Children of the 21st century
From birth to nine months

About This Book

This book documents the early lives of almost 19,000 children born in the UK at the start of the 21st century, and their families. It is the first time that analysis of data from the hugely important Millennium Cohort Study, a longitudinal study following the progress of the children and their families, has been drawn together in a single volume. The unrivalled data is examined here to address important policy and scientific issues. The book is also the first in a series of publications that will report on the children's lives at different stages of their development. The fascinating range of findings presented here is strengthened by comparison with data on earlier generations. This has enabled the authors to assess the impact of a wide range of policies on the life courses of a new generation, including policies on child health, parenting, childcare and social exclusion. Babies of the new millennium (title tbc) is the product of an exciting collaboration from experts across a wide range of health and social science fields. The result is a unique and authoritative analysis of family life and early childhood in the UK that cuts across old disciplinary boundaries. It is essential reading for academics, students and researchers in the health and social sciences. It will also be a useful resource for policy makers and practitioners who are interested in childhood, child development, child poverty, child health, childcare and family policy.

Author Biography

Shirley Dex is Professor of Longitudinal Social Research at the Institute of Education, University of London. Heather Joshi is Director of the ESRC Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the Institute of Education, University of London and also Director of the Millennium Cohort Study.

Contents

Introduction ~ Shirley Dex and Heather Joshi
Part 1: Children's origins: Financial, social and health circumstances mothers by ethnic origin ~ Hiranthi Jayaweera
Parent health and children's origins ~ Yvonne Kelly, Mel Bartley and Sir Michael Marmot
Housing conditions of Millennium children ~ Gareth Hughes and Kate Smith
Contrasting neighbourhoods ~ Ian Plewis
Part 2: Partnerships, parenthood and households: Parenting in partnerships ~ Lisa Calderwood
Parenting with absent fathers ~ Kate Smith and Kath Kiernan
Part 3: Pregnancy and childbirth: Care and services over childbirth ~ Yvonne Kelly, Macfarlane and Neville Butler
Multiple births ~ Neville Butler, Macfarlane and Yvonne Kelly
Age of motherhoo in the millennium ~ Heather Joshi
Part 4: Children's health and development: Inequalities in birth weight ~ Carol Dezateux, Tim Coles, Rosemary Tate, Helen Bedford and Catherine Peckham
Children's health, development and illness in the first year of life ~ Helen Bedford, Catherine Peckham, Neville Butler, Lucy Foster and Carol Dezateux
Emergence of obesity in children ~ Carol Dezateux, Tim Coles, Lucy Foster, Helen Bedford, Catherine Peckham and Neville Butler
Family environment and children's development ~ Schoon, Hope, Collishaw and Maughan
Part 5: Parents' work and employment: Parent's work-life balance ~ Shirley Dex
Fathers' employment and age of fathers ~ Denise Hawkes
Domestic division of labour/ parental employment ~ Heather Joshi
Part 6: Children's poverty: Child poverty ~ Jonathan Bradshaw and Mayhew
Part 7: Networks and wider family influences: Grandparenting in the Millennium Cohort Study ~ Brannen, Moss and Owen
Transmission of partnership breakdown across generations ~ Kelly Ward
Part 8: Child care arrangements: Child care choices and mother's employment ~ Shirley Dex
Part 9: Technical appendix: Ian Plewis

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