Posted on: 30 November 2010
A major new report from Growing Up in Ireland – the Infant Cohort, a national study tracking the lives of 11,100 nine-month-old infants and their families was launched by the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews TD on November 29th last. The research report, led by TCD and the ESRI, was launched at the study’s annual research conference and provides a unique insight into the lives of infants in Ireland, presenting in-depth findings across a range of areas including pregnancy and birth, childcare, health and development, and work-family life balance.
In general the report shows that Irish infants are doing well across a range of key areas in their lives including health, emotional and physical development. It does, however, highlight particular concerns in relation to: (i) relatively low breastfeeding rates in Ireland (ii) patterns of smoking and drinking during pregnancy and (iii) inequalities related to socio-economic status of parents.
The findings are based on the first wave of in-depth interviews with the parents of 11,100 nine-month-old infants. These families and children are about to be revisited for a follow-up interview as the children begin turning three years of age to assess how much their lives have changed in the intervening years.
Minister Barry Andrews, Professor James Williams and Professor Sheila Greene.
Key findings from the report include:
A full download of the report and the executive summary can be found online.
Growing Up in Ireland is a Government funded study following the progress of almost 20,000 children in total – a cohort of 11,100 nine-month-olds and a cohort of 8,500 nine-year-olds. The study is being conducted by a consortium of researchers led by Trinity College Dublin and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
Speaking at today’s event, the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews TD said: “I am confident that the findings emerging from this publication will add greatly to the solid evidence base that has been established since the inception of the National Children’s Research Programme back in 2000. It will also prove to be of enormous benefit to both policy makers and practitioners in the valuable work they undertake to improve the lives of children in Ireland.”
Also speaking today, Professor James Williams, Research Professor, ESRI and Principal Investigator and Co-Director, Growing Up in Ireland, said: “This is the first in a series of reports on the Infant Cohort from Growing Up in Ireland. It provides a very complete overview of the situation and circumstances of infants living in Ireland today. A large number of subsequent reports are planned. These and the data underlying these reports will provide an evidence base for developing responsive policies and services for children and their families into the future.”
Today’s report was launched as part of Growing Up in Ireland’s Research Conference 2010, held in Dublin. During the one-day conference researchers presented a range of papers across an array of topics on children and childhood, including health, parenting, education, childcare and time use. They were joined by Keynote Speaker Professor Ann Sanson, Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne and Network Coordinator for the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). Topics addressed at the conference included:
Those wishing to find out more about the study or today’s conference can visit the study’s website.
