A lot of stress in the first 1,000 days, from pregnancy to 2 years, can be harmful for life. Stress early in life due to various factors, such as abuse or long-term instability in a family, often goes unnoticed in the early stages but affects 1 in 8 children. The HEALS (Healthy EArly Life Start) Applied project, led by Menno Reijneveld of the UMCG, aims to detect stress in young children early and support parents where necessary. HEALS Applied combines knowledge on co-creation and stress with the excellent Dutch preventive care during pregnancy and at consultancies, and develops new methods to detect harmful stress early. HEALS Applied thus contributes to the healthy and safe upbringing of children, and provides new knowledge on stress; on sensors and biomarkers; on better support for parents; and on application in preventive care.
In this project, the researchers of the UMCG work closely together with TNO, Radboud Umc, Erasmus University, the universities of Twente and Leuven, Amsterdam Umc, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, Nederlands Centrum voor Jeugdgezondheid and a large number of partners from practice and industry.
The awarded projects focus on questions from society, which form the substantive agenda of the National Science Agenda. The NWA encourages cooperation between various research institutions and other relevant societal partners.
