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Early Child Development

The Canadian Paediatric Society’s early years strategy aims to bring about improvements in systems, policy, and professional practice that affect the health and development of young children.

News

• December 3, 2012 - The key to lifelong health: Invest in the early years

Practice tools & guidelines

• CPS position statement on an enhanced well-baby visit at 18 months
• CPS position statement on monitoring and measurement in early childhood
• Rourke Baby Record: Evidence-based guides for preventive health care, 0 to 5 years
• Read, Speak, Sing: Promoting literacy in the physician's office: CPS position statement with suggestions for incorporating literacy education in clinical settings
• Growth charts: Using the new World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards to monitor children’s growth in Canada
• Position statements on mental health, behaviour and development from the Canadian Paediatric Society

Provincial/territorial and community resources 

• Early childhood development 
• Early literacy

Information for sharing with parents and caregivers

• Your baby’s brain: How parents can support healthy development
• Your child’s development: What to expect
• Attachment: A connection for life
• Growing and learning: Documents on growth, development, and literacy from Caring for Kids, the Canadian Paediatric Society website for parents and caregivers
• Behaviour and parenting: Documents from Caring for Kids, the Canadian Paediatric Society website for parents and caregivers
• Well Beings: A Guide to Health in Child Care, 3rd edition (2008), provides information and best practices for child care centres on early learning and development.
• The Canadian Paediatric Society Guide to Caring for your Child from Birth to Age Five (2009), offers important advice on play, and activity in the early years. 

Advocacy tools

• The promise of the early years: How long should children wait? A commentary by the Canadian Paediatric Society and the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Are We Doing Enough? The CPS status report on public policy and child and youth health rates how governments are doing in many areas that affect the health of young children, including progress toward an enhanced 18-month well-baby visit in all provinces and territories.

Theme issues of Paediatrics & Child Health

• The December 2009 issue of Paediatrics & Child Health is devoted to early childhood development.
• The November 2006 issue of Paediatrics & Child Health is devoted to early literacy.

Related issues

• Early Literacy

Sources and resources

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, Centers for Disease Control, U.S.
• Building Resilience in Young Children: Booklet for parents of children from birth to six years from Best Start
• Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
• Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD)
• Early child development: Royal Society of Canada
• Early Years Study 3:  (McCain, Mustard, McCuaig 2011): Documents the social, economic and scientific rationale for increased investments in early childhood education.
• Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia
• Ontario’s Enhanced 18-month Well-Baby Visit web portal
• Healthy Baby, Healthy Brain, Best Start, Ontario 
• "You are what your genes experience," video presentation by Dr. Clyde Hertzman, 2011

Last updated: Apr 15 2013