Background: The various maternal and childhood well-being programs have been designed to address childhood malnutrition in India. The levels and the inequality in child nutrition are higher among economically poor and socially backward communities within the state. Objective: To estimate and compare the inequality in child nutrition status across socio-demographic characteristics in the Uttar Pradesh state of India. Methods: Data from the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-4 & NFHS-3) was used for Uttar Pradesh – the most populous state of India. The nutrition status was assessed in terms of undernutrition (weight-forage), stunted (height-for-age), wasted (weight-for-height) and anaemia level. Health inequalities indices, the absolute difference, Ratio, Population Attributed Risk, and Population Associated Fraction were calculated using WHO HEAT 2.0 software. Results: The nutrition and anaemia levels vary according to background characteristics; however, the levels of undernutrition and anaemia among children were high in all groups. The wasting and anaemia levels were higher among younger children, whereas the proportion of underweight and stunted was higher in older children. The inequality indices showed a substantially higher burden of undernutrition among socially backward scheduled castes and tribes, and those residing in rural areas. Conclusion: The study illustrated that despite the declining trend of childhood malnutrition in Uttar Pradesh, the socially backwards have a disproportionately higher burden of malnutrition. There is a need to reassess the ongoing nutritional programs concerning pervasive social inequality in child nutrition and anaemia level.
Purpose Infancy and early childhood are critical stages for the development of both cognitive and socioemotional skills, which are predictive of subsequent academic success, labor market outcomes, and socioeconomic achievement. Empirical research both in China and in other countries has revealed that nurturing quality is increasingly divergent among social classes, leading to intergenerational accumulation of advantage/disadvantage, declining social mobility, and exacerbating class inequality. The article aims to systematically examine existing theoretical and empirical research on early childhood development and social mobility and provide a holistic comparative and analytical framework for future research in the context of China. Design/Approach/Methods This article systematically reviews relevant theories and empirical research in the field and provides preliminary findings of early childhood education investment in China, using the data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Specifically, the article focuses on the differences in early childhood education investment and child development among families of different socioeconomic statuses and discusses the potential impact of these differences on children's future development. Findings The findings of this study reveal distinct patterns in early childhood education investment and child development across diverse socioeconomic strata in China. China's initiatives to enhance children's education and human capital have robust theoretical foundations and timely policy implications. However, despite the ongoing efforts, early childhood parenting and education programs lack systematic research, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention programs and comprehensive databases to inform evidence-based policymaking. Originality/Value The article concludes with a comprehensive analytical framework for the study of early childhood development and social mobility in China, which has implications for promoting human capital investment and facilitating social mobility.
Background: Stunting is a very short body state in children that goes beyond the 2 SD deficit below the child population height.Worldwide stunting affects about 162 million children under five.Indonesia is included in 17 countries that have three nutritional problems in children under five: stunting, wasting, and overweight.This study aimed to investigate the determinants of stunting and child development in children under five.Subjects and Method: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at Mayangan and Jarak Kulon Community Health Centers, Jombang, East Java, in Januari 2018.A total sample of 58 children were selected for this study by fixed exposure sampling.The dependent variables were stunting and child development.The independent variables were birth-length, maternal age, maternal height, maternal education, and family income.The data were collected by questionnaire.Data on birth length was taken from maternal and child record at community health center.The data were analyzed by path analysis model.Results: The likelihood of good child development increased with maternal education (b= 1.08; 95% CI= 0.41 to 1.75; p= 0.001) and decreased with stunting (b= -0.78; 95% CI= -1.46 to -0.10; p=0.025).The risk of stunting decreased with birth-length (b= -0.90; 95% CI= -1.60 to -0.21; p=0.011) and maternal height (b=-0.92;95% CI= -1.69 to -0.16; p=0.018).The risk of stunting increased with maternal age <20 y.0.or ≥35 y.o. at pregnancy (b= 0.73; 95% CI= -0.03 to 1.46; p=0.051).The likelihood of maternal age <20 y.0.or ≥35 y.o. at pregnancy decreased with higher education (b=-0.75;95% CI= -1.44 to -0.06; p=0.033).Birth-length increased with maternal height (b= 1.07; 95% CI= 0.28 to 1.86; p= 0.008) and higher family income (b=0.93;95% CI = 0.29 to 1.57; p=0.004).Birth-length decreased with maternal age <20 y.0.or ≥35 y.o. at pregnancy (b=-0.74;95% CI= -1.48 to -0.01; p=0.047).Conclusion: The likelihood of good child development increases with maternal education and decreases with stunting.The risk of stunting decreases with birth-length and maternal height, and increases with maternal age <20 y.0.or ≥35 y.o. at pregnancy.
Masters Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Vivin Eka Rahmawati, Eti Poncorini Pamungkasari et al.
Stunting is one of the leading public health problems in lower-middle-income countries, including Indonesia. Stunting is a problem of chronic malnutrition caused by insufficient nutritional intake over a long period due to food that does not meet the dietary needs required. Nutritional issues in young children can have serious consequences; according to the World Health Organization, stunting can cause cognitive or intelligence, motor, and verbal development to develop sub-optimally, increase the risk of obesity and other degenerative diseases, increase health costs, and increase the incidence of morbidity and death. This literature review aims to determine the effect of stunting on children's growth and development and the influencing factors. Search for keywords: Stunting, growth, and development of checking in children, children, cognitive and motor skills. The conclusion from the literature review is that there is a significant relationship between stunting influence on motoric development in children, and the factors that cause stunting do not only come from the child but many external factors that influence such as maternal, economic, environmental, and infectious diseases factors and not only that. Feeding patterns are also one of the factors causing stunting in children.
In Thailand, early childhood education for children was guided by variety of philosophies, theories and approaches. Educators considered the ages from birth to six crucial due to the optimal brain growth. This critical period is the prime time for basic skills development. Montessori Method, initiated by Dr. Maria Montessori, is one approach that is proved effective to be used. Dr. Montessori developed this approach by using the scientific method through observation of the young children’s behaviors while working with educational materials. Her teaching and learning method was orderly designed based on her beliefs then forming the principles, objectives, curriculum structure, teaching method, classroom management and assessment. The principles of the Montessori Method have been shown to be globally applicable and to be continued in many different countries. Two cases of the appropriate way to implement the Montessori Method for the early childhood program were proposed in this paper.
OBJECTIVES: Poor early childhood development in low- and middle-income countries is a major public health problem. Efficacy trials have shown the potential of early childhood development interventions but scaling up is costly and challenging. Guidance on effective interventions’ delivery is needed. In an open-label cluster-randomized control trial, we compared the effectiveness of weekly home visits and weekly mother-child group sessions. Both included nutritional education, whose effectiveness was tested separately. METHODS: In Odisha, India, 192 villages were randomly assigned to control, nutritional education, nutritional education and home visiting, or nutritional education and group sessions. Mothers with children aged 7 to 16 months were enrolled (n = 1449). Trained local women ran the two-year interventions, which comprised demonstrations and interactions and targeted improved play and nutrition. Primary outcomes, measured at baseline, midline (12 months), and endline (24 months), were child cognition, language, motor development, growth and morbidity. RESULTS: Home visiting and group sessions had similar positive average (intention-to-treat) impacts on cognition (home visiting: 0.324 SD, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.152 to 0.496, P = .001; group sessions: 0.281 SD, 95% CI: 0.100 to 0.463, P = .007) and language (home visiting: 0.239 SD, 95% CI: 0.072 to 0.407, P = .009; group sessions: 0.302 SD, 95% CI: 0.136 to 0.468, P = .001). Most benefits occurred in the first year. Nutrition-education had no benefit. There were no consistent effects on any other primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Group sessions cost $38 per child per year and were as effective on average as home visiting, which cost $135, implying an increase by a factor of 3.5 in the returns to investment with group sessions, offering a more scalable model. Impacts materialize in the first year, having important design implications.
Sally Grantham‐McGregor, Akanksha Adya, Orazio Attanasio et al.
Objective: This study aims to explore the importance of integrating reproductive health and nutrition as a strategic approach in addressing stunting in Indonesia. Materials & Methods: Using a qualitative study, this research analyzed findings from observation and from various scientific journals, reports of international and national health organizations, and policies related to stunting, reproductive health, and nutrition. The study emphasizes the importance of comprehensive perinatal interventions and supports the strengthening of maternal and child health systems. Findings: The analysis shows that a comprehensive approach that integrates nutrition interventions and reproductive health initiatives can significantly reduce the prevalence of stunting. This approach highlights the importance of adequate nutritional supplementation, quality perinatal health care, and health education programs for expectant mothers. Conclusion: The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of health policies that aim to sustainably reduce stunting rates with a holistic approach that focuses on maternal and child health.
Rahmah Juliani Siregar, Chatarina Suryaningsih, Yeti Trisnawati et al.
The objectives of impact evaluation were to assess the prevalence and impact of nutrition-based supplementation on stunting in children under-five year of age. Baseline and endline surveys on a sub-set of population in 2014 and 2017 were conducted in two districts of Sindh, Pakistan. Children 6–23 months received a daily ration of 50 g/day of lipid based nutrient supplement-medium quality (LNS-MQ). Children aged 24–59 months received a micronutrient powder sachet containing the RDA for 15 micronutrients every alternate day for at least 6 months. 2195 children at baseline and 2923 at endline were included in analysis. A significant reduction of 10% (45% at baseline; 40% at endline; P = 0.003) was observed in the stunting prevalence among children 6–59 months in intervention areas, but only a 2% reduction (52% at baseline; 51% at endline; P = 0.46) was noted in control areas. There was a significant reduction of 8% in the prevalence of underweight in intervention areas (35% at baseline; 32% at endline; P = 0.05) and a 2% reduction in control areas (45% at baseline; 43% at endline; P = 0.44). Reductions in the anemia prevalence in children 6–59 months was significant in intervention and control areas (P < 0.001). There was a significant decrease of 13% in anemia prevalence (88% at baseline; 75% at endline; P < 0.001) in intervention areas. An 11% reduction in the anemia prevalence was observed in children 6–59 months (87% at baseline; 77% at endline; P < 0.001) in control areas. The significant 10% reduction in the stunting prevalence shows the ability of nutrition-based supplementation in achieving nutrition gains in the short term in children 6–59 months through the primary healthcare system. This is an effective method to protect children from stunting caused by food insecurity and limited access to age-appropriate nutritious foods in Pakistan and similar settings. World Food Programme, Pakistan.
Gul Nawaz, Shabina Ariff, Muhammad Atif Habib et al.
This article explores the role of education in early childhood development, emphasizing the importance of early learning in cognitive, social, and emotional growth. It discusses the role of educators, the impact of early education on social equality, and the significance of family involvement in the educational process.
Importance: Although a growing number of studies have reported negative associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with academic performance among school-aged children, less is known about the pandemic's association with early childhood development. Objective: To examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and early childhood development. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study conducted in all accredited nursery centers in a Japanese municipality, baseline surveys of children aged 1 and 3 years (1000 and 922, respectively) were conducted between 2017 and 2019, and participants were followed up for 2 years. Exposure: Children's development was compared at age 3 or 5 years between cohorts that were exposed to the pandemic during the follow-up and a cohort that was not. Main Outcome and Measure: Children's developmental age was measured by nursery teachers using the Kinder Infant Development Scale (KIDS). Data were analyzed between December 8, 2022, and May 6, 2023. Results: A total of 447 children (201 girls [45.0%] and 246 boys [55.0%]) aged 1 year at baseline were followed up to age 3 years, and 440 children (200 girls [45.5%] and 240 boys [54.5%]) aged 3 years at baseline were followed up to age 5 years. During the follow-up, the cohorts that were exposed to the pandemic were 4.39 months behind in development at age 5 compared with the cohort that was not (coefficient, -4.39; 95% credible interval, -7.66 to -1.27). Such a negative association was not observed in development at age 3 years (coefficient, 1.32; 95% credible interval, -0.44 to 3.01). Variations in development were greater during the pandemic than before the pandemic regardless of age. Additionally, the quality of care at nursery centers was positively associated with development at age 3 years during the pandemic (coefficient, 2.01; 95% credible interval, 0.58-3.44), while parental depression appeared to amplify the association between the pandemic and delayed development at age 5 (coefficient of interaction, -2.62; 95% credible interval, -4.80 to -0.49; P = .009). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this study showed an association between exposure to the pandemic and delayed childhood development at age 5 years. Variations in development widened during the pandemic regardless of age. It is important to identify children with developmental delays associated with the pandemic and provide them with support for learning, socialization, physical and mental health, and family support.
