Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Children exposed to early socioeconomic adversity have a high risk of experiencing psychological difficulties immediately and long-term. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) model postulates negative perinatal (0-18 months) exposures have lasting consequences on development irrespective of later occurrences. Other theories place importance on the accumulation of risk and protective factors across childhood. At least two key questions on the consequences of early socio-economic adversity on child mental health remain unclear: 1) the nature and timing of the relationship between early socioeconomic adversity and later mental health and 2) factors that may provide resilience to certain children faced by early adversity. This project will test whether the perinatal period is a critical sensitive period where socioeconomic adversity durably affects brain and behavioural development. It will compare different measures of socioeconomic adversity (ex: parent income, occupation) as well as the relative importance of adversity during the childhood vs. gestational periods. Finally, it will examine whether institutional supports, such as access to day-care, may help children with an adverse start overcome the odds. High-quality, longitudinal birth cohort data from France (EDEN study, 2002 children), Denmark (DNBC study, 100 000 children) and Canada (QLSCD study, 2120 children) will be analyzed, and results will be compared across the three settings. Results will be of interest to researchers and policy makers. They will help clarify which indicators of early socioeconomic adversity are related to later development; identify sensitive periods in which family-support interventions are important; and pinpoint protective factors which should be promoted to upturn the consequences of early adversity. We hope to make an important contribution to the science aimed at promoting healthy child development and preventing the intergenerational transmission of poverty.