Promoting Global Early Child Development Through Play: Two Sustainable, Effective Models.

Abstract

* Abbreviations: GS — : group sessions HV — : home visiting NE — : nutritional education Investment in early childhood development has been recognized as an effective strategy to improve long-term educational, health, and economic outcomes in children across the world.1,2 As such, research supporting the design of evidence-based sustainable early childhood development programs and public policies is critical. In this issue of Pediatrics , Grantham-McGregor et al3 report on a cluster randomized control trial in which the effectiveness of an early childhood development intervention in Odisha, India, was examined. Following a protocol previously adapted from the Reach Up and Learn program,4 the study authors aimed to compare 2 models for delivering the intervention: mother-child group sessions (GS) and home visiting (HV). In the intervention, researchers sought to support positive parent-child interactions through play. In addition, because of the high prevalence of poor nutrition in this community,4 nutritional education (NE) focused on the child’s diet, and family hygiene practices were also included within the study arms. In this study, 192 villages in Odisha were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: (1) control (not receiving any intervention), (2) NE (40-minute individual home visits), (3) NE + HV (60-minute individual home visits), and (4) NE + GS (90-minute mother-child GS). For 24 months, trained facilitators from the community conducted weekly … Address correspondence to Luciane da Rosa Piccolo, PhD, Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 550 First Ave, New York, NY 10016. E-mail: luciane.darosapiccolo{at}nyulangone.org