Researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute and UWA have found that young children with a chronic disease are more likely to fall behind their peers in a wide range of developmental areas.
Researchers used the 2009 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) results to determine children's school readiness. The AEDC measures children on five domains: social, emotional, language and cognitive skills, communication and general knowledge, and physical wellbeing.
The AEDC results of 22,890 West Australian children were linked with hospital and WA Cancer Register data to determine which children had been diagnosed with a chronic disease during early childhood.
Results published today in the journal Pediatrics show children living with an ongoing serious disease were up to 34 per cent more likely to be behind in their development.
This risk level was elevated further for children who had two or more diagnoses, who were up to 85 per cent more likely to be vulnerable or at risk on the AEDC.
Lead author Megan Bell said the study showed that chronic illness experienced in early childhood had the potential to profoundly influence the course of a child's development.
"Early childhood is a period of rapid growth in abilities which form the foundation for future academic success," Ms Bell said.
"If chronic illness interrupts a young child's development, they may start school not ready to learn, and they will struggle to meet the demands of school. We know that, without intervention, children who start school with low levels of school readiness continue to lag behind their peers. Therefore, the effects of chronic illness on development have the potential to be long-lasting, even if the child's health recovers," she said.
"Although the increase in risk we saw in our study was generally small, the fact that these results are being seen at school entry, and are likely to be cumulative over time, highlights the importance of early intervention."
The three most common chronic conditions recorded were infection of the middle ear (chronic otitis media), chronic respiratory disease, and epilepsy. However, no specific disease had a greater impact on development.
"We therefore recommend that eligibility for Early Intervention services is based on a child's functioning, rather than on diagnoses alone," Ms Bell said.
"It is clear that a child with any chronic disease is at risk of falling behind and it is essential that there is support available."
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Available for interview:
Megan Bell, lead author, Telethon Kids Institute
About the AEDC:
The AEDC is a population measure of how young children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school. It is based on the Canadian Early Development Instrument and is completed nationally every three years by teachers on children in their first year of formal schooling (in WA, the year prior to grade one).