Pediatricians & Healthy Child Development

Charles Bruner, Ph.D., director of the Child and Family Policy Center and HMG National partner, has written a blog post for BUILDing Strong Foundations. In the post, he describes the critical role primary health care practitioners play in the development of young children. "Health Equity, the Triple Aim, and the First Two Years" also discusses the importance of connecting these professionals with other early childhood leaders. “The first two years of life ultimately are the most important ones to ensuring an individual’s health,” he writes. “During this time, the primary health care practitioner is the professional most likely to see and assess the child. She or he is best able also to identify and serve as first responder to conditions that jeopardize healthy development.” Read more here.

Power of Play

Play matters! This month our friends at the Alabama Partnership for Children remind us of the importance of play for young children. Lifelong fitness is something that everyone should aim for, and the best time to learn healthy habits is in early childhood.

Most parents put their children in sports to keep them active, but before doing this there are a few things to consider. Make sure that the activity is age appropriate. Toddlers and preschoolers are still mastering motor skills, so organized sports aren’t designed for them. Supervise and interact with young children while they play indoors or outdoors – it’s important to simply keep them active and safe. When children are old enough for sports (typically around age 6) make sure they enjoy the sport. If a child isn’t having fun with whatever activity she is doing, she probably won’t want to participate in it again.

Share your favorite activities for indoor or outdoor play in the comments! For more ideas for age appropriate play, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic.

Comprehensive Screening - "The Earlier the Better"

Age-appropriate developmental screening and surveillance is a gateway for at risk children to receive services. “The Earlier the Better” is a recent report from the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut which highlights the role of screening as part of a comprehensive approach to school readiness. In the report, we are reminded that identification of delay and subsequent intervention prior to kindergarten saves society between $30,000 and $100,000 per child in academic and social service costs. The report reasserts our understanding that parents are their child’s best caregivers, and that parents are effective and reliable when administering developmental assessments. The authors recommend that all children are screened within an integrated system, screening results are available across services, children are connected to services they need, and all involved providers are engaged in developmental promotion in partnership with families.

Visit http://www.chdi.org/devscreen-IMPACT for the full report and learn what strategies are being implemented in Connecticut.