Maternal/children programs address issues affecting families, women of reproductive age, infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special healthcare needs. It works to increase state capacity to develop and implement policies and programs that respond to maternal and child health (MCH) challenges and effectively promote state of MCH. It builds opportunities for state health agencies and others to work together to improve maternal and child health

Given the important inequalities in infant, child and maternal health that exist, programs in healthy infant, child and maternal development, as in other public health programs, need to address and work to change the broader community and societal factors that influence child and the mother’s health.

There is now substantial evidence to suggest that development of the foetus, infant and young child – neurologically, physiologically, psychologically and emotionally – plays a significant role in determining their lifelong physical, mental and social health and well-being. As Wadsworth (Wadsworth, 1999) observed

“. . . recent research in child health shows that early life health is, for each child, the basis of health in adult life. Therefore investment in health in early life has beneficial effects, specifically on the future health of a nation as well as on the future functioning of its citizens”

An important Canadian review of early child development (Guy, 1997) examined recent research that showed that “the first few years of life can have a lifelong impact on health, mental ability and coping skills”. Development is influenced by a wide range of factors, including maternal health, nutrition and other health-related behaviour, as influenced by prenatal care; early and ongoing physical, mental and intellectual stimulation of the infant; nutritional quality; the strength of family and social relationships; the quality of the physical environment and other factors. The benefits extend well beyond health to such important societal concerns as readiness and ability to learn; socialization; prevention of violence and crime, and many other issues (Mustard 2002, Keating 1999).

Source: Ministry of Health. A Framework for Core Functions in Public Health, March 2010

Other sources                                                                    

• BC Ministry of Children and Family Development – Early Childhood Development
• UBC Human Early Learning Partnership
• Health Canada – Healthy Babies
• Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development
• The Founders’ Network

Marternal/children program addresses issues affecting families, women of

reproductive age, infants, children, and

adolescents, including those with special

healthcare needs. It works to increase state

capacity to develop and implement policies and

programs that respond to MCH challenges and

effectively promote state MCH. It builds

opportunities for state health agencies and others

to work together to improve maternal and child

health across the nation. Given the important inequalities in infant and child

health that exist, programs in healthy infant and

child development, as in other public health

programs, need to address and work to change the

broader community and societal factors that

influence child health.

There is now substantial evidence to suggest that

development of the foetus, infant and young child

– neurologically, physiologically, psychologically

and emotionally – plays a significant role in

determining their lifelong physical, mental and

social health and well-being. As Wadsworth

(Wadsworth, 1999) observed

“. . . recent research in child health shows that

early life health is, for each child, the basis of

health in adult life. Therefore investment in health

in early life has beneficial effects, specifically on

the future health of a nation as well as on the

future functioning of its citizens”

An important Canadian review of early child

development ( Guy, 1997 ) examined recent research

that showed that “the first few years of life can

have a lifelong impact on health, mental ability and

coping skills”. Development is influenced by a

wide range of factors, including maternal health,

nutrition and other health-related behaviour, as

influenced by prenatal care; early and ongoing

physical, mental and intellectual stimulation of the

infant; nutritional quality; the strength of family and

social relationships; the quality of the physical

environment and other factors. The benefits extend

well beyond health to such important societal

concerns as readiness and ability to learn;

socialization; prevention of violence and crime, and

many other issues (Mustard 2002 , Keating