Tracking a child’s first 1,000 days
Theme: Childhood health Panellist: Marilyn Knox, president, Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners What do you see being the biggest challenge facing the GTHA over the next decade?
I would say the health and equity — the differences in health outcomes for people that are prescribed or described by their socio-economic status — we see across the region are something we can actually do something about. Why are the “first 1,000 days” so important to a child’s future health?
The “first 1,000 days” are that critical developmental period that starts from the moment a child is con- ceived, all the way up to age 2. It’s so much easier to lay down healthy lifestyle patterns at the beginning, rather than to try to change lifestyle habits later. Nutrition, physical activity, sleep time, socialization — those things really matter in those early years. How does a family’s socioeconomic status impact the health of their children?
At the prenatal stage, the health status of the mother and the quality of prenatal care she has are fundamental in determining a healthy outcome for her child, such as her health status as she gets pregnant, the quality of her prenatal care, the amount of weight she gains, and her exposure to substances that may not be helpful in child development. For someone in a lower socio-economic situation, there could be challenges. Will she get the rest she needs? Will she have to worry about income? Those are things that matter at birth and all the way through. This interview has been edited and condensed. The 2015 CivicAction Summit — Better City Bootcamp is happening Tuesday. Follow along at two regional satellite locations in Rexdale and Scarborough, through social media, or via an online livestream. For more information, visit CivicAction.ca/summit.