How early can you spot a problem child?

WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...
BBC News.

Identity parade? How early to spot trouble?

Can problem children be spotted before they're even born?

Before a child takes its first breath, doctors can respond to health problems.

But could the same be true of behavioural problems? Are tomorrow's anti-social children going to be identifiable before they've even been born? And if that's the case, what can be done to help?

Prime Minister Tony Blair talked today about social exclusion - a topic that last week saw him highlight the need for early intervention to support children identified as most likely to face a troubled future.

The argument is that by the time these children begin school, they can already be on a collision course, which will lead to exclusion from school, anti-social behaviour and criminality.

Research accompanying Mr Blair's speech highlights a pattern of negative development that can escalate from "hyperactivity at two, cruelty to animals at six, shoplifting at 10, burglary at 15, robbery at 20 and eventually spouse assault, child abuse and neglect".

But how early is early enough when it comes to changing the path of a young person's life?

Before birth, according to a project in New Zealand, in which midwives have helped to detect problem families.

Midwife visits

This project has been highlighted by the UK government - and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says that such pre-birth screening could also happen in this country. Read more...