The ‘science within’: what matters for child outcomes in the early years

One of the most important foundations for building caring, productive and healthy families and communities is the nurturing of children in early life. For this reason, helping children get a better start is both good for them and good for all of us. The Big Lottery ‘A Better Start’ programme is concerned with the period from conception to three years of age. It aims to improve the nutrition, social and emotional development and language of young children living in disadvantaged communities.

So, how can we achieve the best start in life for every child? We need to begin with the science because this helps us understand how children develop and the factors that affect their development. Science gives us a better sense of what we need to do and why. We have pulled together evidence from a number of fields, highlighting what we now know about the key influences on a child’s early development, how this takes place, and the areas where we can make a difference. We call this framework ‘the science within’.

There are a few things to remember when using it. First, the real world is complex and less predictable than the framework may imply. Second, while there is clear evidence about the factors in early life that are associated with later outcomes for children, none are deterministic: predicting outcomes in children is an inexact science. Third, it is early days for some aspects of the science we have drawn on. The science will continue to develop and change, so we will share our learning with you as new evidence emerges.

Before we describe the science we should briefly tell you about some of our basic assumptions. Humans are instinctively motivated to care for and protect their young and promote their future well-being. This motivation is heightened during pregnancy and when a child is at his or her most dependent in early life. But sometimes it can be missing or frustrated as a result of internal (e.g. mental health) or external (e.g. poverty) factors. We need to connect with the deep motivation of parents and help to activate it where has become deactivated. This requires a broad view: it really does take a village to raise a child.

Next we provide an outline of the science within, followed by a more detailed description.