Summary

This book provides a good foundation for understanding influences on children's health and development. The volume brings together in a single reference source the world's leading thinkers on children's health and development. It sets out the basic concepts that underpin the study of child development and response to impairments to development, including attachment, changes in brain structure, and resilience. The book explores the idea of life-course development, explaining how experiences at each stage in a person's life shapes his or her future. It goes on to example the relative contribution of societal, neighbourhood, school, family and individual influences to child well-being. This includes a look at the way these forces interact, such as when genes shape environments, and vice versa. The book summarises the evidence on the incidence and consequences of impairments to children's health and development, covering both the majority of typical children and the minority who experience significant problems.