Public Health Wales jumps on the early intervention bandwagon

"The extent to which trauma in childhood – from a parent’s divorce to a relative’s mental illness or abuse – affects a child’s development and causes problems deep into adult life has been revealed in a landmark study. "

"Being exposed to difficult experiences as a young person alters how children’s brains grow and how their immune and hormone systems develop, the authors found."

"Professor Mark Bellis, director of policy, research and international development at Public Health Wales, believes the future burden on the NHS will be greatly reduced if parents can provide a `safe and nurturing environment` for their children."

He said: "So many of the health problems we see in adults have their roots in childhood."

"By stopping abuse, neglect and other harmful experiences faced by children we could prevent around a third of all high-risk drinking, a quarter of smoking and as much as 60% of violence in adults."

"Public Health Wales, which collaborated with Liverpool John Moores University on the study, claims exposure to ACEs can alter how children’s brains develop and change the development of their immunological and hormonal systems."

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/2000-people-spoke-how-childhood-10734508#ICID=sharebar_twitter


Not that brain damage hypothesis again which has been disputed by neuroscientists !

These ideas are similar to the life course approach and Sir Harry Burns` world vision for early intervention.  See The Scottish Experiment



The Life Course Approach

And no word from Public Health Wales about the abuse of children in care homes in Wales. Or is that not a public health issue ?

It`s strange, that. Because the life chances for those children are dire.