Early child development
Scotland 2023 to 2024

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides an update on children’s development as assessed during the 13-15 month, 27-30 month, and 4-5 year child health reviews. The latest information presented comes from reviews provided to children becoming eligible for review between April 2023 and March 2024.

Main points

• In 2023/24, 14% of children who received a 13-15 month review, 17% of those at 27-30 month review, and 18% of those at 4-5 year review had a concern noted about at least one area of their development.
• These findings represent a small decrease in the percentage of children with a concern noted about at least one area of development at the 27-30 month review (18% in 2022/23) but increases at the 13-15 month and 4-5 year reviews (12% and 17% respectively in 2022/23).

Line chart showing trend in developmental concerns at the 13-15 month, 27-30 month and 4-5 year reviews

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Percentage with a developmental concern recorded by stage of review

• The most frequently recorded developmental concern varies at each review. Concerns about Gross Motor development were noted at 8%, 3% and 3% of reviews; about Speech, Language and Communication development at 7%, 12% and 8% of reviews, and about Emotional and Behavioural development at 2%, 7% and 10% of reviews at 13-15 months, 27-30 months, and 4-5 years, respectively in 2023/24.
• There are marked and persistent socioeconomic inequalities in the percentage of children recorded as having a concern about their development at each of the reviews. The gap between those living in the most and least deprived areas is greatest at the 27-30 month review (16 percentage points) and smallest at the 13-15 month review (5 percentage points).

Background

Early child development is influenced by both biological factors (such as being born premature) and environmental factors (such as the parenting and opportunities for play and exploration children receive). Problems with early child development are important as they are strongly associated with long-term health, educational, and wider social difficulties.

Detecting developmental problems early provides the best opportunity to support children and families to improve outcomes. There is good evidence that parenting support and enriched early learning opportunities can improve outcomes for children with, or at risk of, developmental delay. There is also increasing evidence that intensive early interventions for children with serious developmental problems can also improve outcomes.

All children in Scotland are offered the child health programme which includes a series of child health reviews, including an assessment of children’s development at 13-15 months, 27-30 months and 4-5 years.  These reviews involve asking parents about their child’s progress, carefully observing the child, and supporting parents to complete a structured questionnaire about the child’s development. At the end of the review Health Visitors record whether they have any concerns about each area of the child’s development.

Information for parents on early child development, and promoting good development, is available through Ready Steady Baby, Ready Steady Toddler, and Parent Club.

Further information

The next release of this publication will be April 2026.