Published by The Vanier Institute of the Family

April 1999 Volume 2

Childrens voices: page 3

Get Set for Life: page 6

First years of life

determine
brain wiring
Early conditions affect
thought, emotions
for life, researchers say
By Denise Avard
esearchers have recently found
that long-term exposure to violence and abuse can change the
way the brain is wired in infants and
toddlers.
A child under stress produces a high
level of the fear hormone, called
coritsol, according to Dr. Bruce Perry,
of Baylor College in Texas.
This can make the brain more active,
more trigger happy.
Children from stressful environments

often have attention disorders.

This is just one of many pieces of
research that conclude that the preschool
years are critical to healthy development.
Neuroscientists have new insights into
the mechanisms of brain activity, partly
because of sophisticated research techniques, such as brain scans.
Their findings corroborate evidence
from child development researchers that
the experiences of children in the first
three years shape the way they will function later in life.
Even the experiences of a fetus in
the womb have an impact on later
behaviour.

Research shows that the

first years of life are critical
to healthy development.

See Brain on page 2

Photo by Alexander Molnar, PaperJam

Parenting lessons
a generation apart

Dads shun
bimbo image

By Cathy Campbell

By Cathy Campbell

abies need to cry; it expands their lungs.

Dont feed infants breast milk; formula is a lot more
nutritious.
Try to toilet train a child by his first birthday; if you
dont, its game over.
Todays grandparents were given a lot of parenting advice
when they were tackling the difficult job of raising their
own children. And, like todays parents, they did the best
they could with the information they were given, says Paula
Robeson, director of early child development at the Ottawabased Canadian Institute of Child Health.
But research has found that a number of former parenting
truths dont stand up today, while there are other valuable
lessons that need to be shared.

elevision has made fathers the bimbos of the 90s,

says the director of Dads Can, a national, non-profit
group on fatherhood.
While TVs Supermother runs the house, has a responsible
job and cares for the children, the television Dad is some
ineffectual fool like Homer Simpson or Al Bundy, says
Dr. Neil Campbell, a psychotherapist in London, Ont.
The Washington-based National Fatherhood Initiative
recently monitored more than 100 prime-time sitcoms. It
found that Dad is portrayed as a level-headed, involved
guy in only about 10 per cent of cases, Dr. Campbell says.
In the remainder, hes either absent, or flitting in and out
of family life. Television is devaluing the role of fathers,
Dr. Campbell says.

See Grandparents on page 4

See Fathers on page 5

INSIDE
Brain food: Quality
child care is not a
luxury, its brain food
for the next generation, page 3
On track: A major
national survey tracks
Canadian children,
page 7
Our Top 10 list:
Parents guide to
caring for their offspring and themselves, page 8

Page 2

Brain: No down times in early years

Continued from page 1
The research points to a number of
key findings:
The brain development that takes
place in the womb and in the first year
of life is more rapid and extensive
than once realized. Connections in
the brain are built during the second
half of pregnancy and continue at
tremendous speed until early childhood, says Dr. Graham Chance, chair
of the Ottawa-based Canadian Institute
of Child Health. By the age of three,
children have about 1,000 trillion
neural connections in the brain. The
complexity of the brains wiring
affects future intellectual strengths, as
well as social and emotional behaviour. For example, the more complex
the brains connections, the stronger
the intellect and the more stable social
and emotional behaviour.
Brain development is vulnerable to
environmental influences. The childs
developing brain is put at risk by environmental circumstances, such as second-hand smoke, prenatal alcohol
exposure and contaminants such as
lead, mercury or pesticides. Such compounds can negatively influence the
brains wiring, again, with a life-long
intellectual, social or emotional
effects.

the Vanier Institute

of the Family
with the support of
Health Canada
Myer Horowitz

President

Robert Glossop

Executive Director of
Programs and
Research
Staff

Denise Avard

Editor

Cathy Campbell

Writer
Contact

The Vanier Institute of the Family

94 Centrepointe Drive
Nepean, ON. K2G 6B1
Phone: 613-228-8500
Fax: 613-228-8007
Website: www.vifamily.ca
BN 10816 8337 RT0001
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the official policy
of Health Canada.

The brain develops according to

certain patterns and during critical time
periods.
The 1997 book Our Promise to
Children, edited by Kathleen Guy,
reveals how timing is essential for
proper neural development. For
instance, at around six months of age,
babies make all the sounds used by all
languages spoken around the world (the
babbling phase).
Eventually, however, the babys ability to make all these sounds diminishes.
Babies specialize in the sounds that
occur in the language they hear around
them. Some specialists believe that the
language a baby hears stimulates specific neurons in the brains cortex to
connect.
These neural pathways become well
used and the baby uses them to explore
and eventually master that language.
At the same time, however, other
neurons, which would have been stimulated by sounds from other languages,
are not used and no connections are
made.
Within months, babies begin to lose
the ability to make the sounds that
dont occur in their own language.
Its important to note that its never
too late to help a child learn; however,
it may take longer than when the necessary neural connections are made at the
prime time.
In addition, other sounds, such as
music, stimulate the development of
the brains wiring. In contrast, the
brain of a baby who does not get a lot
of verbal stimulation is negatively
affected. Pictures of the brains cortex
show us how dramatic the impact can
be. Scans show the brain of a baby
who has been deprived of neural stimulation is less active and has developed fewer neural connections than
that of a baby who has been fully
exposed to language.
Sound is clearly not the only stimulant that affects the number of brain
cells and connections. The way a parent looks into a babys eyes, the way
people smile, talk, read, hold and cud-

The contents
of Families & Health
may be reprinted
or used on radio or television
without permission. However,
a credit is requested. In print,
please send a copy to VIF.

Early experiences structure

the brain for adulthood.

dle the baby influence important hormones, which will, in turn, affect the
wiring of the brain. In other words,
sound, touch, smell, taste, cuddles and
smiles all stimulate the development
of the nervous system. In contrast, if
the brain does not have the benefit of
such stimulation in the first few years
of life, then the child will be negatively affected. In experiments, scientists
covered the eyes of primates in the
first few weeks after birth. The result
was permanent, life-long blindness.
It appears that if you dont use it,
you lose it, Dr. Chance says.
Researchers on brain development
say that children are highly influenced
by their parents and other adult caregivers, such as day care workers,
grandparents, teachers everyone
who cares for them. They thrive in
communities that are safe and supportive.
There are no down times in
child development.
See Wiring on page 3

Brain myths and realities

Earlier views
on brain development:
1. Intellectual performance is
based on genetic makeup.
2. The infant is a passive learner.
3. Capacity for learning increases
through childhood.
4. A secure relationship is helpful.
5. Brain activity peaks in the young
adult.
Current views
on brain development:
1. Genes and environment are
interdependent.
2. Early experiences structure the
brain for adulthood.
3. Early interactions determine
brain wiring.
4. Brain growth is not linear but is
maximal in early childhood.
5. Brain activity peaks in early
childhood.
prepared by Dr. Graham Chance,
Canadian Institute of Child Health

Page 3

Good child care is brain food

B.C. groups
Early Years project
targets child-care workers

for parents to read

to their young

ood, afforable day care is

essential brain food for the
next generation, experts say.
Early experiences have a decisive
impact on the architecture of the brain
and the way it functions in adulthood,
says Rima Shore, in her book,
Rethinking the Brain, published by the
Families and Work Institute in the U.S.
At birth, the human brain is in a
remarkably unfinished state, Ms.
Shore says.
Most of its 100 billion neurons are
not yet connected in networks ...
(Connections) are formed as the
growing child experiences the surrounding world and forms attachments
to parents, family members and other
caregivers.
An estimated 1.25 million Canadian
children from newborn to age five are
in non-parental care each week.
And each caregiver will have an
effect on these crucial early experiences.
across North America.
Childhood educators are spreading
A guide book for caregivers, which
the word about
includes the latest brain
the latest
research, has been proWere part of a
research.
duced as part of the
movement across
A project called
Early Years project.
North America.
Early Years,
Gillian Doherty, in her
Theresa Hunter
developed by the
paper Zero to Six: The
University of Victoria
Early Childhood
Basis for School
Educators of British Columbia, is tryReadiness, emphasizes how important
ing to raise awareness of the imporit is that children in their early years
tance of quality child care.
acquire the foundation for such varied
Theresa Hunter, co-ordinator of the
skills as language, but also physical
unit for child-care research at the
skills, ranging from jumping and runUniversity of Victoria, says the Early
ning or holding a pencil.
Years project is part of a movement
In addition, they need to learn social

children?
Parents should read to
kids because kids cant
read themselves. I cant
get to sleep without a
bedtime story. Books
make me feel happy and
they taught me how to play spin the
bottle.
Logan, age 4

Relationships children form

with their families and
adults around them are
important for healthy development.

skills, such as how to trust others or

how to control emotions.
These skills will give a child the necessary tools for school.
Most important for a healthy child
development, however, are the relationships children develop with their
families and with the adults in their
environment.
To purchase a copy of Rethinking the
Brain, contact the Canadian Institute of
Child Health at 613-224-4144.
To find out more about the Early
years project, contact the Early
Childhood Educators of B.C. at
ecebc@direct.ca.

Wiring: The investment phase

According to epidemiologist Dr.
Clyde Hertzman, a medical researcher
at the University of British Columbia,
the period from pre-conception to
age five can be referred to as the
investment phase for child development.
Research now demonstrates that

VOICES
Why is it good

By Denise Avard
and Cathy Campbell

Continued from page 2

CHILDRENS

this period is much more important

than we ever realized before.
Failure to provide optimum conditions for a childs healthy development during this time make the developing brain physically different from
the brains of children who have been
well nurtured.
These differences will have lifelong consequences.

Its a fact
By the age of three, the brains
of children are two and a half
times more active than the
brains of adults and they stay
that way throughout the first
decade of life.
Rethinking the Brain
by Rima Shore

I think parents should

read to their children so
that they learn a lot of
things.They can learn
their ABCs and they learn
a lot of words. I like
reading before I go to bed because it
gives me good dreams.
Brianne, age 8, Grade 2
My Mom reads to my
younger brother, Eric,
because he cant read to
himself and he likes stories. These days you
should ask my Mom why
she likes me to read to her. I like La
Courte Eschelle books. I like big books
with chapters because theyre so much
fun.
Nicholas, age 8, Grade 2
When my parents read
to me it gives me better
imaginations. I like chapter books. My favourite
one is The Wizard of Oz
because its scary and I
like scary things. And it has a lot of
action. I also like picture books
because the pictures give me lots of
ideas.
Haley, age 6, kindergarten
I like to read because
Mom and I like to cuddle.
My favourite books are
the Robert Munsch books
in French and a funny
book called Le petit
garon qui voulait pas manger.
David, age 6, kindergarten

Page 4

Grandparents: We have so much to offer

Continued from page 1
And since many grandparents and
great-grandparents are central to members of the next generation, the Canadian
Institute of Child Health is embarking on
an education campaign that aims to
address grandparents questions.
Research suggests grandparents
should not follow to the letter that dogearred bible of child-rearing Dr.
Benjamin Spocks Baby and Child
Care. Some earlier editions do not take
into consideration some of the latest
findings on child development, including crucial new research on how
babies brains are wired.
The institute is seeking funding to
publish a guide for older adults. The
guide takes them from post-war Baby
Boom beliefs to millennium breakthroughs in brain research and new
thinking on how grandparents and parents can help children get the best start.
Ms. Robeson says that over the past
few decade,s parenting has changed in
the areas of toileting, nutrition, discipline and attachment issues.

Grandparents play a major

role in the nurturing of
children.

Crying
A generation ago, for example, parents were discouraged from responding
to their babys every cry. Formerly,
parents let them cry it out, thinking
they would expand their lungs. They
also wanted to ensure they wouldnt
become spoiled or dependent on us,
Ms. Robeson says. And now were
recognizing that having babies needs
met helps them have this positive environment to grow and develop and actually helps the development of the
childs brain.

Breastfeeding
A generation ago, women were told
that formula was the best food for their
infants.
Clearly, we know that breast feeding
is the best method for feeding infants
and that formula is a distant second,
Ms. Robeson says.
However, she adds, parents did the
best they could with the information
they had at the time.

Toilet training
A generation ago, toilet training a
baby was recommended by the childs
first birthday. If they werent trained
by age one then all was lost, Ms.
Robeson says.

Now, we dont impose it on a child

who is not ready to learn because, at
certain stages, children dont have the
control over their bodies.
What were talking about here are
ways of providing new information to
parents of all generations, Ms.
Robeson says. We want to do this in a
format thats sensitive to the experiences of grandparents and acknowledges the positive
role that they do
play.
The education
campaign aims to
reinforce a lot of the
things that parents
of the last generation have done right
like reading to
their children, for
example.
Parenting practices have changed
as more is discovered through research on the impact
that parenting has on child health and
development, Ms. Robeson says. The
other reality is that many older adults
have a role in the care of their grandchildren their potential to have an

impact on the development of their

grandchildren is quite great.

Former federal Liberal cabinet minister Judy Erola, who retired last year as
head of the Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers Association of Canada,
is a board member of the Canadian
Institute of Child
Health and a grandmother of four.
She says that grandparents have so much
to offer to todays
families.
I think grandparents
of today are going to
have a very real affect,
more than ever, on the
next generation, she
says. Grandparents
today are young, physically active and they are
wealthier ... I think they
have a much greater
role in the nurturing of children.
Ms. Erola supports the institutes
plan to get grandparents and parents
talking about child-rearing, but, she
says, I think its a two-way street.
Very often its easy to poo-poo what

the older generation knew to be true.

I think a lot of these (parenting)
issues, like corporal punishment, are
really serious. I dont believe in spanking
a child. But there are other things, like
wisdom, that grandparents can impart.
Ms. Erola, who lives in Northern
Ontario, says she has concerns about
some of the parenting practices today.
For example, she thinks 90s parents
are signing their children up for too
many activities. Between piano, hockey, Girl Guides and Sunday school ...
theres no time for the kids to goof off
and play.
Ms. Erola says grandparents have a
real role in confidence- building for
children.
And in teaching their own history,
where they come from and who they
are and in helping children know their
own parents. My grandchildren love to
hear stories about their parents when
they were young.
She recently returned from a trip to
visit her grandchildren in the United
States. One of my daughters said if
she wants to know whats going on
with her children, she asks me, Ms.
Erola laughs. I said that I dont tell her
everything because I dont want to
break a confidence.

Page 5

Dads: A culture
of fatherhood
project aims to get fathers more
involved in the lives of their preschool
It (TV) is overlooking the imporchildren.
tance of involved fathering, Dr.
Prospre was proposed by a team of
Campbell says. In Canada, the reality is researchers from the Universit du
that 78 per cent of families have a
Qubec Montral, the public health
father who is on the scene. And yet,
department and Montreal youth centres,
our media image portrays something
says Christine Bolt, former program
different, he says. We need to reco-ordinator.
establish a father ideal.
In both communities, committees of
Dr. Campbell is trying to do just that
local representatives develop specific
through his Dad Classes, prenatal classprojects to respond to the fathers who
es for men.
live there.
Dr. Campbell established Dad
Prospre promotes a culture of
Classes about a decade ago in London.
fatherhood, Ms. Bolt explains.
Since then, he has seen 600 expectant
Posters and pamphlets have been crefathers earn their Dad diplomas.
ated with slogans such as Pre sa
And he hopes to expand the program
manire (Father in his own way) or
to six other centres in Canada within
Pre pas pas (Fathers step by step)
the year.
There have been prenatal classes for
Babies dont come with owners
Dads, a welcome visit to new fathers,
manuals, says Dr. Campbell.
counselling services, breakfast meetMen take Dad Classes to find out
ings for fathers, a father-child vacation
how to be good fathers. They learn to
camp and community events to
recognize a babys different cries, how
strengthen families.
to hold infants, soothe them, talk to
Making fathers more aware of their
them and cuddle them. They also talk
role benefits children, Ms. Bolt says
about the relationships they had with
The project also tries to give fathers
their fathers and how they see their role
recognition for what they are doing
today.
well.
Men take Dad Classes in an effort to
Were trying not to send a message
move more towards the heart of the
that you have to be the perfect guy or
family and away from the sidelines,
the perfect, complete father, Ms. Bolt
where many feel that they have been
says.
placed, Dr. Campbell says.
Were trying not to be too moral or
Dads who take the five-week course
too judgmental ... There are different
have been found to
types of fathers.
exhibit a tendency
This year,
Were
trying
not
to
towards more
researchers from Dads
send a message that Can and Prospre
involvement with
their children
have begun working
you have to be the
touching, talking
together, with the help
perfect father.
and holding, says
of money from Health
Christine Bolt, former program
Dr. Campbell.
Canada.
co-ordinator, Prospre
He has developed
Dads Can and
a manual for the Dad Classes, called
Prospre have expanded a web site on
Coaching into Fatherhood.
fatherhood (www.dadscan.org).
Dads Can is working with the
Prospre researchers are conducting a
Ottawa-based Canadian Institute of
major study of fathering projects across
Child Health to secure funding for its
Canada, and the two groups are orgaplan to publish the manual and expand
nizing a national symposium on fatherits program.
ing, to be held in Montreal next spring.

A community-based project, called

Why is the issue of fatherhood sparkProspre, is under way in the Montreal
ing so much activity right now?
area, where fathers in the rural area of
Several factors are at play, experts
Pointe-Calumet and the urban centre of
say.
Rosemont are the focus of study. The
The first is the dramatic shift in the
Continued from page 1

Fathers are looking for

places to turn as their childraising role broadens.
roles of parents after mothers started
returning to the work force, says
Dianne Rogers, director of child and
family programs at the Canadian
Institute of Child Health.
The job of home management and
raising children is increasingly complex, with two parents balancing the
demands of work with the love and
attention their children need.
The second is the growing problem
of absentee fatherhood.
In the U.S., research shows that by
the year 2000, 50.1 per cent of all children born will grow up in a home without a father eating, sleeping (at home)
or being there, Dr. Campbell says.
Canadian statistics on absentee
fatherhood are much lower than those
in the U.S., but are still high.
Youre looking at the low 20 per
cent range in terms of dadlessness, Dr.
Campbell says.
That translates into about a million
children in Canada with absentee
fathers.
See Dads on page 6

10 + 1 Tips on how
to be an involved father
1.Support and respect the mother of your children.
2.Work together as a team, sharing equally in all child-rearing
tasks.
3.Spend time with your children.
4.Show love and affection
toward your child.
5.Protect your family.
6.Spend time together as
a family.
7.Tell your story.
8.Encourage your place of work
to be father-friendly.
9.Be an example.
10.Recognize that being an
involved father is for life.
+1. Believe in yourself and your
potential to be an active, caring
father. Every child deserves a loving, involved father.
From the Dads Can web site,
www.dadscan.org

Page 6

Dads: Taking
a greater role
Continued from page 5
And finally, fathers are looking for
places to turn for support. Until now,
there have been few resources available.
To compound the problem, many of
todays dads didnt have involved
fathers as role models.
Certainly a child benefits from having both an involved father and an
involved mother and growing up in the
space in between, Dr. Campbell says.

Fathers who do actively involve

themselves in the lives of their children
and the lives of their families are, in
fact, privileged and so are their kids,
says Robert Glossop, executive director
of programs and research at the Vanier
Institute of the Family.
For information about Dads Can or
Prospre, check out the web site at
www.dadscan.org, call the Dads Can
phone line at 1-888-Dads-Can or
e-mail Neil Campbell at
ncampbel@julian.uwo.ca.

Researchers seek
fatherhood projects
Montreal group
to present findings
at national meeting
By Christine Bolt
Universit du Qubec Montral
his spring, researchers at the
Universit du Qubec
Montral are embarking on a
survey of fatherhood projects across
Canada.
It involves an extensive search of all
activities, programs, initiatives and
resources, including one-time events
such as staff training, workshops,
symposia and special days, which support fathers involvement with their
children.
The survey will allow us to publish
a directory of best practices that
will be used to encourage any interest-

ed groups across Canada to promote

the involvement of fathers in their
families.
The directory is to be unveiled at a
national conference on fatherhood to
be held in Montreal next spring.
Across Canada, we appeal to all in
collaborating to identify projects
addressing fatherhood.
It is very important to determine
what sort of information, programs
and tools are available across
Canada.
Contact Christine Bolt, researcher
at the Universit du Qubec
Montral.
Christine Bolt
Fax: 514-987-0405,
E-mail: bolte.christine@uqam.ca
Tel: 514-987-3000,
extension 6614.

Its a fact
Child abuse and neglect occur in every province and territory, in large
cities, small towns and rural areas.
While children of all ages are at risk, those three years old or younger are
most frequently investigated for neglect.
Children 12-15 years old are most frequently investigated for physical
abuse.
Health Canada: Child Abuse and Neglect.
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, February 1997

Preparing
parents, caregivers
to Get Set for Life
National campaign
on parenting
begins May 10 in Halifax
By Cathy Campbell
ew research that concludes that
the preschool years shape the
rest of a childs life has
sparked a national public awareness
campaign to promote good parenting.
Get Set for Life targets parents, relatives, friends and caregivers of children
up to age five.
Led by CBC television, Invest in
Kids Foundation a national nonprofit group that promotes healthy
development of young children, and
Canadian Living magazine, the campaign, which is to be launched in
Halifax on May 10, is a media blitz to
convince Canadians that they have a
role to play in providing a safe, caring
and stimulating environment for young
children.
Get Set for Life is a media promotion and education campaign that really
pitches the message that parenting is
important, says Yvonne Blanchard, a
member of the campaign steering committee and executive-director of the
Nova Scotia Council for the Family.
The program also has resource materials for parents and people who work
with parents and caregivers.
Get Set for Life, which was initiated
by the CBC, wants to spread the message about the latest research on brain
wiring, which shows that the quality of
care that children receive in the early
years affects the way neural connections are made in their brains.
The campaign includes The Zap
Family vignettes, which appear on
CBC during its Saturday morning childrens programming. The 60-second
animated parenting lessons, told
through a family called the Zaps, offer
simple truths about raising children.
The Zap Family members are cartoon characters who dont actually say
anything, but what they do is convey an
educational message to parents and
children, says Jennifer Gillivan, of
CBC in Halifax.

Campaign pitches message

that parenting is important.
A Get Set for Life television special
is also in the works. Campaign organizers have also created posters for doctors offices, colouring books and
videos.
On May 11, Get Set for Life organizers are bringing employers from across
Nova Scotia to a one-day meeting in
Halifax to learn how to make their
workplaces family-friendly.
As well, Get Set for Life will participate in the Kermesse Festival in
Halifax on May 29. The festival, on the
campus of Dalhousie University, is an
88-year-old event that last year attracted 11,000 people. It is a fund-raiser for
the local hospital.
Get Set for Life, which involves
many organizations in Nova Scotia,
will sponsor a childrens concert at the
festival and help with the release of a
new childrens CD.
With the help of Nova Scotia parentresource centres, IWK Grace Hospital
and child-care centres, resource material will be distributed anywhere parents
and caregivers gather.
Get Set for Life is fun, its important and its everybodys business, Ms.
Blanchard says. Sponsors include Bell
Canada, Unilever Canada (Sunlight and
Lipton products) and Health Canada.

Page 7

Massive survey tracks Canadian children

20-year study
expected to reveal effects
of childhood experiences
on later development
By Denise Avard
major survey tracking 23,000
Canadian children, some from
birth to age 25, is helping
researchers determine how childrens
early experiences influence their
growth and development.
Human Resources Development
Canada and Statistics Canada have
been conducting a long-term survey,
called the National Longitudinal Survey
of Children and Youth, which examines the different factors thought to
influence growth and development.
Researchers are expected to conclude
their work in about 20 years.
This survey will help answer many
questions, such as how income, marital
conflict, divorce, custody arrangements,
parental employment, recreational facilities, work environments, child care and
size of school affect the physical, emotional, social and cognitive well-being
of children. It will answer important
questions such as, Can early childhood
predict later success? or, Are we paying enough attention to the needs of
children in Canada?
Psychologists, eductors and parents
have known for a long time how important early experiences are in a childs
life.
However, the precise effects of specific early programs and experiences
are still under debate.
Long-term follow-up studies such as
this one provide the best means of
assessing how children react to different circumstances in their lives and

The national survey will

determine how early experiences affect later success.
what effect these circumstances will
have on their health.
The long-term federal survey will
also help researchers to understand factors such as the effects of family structure and socio-economic status on child
development and the way parents,
teachers, child-care providers and
friends influence a childs life.
And finally, it will help determine
how childrens experiences affect future
health and behaviour.
Most of the information is collected
from parents, teachers and principals,
with children aged 10 and older providing additional data themselves.
Childrens vocabulary, math and reading skills are assessed at different ages.
Politicians from the prime minister
on down have expressed interest in
improving the lot of children and learning about the long-term effects of early
development, however they seem

unclear about how to address many of

these issues.
The survey data have already proven
useful in guiding policy-makers.
Researcher Sarah Connor and Dr.
Lynn McIntyre, dean of the community
health and epidemiology department at
Dalhousie University, studied the use of
tobacco and alcohol by pregnant
women, using the data from the survey.
To their surprise, they found that about
24 per cent of women still smoke during pregnancy and the majority (84 per
cent) do not even attempt to quit while
pregnant.
The health effects of smoking in
pregnancy are well-known. These
include prematurity and low birth
weight with their associated risks to the
newborn.
New evidence has shown that there
are also longer-term risks to children
who are exposed to tobacco smoke dur-

A top 10 list for parents

esearch tells us that the first
three years of life are critical
for a childs development.
Early experiences help determine how a
child thinks, learns and behaves for the
rest of his or her life. Parents and caregivers help ensure the child's brain
develops to its full potential through
loving, nurturing, talking, reading and
playing.
The Canadian Institute of Child
Health is promoting the The First Years

Last Forever initiative, created by the

Families and Work Institute and The
Reiner Foundation in the United States.
Its purpose is to develop awareness of
the importance of early childhood development.
The campaign has 10 guidelines for
healthy development and school readiness.
1. Be warm, loving and responsive.
2. Respond to the child's cues and
clues.

3. Talk, sing and read to your child.

4. Establish routines and
rituals.
5. Encourage safe exploration and
play.
6. Make TV watching selective.
7. Use discipline to teach.
8. Recognize that each child is
unique.
9. Choose quality child care and
stay involved.
10. Take care of yourself.

ing pregnancy, including learning difficulties, Dr. McIntyre says.

In addition, the abuse of alcohol during pregnancy may lead to children
with fetal alcohol syndrome. Often
these children suffer long-term behavioural, developmental, and cognitive
problems.
Dr. Robert Pihl of McGill University
in Montreal used data from the national
survey to show that mothers heavy
drinking has repercussions on older
children.
Children 10 to 11 years of age with
mothers who drank heavily are more
worried about their parents divorcing;
have more trouble getting along with
other kids; are questioned more by the
police; and are more likely to consume
alcohol themselves.
For information about the survey, and
on research findings, visit www.hrdcdrhc.gc.ca/arb/conferences/nlscyconf/

Its a fact
Parents now are splitting up
when their children are
younger. In 87% of the cases,
children under 12 remain with
their mothers when their parents separate; 7 per cent live
with their fathers; and 6 per
cent live in joint custody
arrangements.
CCSD, The Progress of Canadas
Children, 1998

Page 8

Teens learn how to raise healthy babies

Communities rally
behind young parents
to ensure their babies
get a good start
By Cathy Campbell
and Denise Avard
n small communities on
Newfoundlands rugged Port au
Port peninsula, pregnant teenagers
learn how to prepare balanced, nutritious meals in the Healthy Baby Club.
In Calgary, teen mothers visit one of
the citys two infant and toddler centres
to learn about the importance of reading and playing with their children.
These are just some of the many initiatives across Canada that aim to help
teens cope with raising children.
As social attitudes to teen pregnancy
change, the number of teen mothers
who choose to raise their children
themselves has risen sharply. Now,
communities have begun to rally
behind these young parents, to help
ensure they and their children get a
healthy start.
Twenty-five years ago, 80 to 90 per
cent of pregnant teens would give their
babies up for adoption, says Greg
Campbell, executive-director of the
Catholic Family Service of Calgary.
The Catholic Family Service of
Calgary, the Calgary Board of
Education and Calgary Health Services
established infant and toddler centres in
response to this trend.
What were trying to do is teach and
reinforce good skills that help early
childhood development, Mr. Campbell
says.

The number of teens who

choose to raise their children themselves has risen
sharply.
For example, a 15-year-old parent
might ask why its important to read to
a baby who doesnt talk and doesnt
seem to understand a story. The value
of reading only becomes clear after
parents understand how language
develops in babies.
Unless teen mothers have access to
such information, their babies wont
likely start school on the same level as
other children their age. And, when this
happens, for the most part, they never
catch up.
We take the point of view that all of
our programs are providing a platform
for parents to become the best parents
they can be, Mr. Campbell says.
There are 65 children and parents in
Calgarys two infant and toddler centres
each day. The children range in age
from eight weeks to four years. About

380 teen mothers participate in the

activities.
Calgary centres each year.
Ms. Hancock says that the area has
Mr. Campbell says the program is a
one of the highest rates of teen preghuge success.
nancy in Canada, making access to
Eighty-five per cent of our young
such resources all the more urgent.
mothers will breastfeed. Ninety per cent
Health Canadas Community Action
of our kids are developmentally right on
Program for Children provides the Bay
track, which is a pretty good number
St. George committee with $185,000 a
when youre looking at adolescent paryear to fund the family resource centres,
ents. Children who arent on track in
and an additional $40,000 to support the
the preschool years get extra help so that
Healthy Baby Club as part of the
they can catch up.
Canadian Prenatal Nutrition program.
As well, child-care workers with the
The prenatal nutrition program is
Catholic Family Service make home visdesigned to provide food supplements,
its to help young parents. They try to
nutrition counselling, prenatal support
look at the mother and child from a
and lifestyle counselling to low income
holistic point of view. Were not just
pregnant women. The foucs of the
interested in the baby doing well, were
Healthy Baby Club is to improve the
interested in the mother doing well, too, health and well-being of the women
Mr. Campbell says.
and their newborns. There are 274 such
Health Canada provides $495,000 in
projects in 227 communities.
annual funding for the centres and
The Community Action Program for
social-work outreach. Fund-raising and
children, which funds the Calgary initiathe provincial government pays the
tive and the Bay St. George-area
remainder of the centres $850,000
resource centres, reaches children living
annual bill.
in difficult cirIn Bay St.
cumstances. The
Were not just interested focus is on preGeorge, on the
southwest coast of
vention. There
in the baby doing well,
Newfoundland,
are 748 of these
were interested in the
Bernice Hancock
projects in more
mother doing well, too. than 500 comco-ordinates the
Greg Campbell
Community
munities across
Catholic Family service of Calgary.
Action Committee
Canada. Health
for Bay St.
Canada estiGeorge.
mates 28,000
The committee, which is a coalition of
children and parents or caregivers particcommunity groups, operates the Port au
ipate in the programs each week.
Port Healthy Baby Club. It also has 13
In urban and northern communities,
school-based family resource centres
Aboriginal Head Start programs operthroughout the region for children
ate in more than 90 sites. They promote
from newborn to age six. The centres
cultural awareness, language skills,
run playgroups, reading circles, craft
education, physical and emotional
activities and preschools, among other
health of preschool children.

Sources
Fatherhood issues: Dads Can web site: www.dadscan.org or call 1-888Dads-Can.
Zero to Six: The Basis for School Readiness: This paper by Gillian Doherty
presents the results of an extensive review of the curent literature on school
readiness. General inquiries about this paper and other papers published by
the Applied Research Branch should be addressed to
nancy.zalman@spg.org
For information on substance abuse, contact the Canadian Centre on
Substance Abuse (CCSA) Clearninghouse. 75 Albert Street, Suite 300,
Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7. Tel: 613-235-4048, Internet: http:\\www.ccsa.ca

For information on alcohol and pregnancy and for fact sheets on pregnancy and the perinatal period: The Reproductive Health Division, Bureau
of Reproductive and Child Health LCDC Bldg., Tunneys Pasture, Ottawa
Tel: 613-941-2395, Fax: 613-941-9927 e-mail cpss@hcsc.gc.ca. Internet:
http:\\www.hc-sc.ca/hpb/lcdc/brch/repro.html
Welcome to Parenting video: A fun five-part series on healthy child
development (birth to six years) and parenting developed by Health
Canada. To order, contact Family Service Canada, tel: 613-722-9006, fax:
613-722-8610.
For information on a number of early childhood development programs,
contact the Canadian Institute of Child Health. Tel: 613-224-4144, Fax:
613-224-4145, E-mail: cich@igs.net. Internet: http:\\www.cich.ca