Children, Young People and Families
Children and Young People's Health
- Just over 5 out of a thousand babies die before their first birthday in Staffordshire (5.2)
- West Midlands has the highest infant mortality rate and perinatal rate of any English region
- For children aged 1-4 years fire and flames and pedestrian injuries cause the highest death rates
- For children aged 5-14 years pedestrian injuries are the most frequent type of injury causing death
- For adolescents age 15-19 years injuries as vehicle occupants are the most frequent type of injury causing death
- Children living in unfluoridated areas are more likely to have dental decay and to have more teeth affected by it.
Health Inequalities
- The UK has one of the highest levels of child poverty of all industrialised countries and the highest level of child poverty in the EU.
- Disadvantage and poverty have a core impact on the physical, mental and emotional health of children, families and young people.
- Living in poverty has a fundamental impact on family functioning. Research by Ermisch (2001), indicates that children growing up in disadvantaged families are more likely to:
- - Have lower self-esteem
- - Believe that health is a matter of luck
- - Truant
- - Expect to leave at school at 16
- - Have lower educational attainment
- - Be unemployed as adults
- - Experience psychological distress
- Research indicates that children born into poverty are more likely to have low birth weight (which is associated with a range of poor outcomes), and poorer physical and mental health
- There is higher peri-natal, infant and child mortality among the poorest children
In Staffordshire
Low birth weight and infant mortality are important determinants of child health and indicators of health inequalities.
- In East Staffordshire, low birth weight babies make up over 9% of total births. This is higher than the Strategic Health Authority average and the West Midlands comparator.
- Trends in infant mortality in Staffordshire show that the rate is declining in line with national figures. However, there is considerable variation between the districts, with 4 districts, Tamworth, Stafford, Lichfield and Cannock Chase having seen recent increases in infant mortality and are above the national average
- Lichfield and Stafford in particular show a steadily worsening decline
- Teenage pregnancy is a risk factor for both low-birth weight and infant mortality and associated health inequalities in childhood
nb. The numbers of deaths are very small and fluctuate considerably year by year
For more information on infant mortality and child health see the 
Health in Staffordshire 2005 Report
See also www.staffordshirechildrenstrust.org.uk/
National Strategies and Targets
There are national PSA targets to improve child health.
- 'Reduce health inequalities by 10% by 2010 as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth' Department of Health
- 'Reduce the number of children killed or seriously injured by 50% by 2010, compared with the average for 1994-98, tackling the significantly higher incidence in disadvantaged communities'
- By 2010 reduce the number of accidental fire-related deaths in the home by 20% and the number of deliberate fires by 10%
Children have been identified as a priority in numerous policy documents including:
What Is Effective in Reducing Health Inequalities and Promoting Child Health?
Reducing health inequalities for children means targeting the underlying determinants of health, including poverty and socio-economic disadvantage in addition to improving access to health services. This is demonstrated by infant and peri-natal mortality which are associated with social deprivation, infants born to mothers in the most deprived wards in the West Midlands (as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation), have consistently higher infant mortality rates than those living in other areas).
Infant and perinatal mortality are influenced by both the quality of care provided by the health services and by the wider social and environmental determinants of health.
- Stopping smoking in pregnancy and staying stopped post-natally are important to improve foetal growth (infant mortality being attributed to low birth weight), and reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses and infections in infancy and childhood.
- Breastfeeding is also good for babies and helps protect them from infection. Increasing the take-up and duration of breastfeeding, particularly in low income groups, is a key priority for tackling health inequalities.
- A recent assessment of breastfeeding support activity has demonstrated the important role of Sure Start and Children's Centres in promoting and sustaining breastfeeding. These centres also have an important role to play in supporting mothers and fathers in pregnancy and building confidence and parenting skills (Choosing Health for the West Midlands 2006)
- Parenting programmes can both prevent and reverse emotional and behavioural problems. The evidence base (Faculty of Public Health), supports programmes that are:
- - Multi agency and multi-faceted, including behavioural and relationship approaches
- - Situated within the community
- - Run for 10-12 weeks
- - Engaged with parents
- - Linked into other aspects of health and social welfare
- - Universal
- - Group-based
- - Run by trained facilitators
- Health Promoting Schools. A review of the evidence of the impact on schools of the implementation of the national Healthy Schools Standard, drawn from the Ofsted Database of schools in England inspected September 2000 - July 2001 demonstrated that primary and secondary schools involved in the National Healthy Schools Standard were making improvements at a faster rate than schools nationally
Click on the links below to download more information on effective interventions
www.fph.org.uk
www.gos.gov.uk/gowm/PublicHealth/
www.childtrendsdatabank.org/
www.nice.org.uk/
www.nelh.nhs.uk/childhealth/
http://www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk/
http://www.dhg.org.uk/
Last Modified:
20/11/2008 16:38:20
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