concerns about a child.
The Scottish Executive website has an executive summary of the Health for all Children publication. |
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Government resources relevant to the early years
The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (NSF) is a ten-year programme intended to stimulate long-term and sustained improvement in children’s health. By setting standards for health and social services for children, young people and pregnant women, the NSF aims to ensure fair, high quality and integrated health and social care from pregnancy, right through to adulthood.
www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance
The Department of Health Birth to five guide for parents gives the latest advice and information on all aspects of child health, immunisation, healthy eating, childhood illnesses and child safety.
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics
The DirectGov website provides advice for parents about the health and wellbeing of babies and infants.
www.direct.gov.uk/Audiences/Parents
The Scottish Executive has produced draft guidance for the implementation of Health for all Children in Scotland. This guidance includes a useful executive summary of the Health for all Children publication.
www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations
The Scotland NHS Ready Steady Baby website has detailed information and advice about the early weeks of parenting.
www.readysteadybaby.org |
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Websites providing general information on the early years
The BBC Parenting website offers practical advice for parents on a wide variety of topics covering all stages of child development, from babies to teenagers.
www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/your_kids
The National Childbirth Trust offers support in pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood and aims to give every parent the chance to make informed choices during labour and birth. There is lots of information and practical advice about common issues arising during the early years.
www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com
BabyCentre is a parenting resource offering practical advice from expert sources, such as obstetricians, paediatricians, doctors, midwives and parents. There is lots of information and advice for parents of babies and toddlers.
www.babycentre.co.uk/baby
Fathers Direct is the UK national information centre for fatherhood. It exists to support the welfare of children by the positive and active involvement of fathers and male carers in their lives.
www.fathersdirect.com
Parentline Plus is a UK charity that offers support to anyone parenting a child. They offer a telephone counselling service to all parents. The site is packed with information on parenting issues.
www.parentlineplus.org.uk |
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Web resources focusing on specific early years topics
Advice for parents from the Department of Health on reducing the risk of cot death was published in 2004. It includes guidance on placing the baby on their back to sleep, cutting out smoking during pregnancy and not letting anyone smoke in the same room as the baby, not letting the baby get too hot (or too cold), keeping the baby's head uncovered (the feet to foot position), and seeking advice promptly if the baby is unwell.
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics
The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) is one of the UK's leading baby charities working to prevent infant deaths and promote baby health.
The FSID website has information on how to reduce the risk of cot death, for health professionals and the public.
http://sids.org.uk/fsid
The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative statement on mother-infant bed sharing (2004) and response to a Lancet publication on sudden infant death syndrome among bed sharing babies (2004) (on the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative website).
www.babyfriendly.org.uk
The CRY-SIS website provides self-help and support for families with excessive crying, sleepless and demanding children.
www.cry-sis.org.uk
Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence (ERIC) On-line (previously the Enuresis Resource and Information Centre) provides advice and information to children, young adults, parents and professionals on bedwetting and soiling.
www.enuresis.org.uk
The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is a national charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled and seriously injured as a result of accidents. The CAPT website offers access to leaflets, activity sheets, publications and links to other related sites.
www.capt.org.uk |
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Other on-line resources for healthcare workers
The Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) website provides information about the organisation and its work. It also provides a gateway to many other sites that provide information on community nursing, public health and primary healthcare.
www.amicus-cphva.org
The World Health Organization (WHO) Child health page offers links to activities, reports, events and news about child health issues.
www.who.int/topics/child_health
BMC Paediatrics is an open access, peer-reviewed journal with articles on all aspects of child health.
www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpediatr
GP notebook is a system designed to provide a concise synopsis of the entire field of clinical medicine with material organised systematically to ensure rapid retrieval of information. The Paediatric system provides comprehensive information about the health and development of children.
www.gpnotebook.co.uk
The Health For All Children website was originally created to provide support for the publication of the same name, but has evolved to provide the latest products, information and developments in child health to parents and health professionals, whilst continuing to support references detailed in the publication.
http://shop.healthforallchildren.co.uk
The Child Health and Paediatrics specialist library is a virtual library that addresses a wide range of topics related to the health and wellbeing of children. It is primarily aimed at professionals involved in the care of children but also aims to be valuable to anyone seeking information on a wide variety of aspects of child health.
http://libraries.nelh.nhs.uk/childHealth
The British Medical Journal provides a collection of articles on paediatric health issues.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) website offers the latest news on child health issues, electronic publications and links to other useful sites (including some paediatric journals).
http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/ |
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On-line paediatric textbooks
The eMedicine.com on-line US textbook provides information on a wide range of paediatric topics.
www.emedicine.com/ped
This content is not intended nor does it replace individual professional advice. Please contact a healthcare professional or seek advice from NHS Direct (0845 46 47) NHS Direct Wales (0845 46 47) or NHS 24 in Scotland (08454 24 24 24). |
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last reviewed 01 May 2005
last updated 15 March 2007
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