Cognitive Development Of Young Children Research Articles

Lifelong exposure to air pollution and cognitive development in young children: the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Evidence about the impact of air pollution on cognitive development of children has been growing but remains inconclusive. To investigate the association of air pollution exposure and the cognitive development of children in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of 13 058–14 614 singleton births, 2000–2002, analysed at age 3, 5 and 7 years for associations between exposure from birth to selected air pollutants and cognitive scores for: School Readiness, Naming Vocabulary (age 3 and 5), Picture Similarity, Pattern Construction (age 5 and 7), Number Skills and Word Reading. Multivariable regression models took account of design stratum, clustering and sampling and attrition weights with adjustment for major risk factors, including age, gender, ethnicity, region, household income, parents’ education, language, siblings and second-hand tobacco smoke. In fully adjusted models, no associations were observed between pollutant exposures and cognitive scores at age 3. At age 5, particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) were associated with lower scores for Naming Vocabulary but no other outcome except for SO2 and Picture Similarity. At age 7, PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 were associated with lower scores for Pattern Construction, SO2 with lower Number Skills and SO2 and ozone with poorer Word Reading scores, but PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 were associated with higher Word Reading scores. Adverse effects of air pollutants represented a deficit of up to around four percentile points in Naming Vocabulary at age 5 for an interquartile range increase in pollutant concentration, which is smaller than the impact of various social determinants of cognitive development. In a study of multiple pollutants and outcomes, we found mixed evidence from this UK-wide cohort study for association between lifetime exposure to air pollutants and cognitive development to age 7 years.

Associations between sleep duration, adiposity indicators, and cognitive development in young children

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the associations between sleep duration, adiposity indicators, and cognitive development in young children. MethodsParticipants were 217 children aged 19–60 months in Canada in the supporting Healthy physical AcTive Childcare setting (HATCH) study. Nap duration and nighttime sleep duration were assessed using a parent questionnaire and were summed up as total sleep duration. Body mass index (BMI) z-scores and weight status were determined using the World Health Organization growth standards. Expressive vocabulary and working memory were assessed using the Early Years Toolbox in preschoolers only (36–60 months; n = 101). Mixed models (BMI z-score, expressive vocabulary) and generalized mixed models (weight status, working memory) were conducted. ResultsA linear association between total sleep duration and BMI z-score (B = −0.12; 95% CI: −0.23, −0.01) were observed. Compared to children having nighttime sleep within ±1SD (9.13–11.13 h/d) of the mean, those having shorter nighttime sleep had higher BMI z-scores (B = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.73) and an increased risk of being overweight (OR = 4.54; 95% CI: 1.39, 14.81). Nap duration was not associated with adiposity indicators. In preschoolers, sleep duration was not associated with expressive vocabulary. Total sleep duration and nap duration were not associated with working memory. However, non-nappers were more likely to have greater working memory (OR = 4.04; 95% CI: 1.09, 14.92) compared to those having nap duration within ±1SD (0.46–2.18 h/d) of the mean. ConclusionPromoting longer total sleep, including more than nine hours of nighttime sleep, appears important for maintaining healthy adiposity levels in young children. Cessation of napping may be associated with better working memory in preschoolers.

The educational effects of children's museums on cognitive development: Empirical evidence based on two samples from Beijing

In the western world, children's museums have a long history and they experienced ever-increasing development in the past few decades. However, China has just started to introduce such museums within recent years. We designed a randomized controlled trial to examine the educational effects of regular visits to a children's museum on young children's cognitive development in China, and it is the first Chinese experimental study for this topic. Based on two samples from Beijing, results indicated that there was a statistically significant effect of young children's museum visits on their cognitive development. The treatment effect was most strong for the total cognitive score: a 14.1 % increase of the pre-score for the control group in the family model. The treatment effect of the kindergarten model was less significant than that of the family model. The educational promise of the children’s museum may indicate the importance of play and informal learning settings for children’s cognitive development in China.

Child hand contamination is associated with subsequent pediatric diarrhea in rural Democratic Republic of the Congo (REDUCE Program).

The Reducing Enteropathy, Undernutrition, and Contamination in the Environment (REDUCE) program focuses on identifying exposure pathways to faecal pathogens for young children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and on developing scalable interventions to reduce faecal contamination from these pathways. A prospective cohort study of 690 participants was conducted to investigate the association between hand, food, and environmental faecal contamination and diarrhoeal disease prevalence among young children in Walungu Territory, South Kivu, DRC. A total of 1923 hand rinse, soil, food, object, surface, stored water and water source samples were collected during unannounced spot checks after baseline enrolment and analysed for Escherichia coli. Caregiver reports of diarrhoea were obtained from children<5years at a 6-month follow-up. E.coli was detected in 73% of child and caregiver hand-rinse samples, 69% of soil samples from child play spaces, 54% of child food samples, 38% of objects and surfaces children were observed putting in their mouths, 74% of stored water samples, and 40% of source water samples. Children<5years with E. coli on their hands had significantly higher odds of diarrhoea at the 6-month follow-up (odds ratio: 2.03 (95% confidence interval: 1.05, 3.92)). The cohort study findings from the REDUCE program have shown that child hand contamination is associated with diarrhoeal disease in rural DRC, and that there is high faecal contamination in child plays spaces and food. These findings provide evidence demonstrating the urgent need to provide clean play spaces for young children and interventions targeting hand hygiene to reduce paediatric exposure to faecal pathogens.

Mediating effects of early childhood programs and high quality home environments on the cognitive development of poor children involved in the child welfare system

Abstract The current study used the data from the National Survey of Children and Adolescents (NSCAW II) to examine the effects of early childhood program (ECE) participation and high-quality home environments on the cognitive outcomes of 16–46 months children (N = 342) living in poverty and investigated by the child welfare system (CWS) for possible child maltreatment. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the direct and indirect pathways from family income to children’s early cognitive development as well as the role of ECE participation and the quality of home environments in mediating the negative effects of poverty on children’s outcomes. The results of the study suggest that poverty affects children’s cognitive development indirectly via the quality of the home environment. Also, poverty was directly linked to the ECE participation of CWS involved children, however the effect of ECE attendance on cognitive development of young children was not confirmed. The findings also show that maternal education is the strongest determinant of the quality of children’s home environment as well as children’s cognitive outcomes. The study findings point to the salience of early home interventions and opportunities for low-income mothers to further their educational attainment.

A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Approach for Language Laterality Assessment in Young Children.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a usable technique to determine hemispheric dominance of language function, but high-quality fMRI images are difficult to acquire in young children. Here we aimed to develop and validate an fMRI approach to reliably determine hemispheric language dominance in young children. We designed two new tasks (story, SR; Letter picture matching, LPM) that aimed to match the interests and the levels of cognitive development of young children. We studied 32 healthy children (6–10 years old, median age 8.7 years) and seven children with epilepsy (7–11 years old, median age 8.6 years) and compared the lateralization index of the new tasks with those of a well-validated task (verb generation, VG) and with clinical measures of hemispheric language dominance. A conclusive assessment of hemispheric dominance (lateralization index ≤-0.2 or ≥0.2) was obtained for 94% of the healthy participants who performed both new tasks. At least one new task provided conclusive language laterality assessment in six out of seven participants with epilepsy. The new tasks may contribute to assessing language laterality in young and preliterate children and may benefit children who are scheduled for surgical treatment of disorders such as epilepsy.

Parental decision-making: infant engagement with smartphones

Smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of life, and as a result, many children are engaging with smartphones beginning in infancy. Little is known regarding the thought processes used by parents in deciding when and how to allow their infants to engage with smartphones. Using a sample of twelve parents with infants younger than one year, this qualitative study examines parental smartphone use, their perspectives regarding use by their young children, and what sources informed their decision-making about allowing their infants to use a smartphone. Results found that the smartphone has become such a common part of everyday life that choices to use a smartphone around, and with, infants has become one that is nearly automatic. These research data showed that most parents are largely unaware of guidelines for childhood screen time provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. Given our current knowledge that smartphone use can have a significant impact on the cognitive development of young children, this topic is an important area of future research.

Permainan Tradisional Betawi untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Kognitif Siswa di TK Mutiara

This research aims to obtain data on improving cognitive abilities through Betawi’s traditional game activities through song. The study was conducted at TK Mutiara Duri Kosambi Cengkareng, West Jakarta and the subject of this research is TK Mutiara B Group children. This study used a class action research method which was carried out with two cycles. Data is obtained from observation instruments, documentary studies and field notes. Observation of pre-cycle measures obtained an average of 53.95%. In cycle 1 the average results of observations 71,042%. Then in the second cycle cognitive ability has increased 18.53%, with an average yield of 89.58%. The results of research conducted at TK Mutiara show that Betawi traditional game activities through song can improve cognitive development of young children. The implications of this study suggest that teachers should implement learning by maximizing play activities. The teacher is also encouraged to be more careful in planning and implementing learning so as to achieve the goals set.

Active Learning Norwegian Preschool(er)s (ACTNOW) - Design of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of Staff Professional Development to Promote Physical Activity, Motor Skills, and Cognition in Preschoolers.

IntroductionThere is a dearth of high-quality evidence on effective, sustainable, and scalable interventions to increase physical activity (PA) and concomitant outcomes in preschoolers. Specifically, there is a need to better understand how the preschool context can be used to increase various types of physically active play to promote holistic child development. The implementation of such interventions requires highly competent preschool staffs, however, the competence in promoting PA is often low. The main aim of the ACTNOW study is therefore to investigate the effects of professional development for preschool staffs on child PA and developmental outcomes.MethodsThe study will be conducted in Norway 2019–2022 and is designed as a two-arm (intervention, control) cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 7- and 18-months follow-ups. We aim to recruit 60 preschools and 1,200 3- to 5-years-old children to provide sufficient power to detect effect sizes (ESs) between 0.20 and 0.30. The intervention is nested within two levels: the preschool and the child. Central to the ACTNOW intervention are opportunities for children to engage in a variety of “enriched,” meaningful, and enjoyable physically active play that supports the development of the whole child. To this end, the main intervention is a 7-month professional development/education module for preschool staff, aimed to provide them with the necessary capacity to deliver four core PA components to the children (moderate-to-vigorous PA, motor-challenging PA, cognitively engaging play, and physically active learning). We will include a range of child-level outcomes, including PA, physical fitness, adiposity, motor skills, socioemotional health, self-regulation, executive function, and learning. At the preschool level, we will describe implementation and adaptation processes using quantitative and qualitative data.DiscussionProfessional development of staff and a whole-child approach that integrates PA with cognitively engaging play and learning activities in the preschool setting may provide a feasible vehicle to enhance both physical and cognitive development in young children. ACTNOW is designed to test this hypothesis to provide a sustainable way to build human capital and provide an early solution to lifelong public health and developmental challenges.Clinical Trial Registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04048967.

ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ РАБОТЫ С РОДИТЕЛЯМИ ДЕТЕЙ РАННЕГО ВОЗРАСТА С ОВЗ ПО ПРЕДУПРЕЖДЕНИЮ И ПРЕОДОЛЕНИЮ НАРУШЕНИЙ ПОЗНАВАТЕЛЬНОГО РАЗВИТИЯ

This article is devoted to the dissemination of experience of specialists of preschool educational institutions for children with disabilities: psychological and defectological services, the organization of effective work with parents of children of early age with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including them in the work of DOU as a full-fledged, competent participants of educational process; the questions of increase of level of pedagogical and psychological literacy of parents in the sensorimotor and cognitive development of young children through practical methods and technologies in accordance with the requirements of the GEF TO the following categories preschoolers: children with disorders of the musculo-skeletal system

Maternal mindfulness training during pregnancy has positive effect on cognitive development of young children

There is evidence that maternal anxiety during pregnancy affects child outcomes. However, there is lack of studies that have evaluated the effects of maternal psychosocial factors during pregnancy on child cognitive outcomes. This study evaluates the effect of the maternal mindfulness training during pregnancy on cognitive development in 5 years old children. In the current study we included 26 women who participated in the maternal mindfulness training during pregnancy. The control group included 26 women who did not participate in this training during pregnancy. When the offspring of the target pregnancies were 5 years of age, their cognitive development was assessed by Lurias's child neuropsychological assessment battery that enables to assess five functional domains, including executive abilities, language, memory, sensorimotor and visuospatial abilities. One-way ANOVA was used to reveal group differences in performing subtests from five functional domains of Luria's battery. We have revealed the significant differences (p < .05) between groups in two functional domains. The children from the experimental group performed better on subtests from language and memory functional domains. These results suggest that maternal mindfulness training during pregnancy may have positive effect on cognitive development of young children, particularly on the development of language and memory abilities in preschool children.

Impact of lifetime exposure to air pollution on cognitive development in young children

Impact of lifetime exposure to air pollution on cognitive development in young children

Reclaiming spaces: child inclusive urban design

ABSTRACTThis paper outlines the role of urban design in the relationship between public space and families with children. The quality of outside play in urban and suburban spaces is crucial for the physical, social and cognitive development of young children. By analysing three important daily living domains – street, green spaces and play spaces – through observations, surveys, workshops and interviews in the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, the paper discusses the increasing need for family- and child-directed consumption spaces in city areas. The data also reflect that though there are processes in place that are progressively contributing towards the inclusion of changing urban lifestyles, concerns on importance of outside play, public green spaces, and safety remain high. It is argued that the role of design along with child-friendly indicators and locally important factors need to be better strengthened when planning future family-friendly city spaces. Initiatives such as co-creative design of public space with children and parents, bottom-up neighbourhood design initiatives (e.g. child friendly routes) are some examples. This paper points out the wider significance of spatial transformation of the city’s needs to accommodate various demographics and requirements.

Prenatal exposure to organophosphate esters and cognitive development in young children in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a class of chemicals commonly used as flame retardants and plasticizers. OPEs are applied to a wide variety of consumer products and have a propensity to leach from these products. Consequently, OPEs are ubiquitous contaminants in many human environments and human exposure is pervasive. Accumulating evidence suggests that OPEs are capable of interfering with childhood cognitive development through both neurologic- and endocrine-mediated mechanisms. However, observational evidence of cognitive effects is limited. We used data collected in the third phase of the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study to investigate cognitive effects of prenatal exposure to OPEs. In a spot prenatal maternal urine sample, we measured the following OPE metabolites: diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl phosphate) (BDCIPP), isopropyl-phenyl phenyl phosphate (ip-PPP), and 1-hydroxyl-2-propyl bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPHIPP). We assessed children's language and multi-faceted and overall cognitive development between two and three years of age using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) and the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). We used linear regression to estimate the change in children's scores on these developmental assessments per interquartile range (IQR) increase in log-transformed, specific-gravity-corrected prenatal OPE metabolite concentrations, adjusted for maternal age, education, income, race/ethnicity, BMI, and child's sex. A total of 149 children had both OPE metabolite measurements and MB-CDI scores, and 227 children had both OPE metabolite measurements and MSEL scores. We observed that higher concentrations of ip-PPP (ng/ml) were associated with lower scores on the MSEL Cognitive Composite Score (β = −2.61; 95% CI: −5.69, 0.46), and separately on two of the four MSEL Scales that comprise the Cognitive Composite, specifically the Fine Motor Scale (β = −3.08; 95% CI: −5.26, −0.91) and the Expressive Language Scale (β = −1.21; 95% CI: −2.91, 0.49). We similarly observed that prenatal ip-PPP concentrations were inversely associated with age-standardized scores on the MB-CDI Vocabulary assessment (β = −1.19; 95% CI: −2.53, 0.16). Other OPE metabolites were not strongly associated with performance on either assessment. Our results suggest that isopropylated triarylphosphate isomers, the presumed parent compounds of ip-PPP, may adversely impact cognitive development, including fine motor skills and early language abilities. Our study contributes to the growing body of observational evidence that suggests prenatal exposure to OPEs may adversely affect cognitive development.

Childhood Metabolic Markers Are Associated with Performance on Cognitive Tasks in Young Children—The Healthy Start Study

A substantial body of literature has implicated metabolic health as a significant contributor to cognitive functioning in adults. However, this has not been investigated among young children whose cognitive functions are still developing. Using data from 4 to 6-year-old healthy children participating in the Healthy Start study, an ongoing pre-birth cohort, we tested the hypothesis that current metabolic parameters (fasting glucose, insulin and Homeostatic Model of Assessment for Insulin Resistance [HOMA-IR] levels) are inversely associated with performance on cognitive tasks, measured via the NIH Toolbox cognition battery. Fully corrected T-scores for inhibitory control (Flanker task), cognitive flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort test), and language (Picture Vocabulary test) were obtained. General linear models were used to test the associations between child metabolic markers and cognitive test scores. All models were stratified by race/ethnicity (n = 53 non-Hispanic white [NHW]; n = 45 others) and adjusted for APGAR scores at birth. Among NHW children, fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR were inversely associated with scores for inhibitory control (β = -3.16, β = -4.46; β = -3.90; p&amp;lt;0.for all), while fasting glucose was also associated with lower language scores (β = -3.88, p&amp;lt;0.05). Among children of other racial/ethnic groups, only fasting glucose was significantly associated with lower cognitive flexibility scores (β = -4.19, p&amp;lt;0.05). Our data suggest that metabolic health may impact cognitive development in young children. Further work is needed to replicate these findings and explore the neural underpinnings of these associations. Disclosure A.L.B. Shapiro: None. G. Wilkening: None. J.R. Tregellas: None. J. Aalborg: None. B. Ringham: None. A.V. Stamatoiu: None. A. Banning: None. D. Dabelea: None.

Shift work, father engagement, and the cognitive development of young children

ABSTRACTThe present study investigates whether the effect of fathers’ positive engagement on young children’s cognitive development is accentuated when one or both dual-earner parents is employed during nonstandard hours. Longitudinal regression models are fitted to three waves of nationally representative data from the Early Child Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Father engagement when children are nine months old has an especially positive effect on children’s cognitive ability at age two when the father works during the day and the mother has a fixed evening or night shift. There are no interactions between shift work and engagement at age two in the whole sample, but subgroup analyses show that engagement has an especially strong effect on children who have a non-parent caregiver if both parents are shift workers. The results highlight the important role fathers play in couples with a shift worker, and provide a rationale for efforts to encourage and support their involvement.

Predictive validity of developmental screening in young children with sickle cell disease: a longitudinal follow-up study.

To assess the predictive validity of developmental screenings in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) for academic outcomes and stroke risk. Parent questionnaires and medical record data were collected for a cohort receiving developmental screenings between September 2004 and May 2008 as toddlers or early school age. Screening outcomes were dichotomized (positive, negative) by a priori criteria. Questionnaires assessed school and social functioning, services received, and quality of life. Medical record data assessed general SCD morbidity and stroke risk. Forty-one toddlers (mean age 2y 5mo; 25 males, 16 females) and 49 early school-age children (mean age 6y 5mo; 26 males, 23 females) completed follow-up. The mean follow-up period was 8 years 6 months (range 6.1-10.8y). For toddlers, positive screenings for language delays predicted lower academic performance (p=0.023). For older children, positive screenings for cognitive delays predicted more frequent academic/attentional problems at school (p<0.001), grade retention (p=0.007), and lower academic performance (p=0.001). Positive screenings were associated with an earlier onset of school problems and lower quality of life. Positive screenings for language/cognitive delays predicted increased stroke risk (both p<0.05). Screening for language or cognitive development in young children with SCD predicts academic outcomes and stroke risk. Developmental screening predicts academic outcomes in sickle cell disease. Children with concerning language/cognitive screenings have early-onset school difficulties. Developmental screenings may help predict cerebrovascular complications.

Parent–Child Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Siblings: Choosing a Coding Strategy

The parent-child interaction strongly influences the emotional, behavioural, and cognitive development of young children. The nature of parent-child interactions differs in families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but research still entails a lot of inconsistencies and there is no consensus as to how these interactions should be coded. The parent-child interaction between sixteen mothers and their child with ASD (M age = 68 months) and a younger sibling without ASD (M age = 48 months) in a within-family study were coded using both a global and frequency coding scheme. Global and frequency codes of the same sample were compared to explore the value of each coding method and how they could complement each other. In addition, each coding method’s ability to detect group differences was evaluated. We found that mothers used an interaction style characterized by more support and structure, and clearer instructions in interaction with their children without ASD. In addition, global rating results suggested that within the ASD group, mothers may adapt their behaviour to the specific abilities of their child. Regarding the evaluation of coding method, results showed overlap between conceptually similar constructs included in both coding schemes. Although frequency coding clearly has its value, more qualitative aspects of the interaction were better captured by global rating scales and global rating was more time efficient. For this purpose, global ratings might be preferable over frequency coding.

Difference or delay? A comparison of Bayley-III Cognition item scores of young children with and without developmental disabilities

The “difference or delay paradigm” focuses on the question of whether children with developmental disabilities (DD) develop in a way that is only delayed, compared to typically developing children, or also qualitatively different. The current study aimed to examine whether qualitative differences exist in cognitive development of young children with and without DD on the basis of item scores on the Dutch Bayley-III Cognition scale. Differential item functioning was identified for 15 of the 91 items. The presence of DD was related to a higher number of Guttman errors, hinting at more deviation in the order of skill development. An interaction between group (i.e., with or without DD) and developmental quotient appeared to predict the number of Guttman errors. DD was related to a higher number of Guttman errors for the whole range of developmental quotients; children with DD with a small developmental quotient had the highest number. Combined, the results mean that qualitative differences in development are not to be excluded, especially in cases of severe developmental disabilities. When using the Bayley-III in daily practice, the possibility needs to be taken into account that the instruments’ assumption of a fixed order in skill development does not hold.

Gifted Education in Preschool: Perceived Barriers and Benefits of Program Development

ABSTRACTSubstantial evidence supports the benefits of quality preschool education for children of all levels and backgrounds. However, early childhood gifted education services rarely exist in preschool centers. This study included 263 preschool centers representing geographic diversity in a southern state in the United States. Narrative data were collected centering on two issues: the barriers to implementation of gifted education services and the potential benefits related to the implementation of gifted education services in preschool centers. Qualitative analyses included constant comparative analyses for data reduction to support thematic inferences. Participants described barriers related to human and capital resources, challenges of implementing gifted education services, and the lack of information about gifted education in preschool settings. Participants articulated benefits in two general categories: educational/developmental and business/marketing. There was some evidence that a small portion of participants were opposed to the implementation of gifted education, but most participants indicated a desire for more responsive education services. This study may help gifted education advocates understand the needs of preschool centers seeking to broaden their services to support cognitive development of young children who are gifted from diverse backgrounds.