FACTORS that influence the health of children across Gwent during their first five years of life have been used to create a unique surveillance project to pick up risks and positive trends.

The system, called Plentyn Gwent Child, is set to be rolled out across Wales to provide a countrywide picture of early years health that can be regularly updated.

It uses a range of information on issues such as poverty, obesity, teenage conceptions, immunisations, infant and child mortality, and health visitor and social worker provision, drawing on a wide range of information gathered by the NHS, through Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and the Public Health Wales Observatory, and councils.

That information has been compared and presented in such a way as to highlight factors that are deemed higher or lower than average in each council area, in terms of their being a risk or a positive influence on child health.

The project has been developed as part of the work of the Public Health Wales Early Years Programme, set up to explore how expertise from a range of areas can be brought together to focus on giving every child a healthy start in life.

Pregnancy to five years is age range covered, with the compilation of maternal health factors and figures being developed to complete the picture.

"This is about information for action to give every child a healthy start. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to work with our partners to produce this tool which will be developed for the rest of Wales next year," said Dr Gill Richardson, executive director of Public Health for the health board.