How can you give your baby every chance to grow well? A report by the expert commission on the first 1,000 days, led by neuropsychiatrist Boris Cyrulnik, gives some ideas on how to put in place concrete actions to help parents.
You only have to look at a newborn baby to understand that it is vulnerable and fragile. But even after the first few months, the child has specific needs that need to be met. Science has demonstrated the fundamental nature of the first 1,000 days of a baby's life, this period which extends from the fourth month of pregnancy, when it is still only a fetus, to the child's second birthday. This is when the emotional, relational and psychobiological systems are most open and the child's development takes place most rapidly. Consequently, these years condition the health and well-being of the individual throughout his or her life, so particular attention must be paid to them.
Empowering parents to help their children grow up well
The entry into parenthood is a journey full of obstacles, and while there is no question of questioning the happiness of welcoming a child, it is clear that future parents need to be better accompanied. Up until now, they have had at their disposal to guide them in this difficult task the Bibles of Education, family and friends. Advice is important, but if the environment in which the family evolves is not adapted, it is not easy to apply it with serenity...
It is time for society as a whole to mobilize so that today's children become the healthy, fulfilled adults of tomorrow. This is the aim of the work carried out by a commission of 18 experts specialising in early childhood (neuropsychiatrists, gynecologist-obstetricians, child psychiatrists, psychologists, midwives, university professors), chaired by the neuropsychiatrist Boris Cyrulnik, and launched by the President of the Republic in September 2019. A report on the first 1,000 days has resulted, which recommends a coherent public health discourse and the implementation of political and social actions that give parents adequate resources in terms of time (through the issue of birth leave) and appropriate solutions in terms of location (around childcare facilities for young children).
The recommendations of the committee of experts
The creation of a 1,000-day course, which would include personalized support starting from the fourth month of pregnancy, continuing in the maternity ward and up to the home, and which would be reinforced in the event of fragility (handicaps, psychological disorders or social fragility). This measure would avoid the multiplicity of interlocutors that parents - sometimes worried - have to deal with during pregnancy, in order to have a more coherent discourse and information and a better adapted follow-up.
The generalization of early prenatal interviewing, which today only concerns 28% of pregnancies. This consultation is very important in preparing for pregnancy and is still too often neglected. It allows a health check-up to be carried out, to identify possible risks of pregnancy and to present some useful hygiene measures (food, tobacco, alcohol...).
Increasing the resources of the maternity hospitals and PMIs, so that each of the 500 maternity hospitals in the territory benefits from a close and daily link with the PMI to better support parents. The ideal being to set up systematic home visits.
A reform of parental leave, in the interests of the child's development, but also to combat the loneliness and isolation of mothers. The extension of paternity leave has already been voted, and will be applicable from 1 July 2021. It has been increased from 14 to 28 days, with 7 compulsory days (the report recommended 9 weeks...). A first step which, we hope, will continue!
The generalization and harmonization of the educational project of welcoming children before the age of 3. And with good reason: finding a quality childcare arrangement for their child after birth remains a cause for concern for many parents from the time of pregnancy.
These initial ideas must now be translated into action and are currently being examined by the government. In the meantime, there is no need to panic. Of course, a lot is at stake during the first 1,000 days, but not everything is decided. The events and experiences that will mark your children's trajectories will also have an impact on their lives. Let's keep doing the best we can!
