Child development
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Last reviewed: May 2018
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Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Child development: 4-5 years
This topic is about your four year old. You can always get a view from a hill, and being four is like the first developmental hill from which your child can get a view of a bigger world.
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
Relationships & child development | Raising Children Network
Loving relationships with parents and carers are critical in early child development. These relationships shape the way children see the world. Read more.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Child development: the first five years | Raising Children Network
The first five years of life are critical for child development. Find out how your childs experiences and relationships shape the way your child develops.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Child development at 3-4 years | Raising Children Network
Find out about child development at 3-4 years what your preschooler might be doing, how to help your child develop and signs of developmental delay.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
4-5 years: preschooler development | Raising Children Network
Find out about child development at 4-5 years what your preschooler might be doing, how to help your child develop and signs of developmental delay.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Imaginary friends
Young children can have active imaginations, which may lead to them inventing an imaginary friend. This can help your child develop social skills.
Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website
Premature baby development common concerns | Raising Children Network
Its normal to worry about your premature babys development. Our guide to common concerns about premature baby development can ease your mind.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Reading to your child
Reading out loud regularly to your child is one of the best ways you can help them to do well at school. The more you read, the better – every day, if you can.
Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website
Discipline strategies
Finding the best strategy for disciplining your toddler can take time. Methods such as positive parenting can work well, as toddlers learn best when they feel encouraged and secure.
Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website
Toddlers and lies
Toddlers might lie or fib for a variety for reasons. Learn why your toddler may lie and how you encourage honesty.
Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website
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Working with children/youth
Advice for child protection workers when working with children and young people who have a parent with a mental illness.
Read more on COPMI – Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website
Working with children/youth
Advice and recommendations for general practitioners and doctors who work with children and young people. To help them support youth when they have a parent experiencing mental illness.
Read more on COPMI – Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website
Working with children/youth
Advice for early childhood workers to help you to assist children who have a parent with a mental illness.
Read more on COPMI – Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website
Working with children/youth
Advice and recommendations for community mental health services, when working with children and young people who have a parent with a mental illness.
Read more on COPMI – Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website
Working with children/youth
Advice and recommendations for inpatient mental health workers, when seeing children and young people who have a parent with a mental illness.
Read more on COPMI – Children of Parents with a Mental Illness website
Home-based child development programmes for preschool children from socially disadvantaged families | Cochrane
The early years of a child's life are extremely important in terms of development and growth. Children from a deprived family background are at greater risk of developmental problems and poor health. Parenting and the quality of the home environment can help boost young children's development and reduce the negative consequences of deprivation. The purpose of this review was to look at whether home-based parenting programmes, which aim to improve child development by showing parents how to provide a better quality home environment for their child, are effective in doing so. Seven randomised controlled trials (RCTs) met the inclusion criteria for this review. It was possible to combine the results from four of the seven studies, which showed that children who received the programme did not have better cognitive development than a control group. Socioemotional development was measured in three studies but we could not combine this data to help reach a conclusion about effectiveness. None of the studies measured adverse effects. The quality of the evidence in the studies was difficult to assess due to poor reporting. More high quality research is needed.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Auditory-verbal therapy for promoting spoken language development in children with permanent hearing impairments | Cochrane
Auditory-verbal therapy for promoting spoken language development in children with permanent hearing impairments
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Treatment for epilepsy in pregnant women and the development of the child | Cochrane
For most women who have epilepsy it is important for their health that they continue their medication during pregnancy. Over the last 25 years research has shown that children exposed to these medications in the womb can be at a higher risk of having a birth defect or poorer level of development.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Definitions of childhood trauma and child abuse
Child abuse includes sexual, emotional and physical abuse as well as living with domestic violence in childhood; childhood trauma is a broader term.
Read more on Blue Knot Foundation website
The ways child abuse affects psychological function
Blue Knot Foundation presents six key impact areas on psychological function in adult life resulting from defensive coping mechanisms in childhood.
Read more on Blue Knot Foundation website
