FIRST STEPS OF EDUCATION IN THE FAMILY – THE POSSIBILITIES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF DEBRECEN

In Hungary, preterm birth is a common issue; approximately 8.000 infants are born preterm each year. At the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Debrecen, our Pediatric Psychology and Psychosomatic Unit work to minimize the risk of neurodevelopmental delay in children born prematurely or in other risk groups. In favour of it, we help families at both the prevention and the intervention levels. Parent education, organization of parent groups, and counselling provide us an opportunity to acquaint parents with the possibilities of using help. The chapter briefly describes the possibilities of prevention (screening tests, diagnostics) and intervention (parent group, music therapy, animal-assisted therapy, sensory integration therapy), the family implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Bayley-III diagnostic and screening test, which is one of the most advanced developmental tools for early prevention. Our approach is that, in favour of healthy and balanced development, the whole family needs to get the appropriate support and care. Supporting and strengthening parental efficiency is an important step by which the parent is able to implement a method of education that takes into account the individual characteristics of the child, by which the child's adaptability, carrying capacity, and social skills develop and strengthen.