Peer-reviewed article
Parental Migration and Early Childhood Development in Rural China
Ai Yue, Yu Ping Bai, Yaojiang Shi, Renfu Luo, Scott Rozelle et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This longitudinal study tracked children aged 6 to 30 months in rural China to examine how parental migration affects early development. The researchers found that when mothers migrated to urban areas for work before children turned 12 months old, it reduced cognitive development by 0.3 standard deviations by age 2. The study suggests this may happen through reduced dietary diversity and fewer stimulating activities, though no effects were found on physical or social-emotional health.
Key points
- Nearly one-quarter of children under age 2 in rural China are left behind by migrating parents
- Maternal migration before age 12 months reduces cognitive development by 0.3 standard deviations at age 2
- Reduced dietary diversity and fewer stimulating activities are potential mechanisms for the negative effect
- No significant effects found on physical health or social-emotional development
- Study used four-wave longitudinal survey from 6 to 30 months of age
Limitations
The study does not clarify whether effects differ by duration or distance of migration, or how outcomes might change as children grow older. It does not examine paternal migration effects separately or the quality of alternative childcare arrangements left behind.
Abstract
Nearly one-quarter of all children under age 2 in China are left behind in the countryside as parents migrate to urban areas for work. We use a four-wave longitudinal survey following young children from 6 to 30 months of age to provide first evidence on the effects of parental migration on development, health, and nutritional outcomes in the critical first stages of life. We find that maternal migration has a negative effect on cognitive development: migration before children reach 12 months of age reduces cognitive development by 0.3 standard deviations at age 2. Possible mechanisms include reduced dietary diversity and engagement in stimulating activities, both known to be causally associated with skill development in early life. We find no effects on other dimensions of physical and social-emotional health.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Parental (maternal) migration to urban areas
- Population
- Children aged 6 to 30 months in rural China, approximately 25% of whom were left behind by migrating parents
Key finding
Maternal migration before age 12 months reduces cognitive development by 0.3 standard deviations at age 2