Contribution to the study of the influence of socio‐economic conditions on the growth and development of the child

Abstract

This article reports on an international collaborative study on early child growth and development which was sponsored by the Centre International de l'Enfance (CIE) in Paris, and was translated from the Center's journal, Courrier. The study was done in child development centers in London, Paris, Zurich, Stockholm and Brussels. All the populations studied included different socio‐economic groups, and the effect of socio‐economic class on mental develop‐ merit, as well as physical growth, was studied. Examinations at the ages of one, 3 and 5 years showed that poor socio‐economic conditions correlated with poor physical growth (height and weight) at one year. This disadvantage of the deprived children remained, but decreased over the years. On the other hand, while there was no difference in mental development of advantaged and disadvantaged children at the age of one, a clear difference became evident at the ages of 3 and 5. The authors conclude that social factors have a considerable influence on mental development, and that this influence increases with age.