Consequences For Child Development Research Articles

Patterns and practices of child labour among mothers in rural and urban areas in Lagos, Nigeria- A comparative study

Background: Child labour is a social phenomenon of global concern with serious consequences for child development, education and well-being. This study compared the pattern, attitude and child labour practices in urban and rural areas of Lagos State.Methods: This was a descriptive comparative cross-sectional study among mothers of children ages 5 to 17 years. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit 400 participants. The data was collected using a pre-tested, standardized questionnaire on child labour for household surveys. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences IBM (SPSS) version 20 software and the level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: Urban mothers were older (43.8± 1.8 years) compared to rural mothers (41.9± 12.7 years), and a higher percentage of urban mothers (52.5%) had secondary education in contrast to rural mothers (25.5%). Child labour was more prevalent among children aged 5 to 10 years in rural areas (55.5%) compared to urban areas (44.5%). Within the past year, 33.8% of urban children and 66.2% of rural children were involved in labour and hawking was the most prevalent work in 31.0% and 69.0% of urban and rural children. The majority of rural child labourers (68.4%) and 31.6% of urban child labourers worked 8 to 10 hours daily, with a statistically significant difference (p <0.001), primarily due to family support.Conclusion: There is a need for increased and continuous awareness campaigns aimed at educating communities, parents, and children about the detrimental effects of child labour on their overall well-being.

Maternal stress in the postpartum period is associated with altered human milk fatty acid composition

Maternal stress in the postpartum period affects not only the mother, but also her newborn child who is at increased risk for a wide range of disorders later in life. The mechanisms underlying transmission of maternal stress to the child remain elusive. Human milk (HM) is a potential candidate and is an important source of fatty acid (FA), which are crucial for child (neuro)development. This study aims to investigate whether maternal psychological and biological stress influences HM FA composition over the first month postpartum. The Amsterdam Mother's Milk study is a prospective cohort study. We included lactating women who delivered at term with a large range of stress levels: a high stress (HS) group, women whose child was hospitalized for a minimum of 2 days (n=23) and a control (CTL) group, women who gave birth to a healthy child (n=73). HM was collected three times a day at postpartum days 10, 17 and 24. Perceived psychological stress was measured using multiple validated questionnaires, while biological stress measures were based on cortisol in hair, saliva and HM. HM FAs were analyzed by gas-chromatography and compared between groups. Maternal perceived stress scores were significantly higher in the HS group (p<0.01), whereas cortisol measurements did not differ between groups. The absolute concentrations of total FA in HM (p=0.023), including the total amount of poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (p=0.022) and omega-6 PUFAs (p=0.018), were lower in the HS group compared to the CTL group. Relative values of FAs did not differ between groups. Maternal stress in the first month postpartum was associated with overall lower levels of FA in HM. This possibly indicates a route of transmission of maternal stress signals to the infant. Future research should investigate if these stress-induced changes in HM FAs have consequences for child development.

Digital Media and Child Development in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Benefits, Disadvantages, and Effective Approaches

The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a resetting, generative, and accelerating force in a changing digital world. To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, social distancing and strict personal hygiene have been implemented in many countries. Many ordinarily crowded places have been closed, including schools and community childcare facilities. School closures have a range of consequences for child development. Distance learning using technology and digital media can provide solutions that enable children to maintain access to learning opportunities. However, digital media and devices can be a double-edged sword. Parents and children need to understand the benefits and disadvantages of these tools, and how to use them more effectively to promote children’s positive experiences, learning, and development in immersive digital environments. Keywords: Digital Media; Electronic media; Child development; COVID-19 Pandemic; Distance learning

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregiver mental health and the child caregiving environment in a low-resource, rural context.

Early child development has been influenced directly and indirectly by the COVID‐19 pandemic, and these effects are exacerbated in contexts of poverty. This study estimates effects of the pandemic and subsequent population lockdowns on mental health, caregiving practices, and freedom of movement among female caregivers of children 6–27 months (50% female), in rural Bangladesh. A cohort (N = 517) was assessed before and during the pandemic (May–June, 2019 and July–September, 2020). Caregivers who experienced more food insecurity and financial loss during the pandemic reported larger increases in depressive symptoms (0.26 SD, 95% CI 0.08–0.44; 0.21 SD, 0.04–0.40) compared to less affected caregivers. Stimulating caregiving and freedom of movement results were inconsistent. Increases in depressive symptoms during the pandemic may have consequences for child development.

Father Involvement During Early Childhood: A Systematic Review of the Literature

AbstractDuring recent years, fathers' involvement has been addressed as a key source of family well‐being and positive child development. However, the pathways to father involvement and its consequences for child development are varied, influenced by social, cultural, and ecological variables, and lack a systematic integration. This paper aims to bridge this gap by offering a systematic review of studies examining the psychosocial processes of father involvement during early childhood over the last 10 years. A database search was performed using a combination of relevant keywords, leading to identification of 3,655 articles, with 109 manuscripts assessed for eligibility, and finally 86 included. Most of the studies examine determinants of father involvement, with an emerging number of studies relying on the father's assessment and longitudinal designs. Nevertheless, the focus on White middle‐class families is dominant, leaving unexplored father involvement in other cultures and contexts. The findings are analyzed aiming to open new avenues for future research.

“AYAH PERGI UNTUK KALIAN!”: FENOMENA YATIM PSIKOLOGIS DI KALANGAN GENERASI MUDA DI KOTA BANDUNG INDONESIA

The fatherless phenomenon (the absence of a father in childcare) and its consequences for child development has become a worldwide problem. Various studies have found that fathers who are absent from the parenting process (educating, caring for, and paying attention to their children) are one of the key factors causing various psychological, cognitive, and social problems in children. This research is a phenomenological study, a qualitative research approach that looks at the similarities of life experiences experienced by a group of individuals. The informants in this study were parents (in the 45-55 age range) of four clients who encounter emotional problems; social interaction; school drop-out, online game addiction; gender dysphoria (inner conflict between physical birth and gender identity felt by sufferers), and pornography. The main objective of this research is to arrive at a description of the nature of the 'Yatim Psikologis' phenomenon or a deep understanding of the situation in Bandung Indonesia. Domain Analyses Method was used to analyze data obtained from four pairs of informants. The results of the study lead to the following conclusions: (1) the fathers’ strong desire to provide a decent life for the family; (2) the fathers’ level of understanding about their role in childcare according to their religion and psychology; (3) the fathers’ or mothers’ readiness in accepting the presence of the child (4), the child’s birth order (4), and (5) the mother's parenting style are the reasons for the fathers’ absence in providing care and at the same time are the factors affecting the psychological condition of troubled young men in this research. Deeper and more focused studies on three scientific aspects: (1) spiritual, (2) the nature of human being, and (3) the psychosocial in the absence of the father theme are highly needed due to the fact that this phenomenon has been scientifically proven to be one of the key factors in weakening younger generation from all aspects.

Childhood maltreatment is associated with changes in mitochondrial bioenergetics in maternal, but not in neonatal immune cells

Childhood maltreatment (CM) comprises experiences of abuse and neglect during childhood. CM causes psychological as well as biological alterations in affected individuals. In humans, it is hardly explored whether these CM consequences can be transmitted directly on a biological level to the next generation. Here, we investigated the associations between maternal CM and mitochondrial bioenergetics (mitochondrial respiration and intracellular mitochondrial density) in immune cells of mothers and compared them with those of their newborns. In n = 102 healthy mother-newborn dyads, maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells and neonatal umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells were collected and cryopreserved shortly after parturition to measure mitochondrial respiration and intracellular mitochondrial density with high-resolution respirometry and spectrophotometric analyses, respectively. Maternal CM was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Maternal and neonatal mitochondrial bioenergetics were quantitatively comparable and positively correlated. Female newborns showed higher mitochondrial respiration compared to male newborns. Maternal CM load was significantly and positively associated with mitochondrial respiration and density in mothers, but not with mitochondrial respiration in newborns. Although maternal and neonatal mitochondrial bioenergetics were positively correlated, maternal CM only had a small effect on mitochondrial density in newborns, which was not significant in this study after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The biological relevance of our finding and its consequences for child development need further investigation in future larger studies. This study reports data on mitochondrial bioenergetics of healthy mother-newborn dyads with varying degrees of CM.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the correlation between maternal and neonatal iron status and haematologic indices.

BackgroundIron deficiency (ID) is the leading single-nutrient deficiency in the world. Anaemia is a common outcome of ID that affects half of pregnancies worldwide with serious consequences for child development. Whether haematologic indices and biomarkers of iron status in pregnant women correlate with those of their neonates is unclear. This systematic review evaluated studies comparing haematologic and iron status indices in pregnant women and their newborns/neonates.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science from database inception until March 2020 for primary studies comparing haematologic and iron status indices between women and their newborns up to 48 h after birth. We summarized the results descriptively and calculated pooled correlation coefficients in mothers and newborns/neonates using the Schmidt-Hunter method. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration number: CRD42018093094).FindingsSixty-five studies were included. Pooled correlation coefficients for biomarkers of iron status in mothers and newborns/neonates were 0.13 (ferritin), 0.42 (hepcidin), 0.30 (serum/plasma iron), 0.09 (transferrin), 0.20 (transferrin saturation), and 0.16 (total iron binding capacity). Pooled correlation coefficients for haematological indices in mothers and newborns/neonates were 0.15 (haemoglobin), 0.15 (haematocrit), 0.25 (mean cell/corpuscular haemoglobin), 0.22 (mean cell/corpuscular volume).InterpretationMaternal biomarkers of iron and haematologic status correlate poorly with those in newborns/neonates. These results underscore a need for alternative approaches to estimate foetal/neonatal iron status and haematological indices.FundingMBO and SLB hold Canada Research Chairs, and grants from the Women and Children's Health Research Institute and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Entre o brincar e a tela: as repercussões no desenvolvimento emocional infantil

O presente artigo objetiva refletir sobre as possíveis repercussões no desenvolvimento emocional infantil quando o brincar ocorre perpassado por dispositivos tecnológicos. Para tanto, realizou-se uma revisão de literatura baseado em autores psicanalíticos. Embora a literatura afirme o ato de brincar como indispensável para a compreensão da constituição psíquica e desenvolvimento emocional infantil, este demonstra estar sendo substituído por dispositivos tecnológicos na contemporaneidade. No entanto, isso não acontece sem consequências para o desenvolvimento infantil, refletindo em aspectos da linguagem, da simbolização, das relações, do faz de conta e da criatividade. Ainda, as implicações no desenvolvimento emocional estão associadas ao modo como estes dispositivos são usados, no que se refere à frequência e mediação parental. O ato de brincar somente via dispositivos não engloba os investimentos afetivos fundamentais para a subjetivação da criança presentes em uma relação. Diante disso e percebendo a carência de informações por parte dos cuidadores principais, torna-se relevante compartilhar os conhecimentos adquiridos a estes para que possam responsabilizar no cuidado à criança juntamente da sociedade.

Understanding Movement into Poverty and Poverty Persistence over Time

ABSTRACTFamily’s financial well-being has significant impacts on child well-being. Movement into poverty and persistence of poverty over time may have significant consequences for child development. Using logistic regression with data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we examined predictors of entry into poverty or poverty persistence over time. Having higher income and working more weeks at child age 3 were associated with lower odds of being in the downward mobility/poverty persistence group. These findings suggest that helping parents gain access to secure employment is critical for movement out of poverty and preventing movement into poverty.

Assessment of a Brief Intervention with Parents to Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome

Abstract Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a form of physical abuse, which may result in serious consequences for child development. Despite its severity, SBS can be prevented through parent training. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief intervention to increase knowledge on SBS with 252 parents. Participants were randomly assigned into two conditions: Experimental Group (EG) and a waiting Control Group (CG). The intervention consisted of exhibition of an educational video and reading a pamphlet on SBS. To measure parental knowledge, the Attitudes towards the Infant Crying Scale was used. An increase in participants’ knowledge about consequences of shaking, caregiver’s wellbeing, caregiver strategies to deal with crying, beliefs about infant care and about characteristics of infant crying were observed in the EG at posttest, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention.

Physical and sociocultural facilitators and barriers to access and utilization of a nutrition program in rural Malawi: a qualitative study

ABSTRACTChildhood stunting holds consequences for child development. A nutrition program delivering small-quantity lipid based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) to children 6-23 months and child feeding messages was implemented in Malawi to reduce stunting. This study sought to understand the facilitators and barriers to program participation using in-depth interviews, pile sorts, direct observations, and focus group discussions with caretakers, village leaders and program volunteers. Perceptions of the LNS were positive, and visible changes in child health contributed to program participation. Conflicting priorities that prevented monthly collection of SQ-LNS and limited knowledge of child feeding messages constituted barriers to program participation.

Los Menores Víctimas de Abuso Sexual en el Proceso Judicial: el Control de la Victimización Secundaria y las Garantías Jurídicas de los Acusados

Child sexual abuse happens quite frequently and has serious consequences for child development. Disclosure of sexual abuse is often delayed; children often avoid telling because they are either afraid of a negative reaction from their relatives or of being harmed by the abuser. Child sexual abuse is often committed in private so there are rarely eyewitnesses and there is no external corroborating evidence. Therefore, in every case of child sexual abuse that goes to trial, it is often the child’s testimony that is the only one or the most crucial part of the prosecution’s case. In this paper several recommendations are proposed to deal with sexual abuse cases in order to improve the quality of children’s testimony, when minors are able to testify in court, and to protect vulnerable children from secondary victimization. At the same time protecting children in the Criminal Justice System must be compatible with the presumption of innocence of the accused. Some suggestions are raised to balance the rights of the accused and of the victim.

From foundling homes to day care: a historical review of childcare in Chile

This article discusses significant changes in childcare policy and practice in Chile. We distinguish four specific periods of childcare history: child abandonment and the creation of foundling homes in the 19th century; efforts to reduce infant mortality and the creation of the health care system in the first half of the 20th century; an increasing focus on inequality and poverty and the consequences for child development in the second half of the 20th century; and, finally, the current focus on children’s social and emotional development. It is concluded that, although Chile has achieved infant mortality and malnutrition rates comparable to those of developed countries, the country bears the mark of a history of inequality and is still unable to fully guarantee the health of children from the poorest sectors of society. Recent initiatives seek to improve this situation and put a strong emphasis on the psychosocial condition of children and their families.

Abuso Sexual Intrafamiliar: Concepções de Profissionais que Atendem Crianças que Foram Vítimas de Abuso

The intrafamilial sexual abuse is a complex phenomenon that causes serious consequences for child development. This work aimed to investigate the views of professionals that work directly with child victims of sexual abuse about this reality. A qualitative study was conducted. The exploratory study included five professionals that work in two state shelters in the city of Porto Alegre. They answer a semi-structured interview, which was identified as they assess the family dynamics of children sexually abused by their(s) family member(s). Interview data were processed through content analysis. The results revealed that professionals have misconceptions regarding the dynamics of intrafamilial sexual abuse, especially with regard to the characteristics of both victim and abuser. Furthermore, they show feelings which may complicate the management of situations they faced. The results show the need for interventions in the direction of care for the caregiver, so that professionals can be accommodated in their distress and strengthened in their professional activities.

Maternal fatty acids in pregnancy, FADS polymorphisms, and child intelligence quotient at 8 y of age

Brain tissue is selectively enriched with highly unsaturated fatty acids (FAs). Altering the maternal FA status in pregnancy may improve fetal neural development with lasting consequences for child development. We explored whether maternal FAs in erythrocytes, either measured directly or indirectly by maternal FADS genetic variants, are associated with child intelligence quotient (IQ). Linear regression analyses, adjusted for 18 confounders, were used to investigate the associations in 2839 mother-child pairs from the population-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort. Low levels of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) were associated with lower performance IQ (-2.0 points; 95% CI: -3.5, -0.6 points; P = 0.007, increased R² = 0.27%), high levels of osbond acid (22:5n-6) were associated with verbal IQ (-1.8 points; 95% CI: -3.2, -0.4 points; P = 0.014, R² = 0.20%), and high levels of adrenic acid (22:4n-6) were associated with verbal IQ (-1.7 points; 95% CI:-3.1, -0.3 points; P = 0.016, R² = 0.19%). There was some evidence to support a negative association of low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) with full-scale IQ (R² = 0.15%). Novel weak associations were also observed for low levels of osbond acid (R² ≤ 0.29%) and FADS variants with opposite effects for intron variants and variants in the promoter region such as rs3834458 (R² ≤ 0.38%). These results support the positive role of maternal arachidonic acid and DHA on fetal neural development, although the effects on child IQ by 8 y of age were small (0.1 SD), with other factors contributing more substantially. The endogenous synthesis of these FAs by FADS genes, especially FADS2, may also be important. The replication of these results is recommended.

Iron Deficiency in Childhood: Causes and Consequences for Child Development

The main causes of iron deficiency (ID) are briefly discussed, followed by the examination of studies of ID and child cognitive and motor development and behaviour for evidence of a causal link, classifying them by study design. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is associated with many psychosocial and economic disadvantages that can affect child development and could explain the frequently demonstrated relationship between IDA and poor development and behavioural differences. There is evidence of changes to brain function in infants with IDA. Many treatment trials lack statistical power due to small samples, including children without ID in the sampling or iron treatment resulting in little or no differences in iron status between placebo and treated groups. In children with IDA under 3 years, randomized trials indicate that iron supplementation is usually beneficial to motor development, but the effect on mental development is inconsistent. Iron supplementation also has a beneficial effect on cognitive function in school-aged children with IDA. Evidence for a threshold level of ID at which child development is affected is inconsistent, but children with IDA are most likely to benefit from iron supplementation. Possible harmful effects of iron supplementation in iron-replete children on growth and morbidity have to be considered when developing programmes and policy.

Epidemiology of co-sleeping and nighttime waking at 12 months in a birth cohort

To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with co-sleeping and nighttime waking among the children of the Pelotas 2004 cohort at 12 months of age. All children born in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil during 2004 were enrolled on a longitudinal study. Mothers were interviewed at delivery and once more at 12 months of age to obtain information on their sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics and on their children's sleep and the environment in which their children sleep. Co-sleeping was defined as habitually sharing the bed with another person. Multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression. The prevalence of co-sleeping at 12 months was 45.8% (95%CI 44.2-47.3). Co-sleeping was more common among mothers with low socioeconomic status, less education, younger mothers, mothers with more previous births and among children who wake at night. The prevalence of nighttime waking was 46.1% (95%CI 44.6-47.7). Nighttime waking was more common among boys and among the offspring of mothers who had had a greater number of previous pregnancies and of mothers who had been employed while pregnant. Co-sleeping and nighttime waking are common among this study population, indicating a need to continue follow-up in order to observe how long these habits persist through childhood and to investigate their consequences for child development and behavior.

Epidemiologia do co-leito e do despertar noturno aos 12 meses de idade em uma coorte de nascimentos

OBJETIVO: Investigar a prevalência e os fatores associados ao co-leito e ao despertar noturno entre as crianças da coorte de Pelotas de 2004, aos 12 meses de idade. MÉTODOS: Todas as crianças nascidas em 2004 em Pelotas (RS) foram incluídas em um estudo longitudinal. Ao nascer e aos 12 meses de idade, as mães foram entrevistadas sobre características sociodemográficas e reprodutivas e sobre o sono e o ambiente em que a criança dorme. Co-leito foi definido como o compartilhamento habitual da cama com outra pessoa. As análises multivariáveis foram realizadas por regressão de Poisson. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de co-leito aos 12 meses foi de 45,8% (IC95% 44,2-47,3). O co-leito foi maior entre as mães de baixo nível socioeconômico, menos escolarizadas, mais jovens, com maior paridade e entre crianças que acordam à noite. A prevalência de despertar noturno foi de 46,1% (IC95% 44,6-47,7). O despertar noturno foi mais freqüente entre os meninos e entre filhos de mães com maior paridade, e menos freqüente entre mães que trabalharam fora durante a gravidez. CONCLUSÃO: O co-leito e o despertar noturno são freqüentes na população estudada, indicando a necessidade de acompanhamento para observar a persistência destes hábitos ao longo da infância e investigar suas conseqüências sobre o comportamento e o desenvolvimento infantis.

Moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy and child development.

On the basis of prospectively collected data from 7,525 pregnancies it was examined whether moderate but daily alcohol consumption during pregnancy has consequences for child development during the first 3 years. The women were taken into the study during the first trimester of pregnancy and were seen every 4 weeks. Some 4.7% (353) of the total stated that they drank moderate quantities of alcohol every day; 275 of the 353 pregnant women stopped drinking during the first trimester of pregnancy or for a time, but 78 did not change their drinking habits in general. About 75% of the children were followed up to their 3rd birthday with examinations at birth, 6 weeks, and 9, 18 and 36 months. It was found that in growth and psychomotor development the exposed children did not differ from the control group. The number of minor and major congenital anomalies was not increased. In general, moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy does not seem to have any markedly adverse influence on the later development of children. However, an upper limit for apparently safe alcohol consumption cannot be given.