Child Public Health Special Interest Group

Child Public Health Resources

Reading archive

Hot Reads for Child Public Health September 2006

  1. International perspective on Early Child Development. Dec 2005. Maggi S, Irwin LG et al
    Social determinants play a critical role in the early phases of conception, pregnancy, and post-natal periods of children’s development. Sensitive periods in brain and biological development start prenatally and continue throughout childhood and adolescence. The extent to which these processes lead to healthy development depends upon the qualities of stimulation, support, and nurturance in the social environments in which children live, learn and grow (Richter, 2004). By school age, development has been influenced by factors at three levels of society: family, neighbourhood/village, and the broader societal level. Socioeconomic gradients in health across the life course begin as socioeconomic gradients in early child development (EDC). Thus, the social environment is a fundamental determinant of early child development and, in turn, ECD is a determinant of health, well-being, and learning skills across the balance of the life course.

    While international co-operation is critically important, there are several challenges that limit the extent to which experiences, programs and research findings from one context related to early childhood be applied to other contexts and cultural realities. These challenges may range from cultural and language differences to differences in the extent to which some countries have the adequate resources to ensure that children’s rights are protected and appropriate policies implemented. Thus, early childhood development issues require a discussion at the global level in order to effectively apply knowledge-based principles and implementation strategies across cultures and contexts internationally to promote healthy child development.

    This paper summarises the literature outlining the different levels of influence for the most important social determinants of health and development from conception to young school-age children. The scope of this work includes prenatal development to eight years of age from the standpoint of how it influences health across the life course taking a developmental perspective on schooling including education as a social determinant of health.  It also addresses the family and neighbourhood level characteristics, and the socio-political context. Finally, there is an overview of international ECD programs and lessons learned from these programmes

  2. Breastfeeding plus infant zidovudine prophylaxis for 6 months vs formula feeding plus infant zidovudine for 1 month to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in Botswana. A randomized trial: The Mashi study.  JAMA.2006;296:794-805
    Postnatal transmission of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) via breastfeeding reverses gains achieved by perinatal antiretroviral interventions. The efficacy and safety of 2 infant feeding strategies (formula vs breastfeeding with infant receiving 1 month or 6 zidovudine prophylaxis respectively) for the prevention of postnatal mother-to-child HIV transmission were compared in a randomized clinical trial. All of the mothers received zidovudine 300 mg orally twice daily from 34 weeks' gestation and during labor. Infants were evaluated at birth, monthly until age 7 months, at age 9 months, then every third month through age 18 months.

    Breastfeeding with zidovudine prophylaxis was not as effective as formula feeding in preventing postnatal HIV transmission, but was associated with a lower mortality rate at 7 months. Both strategies had comparable HIV-free survival at 18 months. These results demonstrate the risk of formula feeding to infants in sub-Saharan Africa, and the need for studies of alternative strategies.

  3. Vaccines and the changing epidemiology of autism. Child: Care, Health and Development; Volume 32 Page 511  - September 2006.
    The recorded prevalence of autism has increased considerably in recent years. This reflects greater recognition, with changes in diagnostic practice associated with more trained diagnosticians; broadening of diagnostic criteria to include a spectrum of disorder; a greater willingness by parents and educationalists to accept the label (in part because of entitlement to services); and better recording systems, among other factors. The cause(s) of autism remains unclear. There is a strong genetic component which, along with prenatally determined neuro-anatomical/biochemical changes, makes any post-natal 'cause' unlikely. In conclusion, the authors felt there has (probably) been no real increase in the incidence of autism. There is no scientific evidence that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the mercury preservative used in some vaccines plays any part in the aetiology or triggering of autism, even in a subgroup of children with the condition

  4. Socially isolated children 20 years later: Risk of cardiovascular disease. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160:805-811
    A birth cohort (total of 1037) was followed up to age 26 years in Dunedin, New Zealand. Social isolation in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood was measured. When study members were 26 years old, adult cardiovascular multifactorial risk status (overweight, elevated blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol level, low high-density lipoprotein level, elevated glycated haemoglobin concentration, and low maximum oxygen consumption) was also measured. Socially isolated children were at significant risk of poor adult health compared with nonisolated children (risk ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.61). This association was independent of other well-established childhood risk factors for poor adult health (low childhood socioeconomic status, low childhood IQ, childhood overweight), was not accounted for by health-damaging behaviours (lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse), and was not attributable to greater exposure to stressful life events. In addition, longitudinal findings showed that chronic social isolation across multiple developmental periods had a cumulative, dose-response relationship to poor adult health (risk ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-4.56).

  5. Childhood Bullying Involvement and Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence. PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 2 August 2006, pp. e235-e242
    A community-based cohort of 112 children (aged 6 to 13 years) was asked to self-report on physical, verbal, and relational types of bullying and victimization experienced in the past year. Parents reported on their child's externalizing and internalizing behaviors during the previous 6 months using items from Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist. The frequency of parental experiences of intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization at 2 time points during the preceding 5 years was measured using Conflict Tactics Scale items. The association of intimate partner violence and parent-reported child behavioral problems was examined, followed by exposure to intimate partner violence and child-reported bullying or victimization. Parental risk factors (eg, race/ethnicity, education, problem drinking) that predispose to intimate partner violence were controlled for using propensity score statistical modelling.  Authors found children who were 6 to 13 years of age reported a substantial amount of bullying and victimization; a large majority were bully-victims and female. Regression analyses did not show that children who were exposed to intimate partner violence were more likely to engage in relational bullying. However, children who are exposed to intimate partner violence have a higher likelihood of internalizing behaviours and physical aggression.

Hot reads archive...