Multiple risk factors in young children's development

Abstract

The paper maps out 10 risk factors measuring deficits in parent–child interaction, family–child interaction and the home environment. The prevalence of risk factor combinations is quantified using the UK Millennium Cohort Study data. In 2001, 28 per cent of families with young children were facing two or 2 more risk factors at age 9–10 months old. Each combination of multiple risk factors accounted for a very small proportion of all MCS families. Specific risk factors were associated with particular developmental outcomes at age 5 and with changes from age 3 to age 5, but all leading to worse outcomes. The great diversity of risk-factor combinations and their very small prevalence make the tasks of identifying such families and defining eligibility for support very difficult for policy-makers. These results support the large body of policy literature advocating early intervention to improve children’s development.