We'll address disparities in early years development – and improve people's entire lives
Perinatal health is about more than babies. It's about improving whole lives and striving for better outcomes that have a profound effect from cradle to grave.
We want to spotlight the importance of good infant health and why the building blocks for lifelong emotional health lie in the first 1,001 days of an infant’s life. These first 1,001 days, between conception and age two, shape the health, well-being and life chances of every person.
Neuroscience has shown that the first two years are the most important phase of brain development, and that healthy brains develop when babies have a loving, secure relationship with their principal care-givers. These relationships are the very foundation of our developing emotions. They have a profound impact on our individual social, economic and physical health outcomes. Most babies have a fantastic start in life, but sadly early negative experiences can be all too prevalent.
Research from NHS England suggests that one in five mums and one in 10 dads experience mental health problems during pregnancy and after birth. Pregnancy can often be a trigger for domestic abuse, with between 15 and 30 per cent of domestic violence cases starting during this time.
The impact of these adversities can have a profound effect on an infant, whose healthy social and emotional development depends on loving and consistent care. Without it, problems can occur, ranging from poor mental health to struggling with forming relationships to – in the most extreme cases of neglect or abuse – longer-term problems with violence and substance misuse. There is also a huge economic impact, with poor mental health in children costing between £11,000-£60,000 per child annually, which is left to a variety of agencies to pick up.
Giving every baby the best start in life is an issue we both feel passionately about, and one where we are determined to make a difference. We are working together, with the backing of the Prime Minister, to review previous work done by the inter-ministerial Group on Early Years, chaired by Andrea Leadsom last year. As well as this, Andrea will chair a new group as the Government's Early Years Health Adviser, and will review current support and policy thinking to establish a sustainable range of services for the critical perinatal period.
This work will aim to address how to reduce disparities in low birth weight, social and emotional development in early years, and how to reduce impacts of vulnerability and adverse childhood experiences in this stage of life. It will build on the Government's Prevention Green Paper, which committed to supporting parents and modernising the Healthy Child Programme for those in need. The review's recommendations will seek to support the healthy emotional and physical development of babies through improving support for their families so every child has an opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background.
Advisory panels, made up of leading academics and professionals from the early years sector, will support us in this work. They will also be supported by a separate panel of MPs, and the project will have dedicated support from the Department for Health and the Cabinet Office.
We truly believe that, by providing world-class support in these critical early years, we can create a generation of much healthier, happier, securely attached babies and young people. The coronavirus pandemic has shone a light on some of the stark inequalities in the health of our nation and, just as we need to level up economic opportunity, we need to level up the nation's health and care provision too.
This review forms part of the Government's commitment to helping every child reach their full potential, no matter where they came from or grew up. We want to remove the barriers so that all babies and young children are supported to be ready for school and ready for life.
Protecting the mental health of our nation should begin with babies – and that's what we are both committed to do.
Matt Hancock is the Secretary of State for Health and Social Security; Andrea Leadsom is Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire and the Government's Early Years Health Adviser. This joint op-ed originally appeared in The Telegraph.
