'First 1,000 days' child health plan urged by chief doctor

One in 10 children in Wales may not be getting the help they need to give them a good start in life.

Wales' top doctor has warned it is "too easy" for some babies and young children to fall through the net in getting the best care.

Chief medical officer Dr Ruth Hussey wants a "first 1,000 days plan" from conception to second birthday to reduce future obesity and unhealthy living.

Her final annual report also pointed to a drop in teenage drinking and smoking.

There is increasing evidence that what happens during the first 1,000 days of a child's life can have a big impact on how healthy and happy they are as they grow up and into adulthood.

Dr Hussey, who steps down next spring, wants health boards and other agencies to identify improvements.

She also warned a "significantly higher" proportion of children in Wales are starting school overweight than in England, with the problem much worse in the most disadvantaged communities.

Dr Markus Hesseling, consultant paediatrician at Glan Clywd Hospital, said overweight children were getting "younger and younger" and some parents of healthy children were taking them to clinics believing they are too thin.

"Healthy children are being seen as too thin because there are so many children who are heavier," he told BBC Wales.

The Royal College of Paediatrics member said the responsibility did not only lie with parents and called for a government tax on high sugar and high fat foods.

Dr Hussey's report also found 10% of babies might not be getting access to programmes with health checks and wants midwives to be given time to help mothers who most need it.

"We need to make sure we get to 100% of children, it's too easy for those most in need, who could most benefit, to fall through," she said.

"We want to look at what we could do better in terms of preparing women for pregnancy, helping women to be healthy during pregnancy and helping children develop in the first two years."

CASE STUDY - HEALTHY START IN CARDIFF

Carolyn Asante, is head of Ely and Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff, which combines a nursery school with health workers and parents' groups.

"With education and health, patterns are set for life right at the beginning and all sorts of research tells us we have to get the conditions, attitudes and healthy lifestyles right at the earliest stage," she said.

The chief medical officer's report (PDF).