Debate contribution: Children's Year 1 Health Review

Debate contribution by Mr Peter Martin on 10 March 2025.

MLA

Mr Peter Martin

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

10 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Children's Year 1 Health Review

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4841495

Read the official Assembly record

Text

This is an issue in which I have been interested for some time, as it links health and education directly. As mentioned by the Member for Lagan Valley, the first 1,000 days are critical. The first 1,000 days are the time in the womb and post birth. Specifically, it refers to the period until a child turns two, and the child's brain capacity and structure are shaped at an exponential rate during that time. Some 80% of brain development is in the first 1,000 days. It is the period when we notice a child's auditory, visual and learning abilities and when their memory and information processing systems are formed. It is worth highlighting the fact that the first 1,000 days have a lifelong effect on the well-being and health of the child as they grow up. Things such as stress, poverty and violence experienced in the home will have, in many cases, lifelong negative health effects on that baby. That is why the debate is so important. Very often, we talk about early intervention. In fact, not a week has gone by since I joined the Assembly when somebody has not talked about early intervention in the Chamber, and it is great and important that we are talking about it today, but this is early intervention. Short of prenatal care, it is one of the pathways that identify the earliest intervention mechanisms, whether it is health visitors — the crux of the motion that we are debating today — or the midwives who visit shortly after birth and, perhaps, at 14 days. The Minister rightly talks about what he calls "shifting left", and I agree that shifting left is the right thing to do, as long as it pushes earlier and faster interventions. The motion is important because the visits that we are talking about today identify speech and language therapy issues. Speech and language therapists can have profound effects, as long as that therapy is introduced early. They can highlight cognitive development issues, and, as the Member opposite mentioned, provide support and help to young mums. Everyone who has spoken so far in the debate, regardless of political party or affiliation, has agreed that the roles are critical. Even if we leave aside the clear benefits to the child and the family, it makes economic sense. The earlier that issues are identified, the more cost-effective and, usually, more effective the intervention will be. Today, I urge the Minister to address the crux of the motion and the amendment, which we will support. It is to drive down those numbers, not least to give children in Northern Ireland the best possible start in life. If the Assembly is serious about early intervention, that must start when the baby is in the womb. After the baby is born, the next most critical time is the next 700 days. That is why those visits are important, and I ask the Minister to prioritise that area.

493 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:06 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification