Developmental health and public policy

It is commonly acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding birth and the early years of life have an impact on the learning, behaviour and health of individuals throughout their lives. To help readers to learn more about interventions that support the healthy development of children from birth to five years old, we have compiled this bibliography.

This document aims to open pathways of study to public health actors interested in developmental health and the well-being of children. It is intended as a guide to research, but makes no claim to be exhaustive. The documents (books, journals, etc.) and websites listed (English and French) were selected based on criteria of accessibility, relevance and scientific rigour. Although there are many quality resources for parents or the general public, the resources listed here are more specifically intended for public health professionals and decision makers.

Those interested in developmental health will find references that:

• Facilitate access to existing resources;
• Inform readers about the main theoretical trends in child development;
• Inform readers about the contents of articles or books on child development.

This annotated bibliography, based on a preliminary working document produced by the Saskatchewan Population Health Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU), was supplemented by research carried out by the NCCHPP in 2011-2012.