Abstract

DE CASTRO, Filipa et al. Child wellbeing and development indicators in Mexico. Salud pública Méx [online]. 2013, vol.55, suppl.2, pp.S267-S275. ISSN 0036-3634.

Objective. To provide evidence and input for monitoring child welfare and wellbeing in Mexico. Materials and methods. Adjusting for sampling design, information from ENSANUT 2012 for children <10 years was compared with national and international parameters and goals. Results. While 8.37% of infants were born with low birth weight (<2 500 g), neonatal screening was not performed on 9.4% of newborns. Of children <5 years, 78.03% were breastfed until at least four months. Among mothers of newborns, 69.5% received training in early stimulation. At the national level, 28% of children (23% in rural areas) received five medical consultations to monitor their early development. 29% of children either had a disability or were at risk of developing one. Conclusions. Progress has been made in Mexico in terms of services promoting early child development and wellbeing but important challenges persist. National standards and a system for monitoring, screening, referring and providing care for child development and wellbeing are necessary.

Keywords : child wellbeing; health and welfare planning; Mexico.