Early Childhood Stimulation Research Articles

Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Infants of Gestational Diabetic Mother in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one of the most common metabolic complications of pregnancy, with negative influences on maternal and fetal health. Infants of Diabetic Mothers (IDMs) are prone to develop both early and late complications. Evidences shows that diabetes in pregnancy have strong association with long-term adverse effects on brain development in babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus. Very few studies were done in this subcontinent regarding association of gestational diabetes mellitus and infant’s neurodevelopmental outcome. This study will help to find out this associations and thus to reduce poor neurodevelopmental outcome in infants of diabetic mothers by early detection and providing proper early childhood stimulation. Objective: To assess the neurodevelopmental outcome of infants born to mother with gestational diabetes mellitus. Methodology: This prospective observational study was conducted in the department of Neonatology and Institute of Pediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA), BSMMU, from March 2022 to September 2023. Neonates (N= 52) born at or after 34 weeks of gestation and born to gestational diabetic mother were enrolled in this study. Consent was taken from guardians. The newborns fulfilling the inclusion criteria were followed up for neurodevelopmental assessment at their 9 months of age by clinical psychologists assigned from Institute of Pediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA), BSMMU, who were blinded about infant’s diagnosis. Bayley scales of infant and toddler development (BSID III) was used for developmental assessment. In the Bayley III, cognitive development, expressive and receptive language and fine and gross motor development all were evaluated at 9 months of age. All data were recorded in a preformed questionnaire and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25. Results: According to inclusion and exclusion criteria 58 newborn were enrolled and their blood samples were sent at 24 to 48 hours of age to see the laboratory parameters of metabolic and hematological profile. Among them 6 patients lost to follow up, so 52 infants were followed up for neurodevelopmental outcome at 9 months of age. Among the baseline characteristics of mother and neonate 48% mother needed drugs for glycemic control, while others were on dietary modification and 75% of the mothers had good glycemic control. Most of the neonate were born at term and were age appropriate, 18 patients needed NICU admission. Among the neonatal laboratory parameters hyperbilirubinemia was most common (30.8%) and hypoglycemia was second most common found in 15.4% of newborns. The most common morbidity was sepsis (17.3%). Overall adverse neurodevelopmental outcome was found among 14 (26.9%) neonate and 38 (73.1%) neonates had favorable outcome. Use of drugs and poor maternal glycemic control were found statistically significant in between adverse and favorable groups. (p-value- 0.041 and 0.000). Among the neonatal clinical parameters only hypoglycemia was found statistically significant in between these two groups. (p-value- 0.014) Multivariate logistic regression among these predictive factors showed only maternal poor glycemic control was significantly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome (p-value=0.001). Conclusion: Maternal gestational diabetes can adversely affect on their infants neurodevelopment. Among the adverse outcome of three domains language delay was most common. Neonatal hypoglycemia, maternal poor glycemic control and use of drugs for GDM are significant predictors of adverse neurodevelopmental outcome in infants of gestational diabetic mother. Among them maternal poor glycemic control was significantly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome.

Positive impacts on child development of a home visiting program in Santiago del Estero, Argentina (2022–2023)

The present paper evaluates the impact of a home visiting program aimed at training mothers in aspects of stimulation of their 0–3-year-old children in contexts of social vulnerability in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. This program was carried out by the Asociación Civil Haciendo Camino (ACHC) with mothers participating in the program who were trained and supervised by health professionals within the framework of a comprehensive intervention. The evaluation was conducted through a difference-in-differences (DiD) method between a treatment group and a control group and two measurements over time with a six-month lapse of intervention. The measurements were made with the tool Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3), which assesses five areas of child development. In addition, sociodemographic, socioeconomic and parenting aspects were surveyed to estimate heterogeneous effects. The results of the present study indicate that the program achieved positive and significant effects in three areas of child development (communication, fine motor skills and problem solving), and positive but not significant effects in two other areas (gross motor skills and personal-social development). Among the positive heterogeneous effects, the increase in the child’s age and the mother’s age in different dimensions of development under the effects of the reference program stand out. These results add evidence on the relevance of early childhood stimulation programs in contexts of social vulnerability.

The Role of Fathers in Promoting Early Childhood Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of the Evidence

Abstract The role of fathers in parenting young children differs dramatically across societies. Policymakers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly focused on increasing the amount of early childhood stimulation and other investments received by young children in an attempt to increase human capital accumulation, promote school readiness, and improve long-run outcomes. Until recently, few interventions targeted fathers, and most impact evaluations implicitly assumed that fathers played no meaningful role in parenting. We survey the emerging literature on fathers’ involvement in early childhood stimulation and parenting in LMICs and summarize the patterns of results from rigorous impact evaluations. We find that fathers spend less time stimulating their children's development than do mothers or other adults who live in the same households in almost every country in our sample, and that mothers’ and fathers’ investments are positively associated. We also find evidence that fathers’ take-up of parent training programs tends to be low, but that such programs have had effects on changing fathers’ knowledge and—to a lesser degree—behaviors.

Analysis of Parents' Knowledge and Behaviour in Providing Developmental Stimulation Early Childhood

Early childhood is a time when almost all of the child's potential is experiencing a sensitive period to grow and develop rapidly and violently. This growth and development are influenced by nutritious and balanced food intake and intensive stimulation by parents. If children are given intensive stimulation from their environment, especially in the family, then children will be able to undergo their developmental tasks well. This study aims to analyse parents' knowledge and behaviour in providing early childhood development stimulation. This study used a descriptive correlational design with a cross sectional approach conducted at RA Qurrota A'yun Kepanjen Malang Regency East Java Indonesia in 2023 which was attended by 56 respondents. The result of this study is that there is a relationship between knowledge and parental behaviour in providing developmental stimulation in early childhood with a p value of 0.003 and a relationship strength of 0.390 which reflects that the strength of the relationship is quite strong and positive.

PENGARUH BERMAIN MERONCE TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN MOTORIK HALUS PADA ANAK USIA 4-5 TAHUN KELOMPOK A KECIL DI TK BAITUL MAKMUR KOTA MALANG

The golden age of childhood is characterised by an era of fast physical and psychological development, during which the kid becomes sensitive to environmental cues and educational initiatives made both purposefully and inadvertently. Play activities like tying are one way to enhance early childhood stimulation development. To determine the effect of playing tying on fine motor development in early childhood. Research MethodeThis study's pre-experimental approach and one group pre-posttest design were employed in its design. A tiny number of people made up the study's population. a total of 20 responders, ages 4-5, at Baitul Makmur Kindergarten in Malang City. Purposive sampling was used in this study to create a sample of 18 respondents. An STPPA-style observation sheet was the instrument utilised in this investigation. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyse the data, which SPSS 16 was used to process. The Wilcoxon test research results indicate that the p value ? ? (0.05) is 0.000 <0.05, indicating the acceptance of H1 and the rejection of H0. This suggests that playing meronce has an impact on the development of fine motor skills in children between the ages of 4-5 years. Conclusion: Based on this study, it can be said that playing merging has an impact on the fine motor development of kids in small group A at Baitul Makmur Kindergarten in Malang City who are between the ages of 4 and 5.”

"The Early Years are Like a Foundation for the Future" Perspectives, Facilitators, and Challenges of Anganwadi Workers in Supporting Early Child Development Interventions in Hyderabad, India: Qualitative Findings from a Scalable Program Incorporating Early Child Development Interventions.

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, a large public health program, addresses the needs of young children with Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) as frontline agents of delivery. A scalable program incorporating early child development interventions (ASPIRE) has been developed to complement the program and address some of its gaps. This paper describes formative work done with AWWs, as part of ASPIRE to assess their understanding of early childhood development (ECD) and acceptability of a novel ECD intervention using digital technology. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 31 AWWs, using a semi-structured guide. Framework analysis of their responses from FGDs led to the identification of three themes: (1) time use, (2) understanding of ECD, and (3) delivering messages using videos. The findings suggest that AWWs tight schedules often leave them feeling overburdened with work. They are aware of factors that can aid as well as hinder child growth and development, but their understanding of play is limited to games played by older children. They expressed acceptability in using a video intervention, specifying features that would increase relevance for families. Integration of novel ECD interventions delivered by frontline workers needs to take into account their existing work schedules and associated challenges. Training on ECD interventions will need to broaden AWWs understanding of the critical foundational experiences which responsive caregiving and early child stimulation can provide.

Early Childhood Stimulation in Toddler Twins : a Case Study

Background : The critical period for children occurs between the ages of 6-24 months. This age group is a period of crucial growth and potential failure to thrive, especially in twins. Stimulation activities such as singing, storytelling, and playing can optimize children's development. Objective: This study aims to describe nursing care by providing early childhood stimulation to twins. Methods: This research was conducted using a case study approach, observing changes in children's behavior during early childhood stimulation interventions. Results: After providing developmental stimuli such as singing, playing, and storytelling for 3 days, it was found that the child's development had changed. Children who initially did not respond now responded, those who were initially passive were now able to follow commands, and there was improvement in the pronunciation of words. Conclusion: This study provides evidence to support the importance of stimulating children's development from an early age. Community nurses are advised to educate mothers in their work area on how to stimulate growth and development to prevent developmental delays or failure to thrive in twins.

Impact of an integrated health, nutrition, and early child stimulation and responsive care intervention package delivered to preterm or term small for gestational age babies during infancy on growth and neurodevelopment: study protocol of an individually randomized controlled trial in India (Small Babies Trial)

BackgroundPreterm and term small for gestational age (SGA) babies are at high risk of experiencing malnutrition and impaired neurodevelopment. Standalone interventions have modest and sometimes inconsistent effects on growth and neurodevelopment in these babies. For greater impact, intervention may be needed in multiple domains—health, nutrition, and psychosocial care and support. Therefore, the combined effects of an integrated intervention package for preterm and term SGA on growth and neurodevelopment are worth investigating.MethodsAn individually randomized controlled trial is being conducted in urban and peri-urban low to middle-socioeconomic neighborhoods in South Delhi, India. Infants are randomized (1:1) into two strata of 1300 preterm and 1300 term SGA infants each to receive the intervention package or routine care. Infants will be followed until 12 months of age. Outcome data will be collected by an independent outcome ascertainment team at infant ages 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months and at 2, 6, and 12 months after delivery for mothers.DiscussionThe findings of this study will indicate whether providing an intervention that addresses factors known to limit growth and neurodevelopment can offer substantial benefits to preterm or term SGA infants. The results from this study will increase our understanding of growth and development and guide the design of public health programs in low- and middle-income settings for vulnerable infants.Trial registrationThe trial has been registered prospectively in Clinical Trial Registry – India # CTRI/2021/11/037881, Registered on 08 November 2021.

TEACHER TRAINING: MAKING COGNITIVE AND MOTOR STIMULATION GAMES FROM USED MATERIALS

Stimulation of early childhood development varies widely, from expensive methods to utilizing recycled materials. The stimulation of early childhood development at TK Bustanul Athfal Ketegan Sidoarjo is still relatively limited. The goal of this activity is to enhance the cognitive and motor skills of young children and improve the educators' skills at TK Bustanul Athfal Ketegan Sidoarjo by creating stimulation play media using recycled materials as a tool for early childhood learning. The method for this activity includes presentations and training for educators on how to create cognitive and motor development stimulation media for children using recycled materials, as well as engaging in role-playing activities to utilize these stimulation media. The benefits of this activity include expanding the variety of learning media and enhancing the knowledge and skills of educators at TK Bustanul Athfal Ketegan Sidoarjo in creating learning stimulation media for their students using recycled materials. While a small portion of the teachers has not fully understood APE (Early Childhood Stimulation), 90% have comprehended the effective methods of creating and applying APE block number and APE Flashcard

Evaluation of genomic factors and early childhood stimulation on intelligence in children from a Brazilian birth cohort: The primary role of independent factors

BackgroundChildhood cognitive abilities are a predictor of health outcomes and adult income potential. Identifying factors associated with childhood intelligence and their interactions is essential in behavioral research. We assessed the impact of genetic variants and early child stimulation (ECS) on child intelligence and examined their possible interaction as potential modifiers of IQ in a population-based longitudinal study. MethodsParticipants of the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort study (N = 4231) underwent intelligent quotient (IQ) by WISC-III assessment at 6 years of age. At 24 and 48-months, mothers answered five ECS marker questions, whose sum was used to create a score. The polygenic score for intelligence (IQ-PGS) was constructed from the GWAS-weighted estimate of cognition. Association was assessed using multiple linear regression models adjusted for maternal, family, and child confounding variables. To explore the possible influence of skin color and ethnoracial classification, the regression models were stratified according to the skin color variable, as a sensitivity analysis. ResultsIn the adjusted analysis, IQ-PGS (β = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.26;1.31) as well as ECS (β = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.76;2.92) were associated with IQ in this sample. The association between IQ-PGS and IQ was significant only in the white Brazilian group in the sensitivity analysis. However, there was no interaction between IQ-PGS and ECS on IQ (p(IQ-PGS x ECS) = 0.46). ConclusionsECS did not modify the impact of genetic potential on intellectual development during childhood, suggesting that genetic factors and ECS exert independent effects on the IQ levels of children.

Implementation of Project-Based Play Activities in Early Childhood Character Stimulation

Educator-designed play activities focus only on academic skills, not specifically including character in learning objectives. This study aims to develop a project-based play activity program as a form of character stimulation in early childhood. This research was conducted with the development of a program of play activities and digital-based learning media for early childhood. This research uses an R and D approach consisting of two stages, namely: (1) the development stage and (2) the implementation stage in ECCE institutions in the East Jakarta area. The development plan was prepared based on analysis on 5 (five) ECCE institutions in the DKI Jakarta area. The stimulation program is designed by creating a theme design, a weekly activity program, and a daily activity design. Stimulation programs that have been designed by teachers can be a reference in developing character in early childhood. Character recognition is carried out through a variety of activities arranged by the teacher and the use of learning media that are in accordance with the interests and interests of children. The learning media used is also designed with the use of visual and digital-based media. Play activities are carried out through a project-based approach which is implemented through the project introduction stage, project implementation stage, and project completion stage. The development of early childhood frogs is currently the basis for the formation of Indonesia's superior generation. The results of the study resulted in a model for developing early childhood character stimulation programs based on project approaches developed according to field analysis to shape character in children, namely 1) Religious, 2) Independent, 3) Responsible, 4) Cooperation and Helpful, 5) Care for the Environment, and 7) Critical and Creative Reasoning.

Pengaruh Main Kajai terhadap Keterampilan Lokomotor Anak di Taman Kanak Kanak Negeri Pembina Sitiung Kabupaten Dharmasraya

This research is motivated by the importance of locomotor stimulation in early childhood. However, it was found that teachers only provided gymnastics and free play and many were found to be hesitant about jumping over obstacles. Based on the problem, researchers applied playing kajai with the aim of finding out its effect on children's locomotor skills. This research method is quantitative with a one group pretest-posttest design. The B2 group is the sample. Data collection techniques use observation, tests and documentation. The data processing procedure begins with testing the validity and reliability of the instrument, testing the prerequisites with a normality test, and ends with hypothesis testing. Based on the average results, it was concluded that the pretest mean score was 14.72, then treatment was given to produce a mean of 25.07 and at the end of the posttest the mean was 26.35. Which means children's locomotor skills have increased. The normality test found pretest sig 0.199 > α 0.05 and posttest sig 0.201 > α 0.05, so both data were normally distributed. Next, test the hypothesis and obtain sig 0.000 < α 0.05 so that Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted. So it is concluded that there is an influence of the playing kajai on children's locomotor skills at the Pembina Sitiung State Kindergarten.

Effectiveness and Preferences on Mainstreaming Early Childhood Stimulation Services in Tanzania: A Case Study of Community-based Early Childhood Development Initiative

Early childhood stimulation (ECS) services are globally championed due to their proven ability to help children at risk of developmental delay attain their developmental potential. This study explored the effect of different ways of mainstreaming ECS services on child development. A mixed research approach was employed, involving quantitative and qualitative collection methods. Quantitative data was collected using the adopted ZamCAT tool administered to 334 children sampled from the benefited households. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions with the parents (n=4) and in-depth interviews with the key informants (n=14), respectively. The collected quantitative data were coded and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (25), and the collected qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The binary logistic regression model was employed where the results showed a significant effect on child development from home visiting (p = 0.01) and Early childhood development centres (p = 0.016) compared to clinic outreaches. Children's nutritional status was also an influencing factor for a child to attain optimal developmental status. Furthermore, both community members and ECS services providers highly preferred ECD centres and home visiting services as opposed to a preference for clinic outreaches. The study concludes that when children are subjected to ECS services, attaining optimal development potential regardless of the household background characteristics is the forecasted result. Therefore, the study underscores the capacitation of communities on ECS practices utilising the available enabling environment and increased budget allocation for developing specific ECD policies and deploying experts.

Cognitive development among children in a low-income setting: Cost-effectiveness analysis of a maternal nutrition education intervention in rural Uganda.

Inadequate nutrition and insufficient stimulation in early childhood can lead to long-term deficits in cognitive and social development. Evidence for policy and decision-making regarding the cost of delivering nutrition education is lacking in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In rural Uganda, we conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the effect of a maternal nutrition education intervention on developmental outcomes among children aged 6-8 months. This intervention led to significantly improved cognitive scores when the children reached the age of 20-24 months. When considering the potential for this intervention's future implementation, the desired effects should be weighed against the increased costs. This study therefore aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of this education intervention compared with current practice. Health outcome data were based on the RCT. Cost data were initially identified by reviewing publications from the RCT, while more detailed information was obtained by interviewing researchers involved in processing the intervention. This study considered a healthcare provider perspective for an 18-months' time horizon. The control group was considered as the current practice for the future large-scale implementation of this intervention. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed, including calculations of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). In addition, uncertainty in the results was characterized using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The ICER for the education intervention compared with current practice was USD ($) 16.50 per cognitive composite score gained, with an incremental cost of $265.79 and an incremental cognitive composite score of 16.11. The sensitivity analyses indicated the robustness of these results. The ICER was sensitive to changes in cognitive composite score and the cost of personnel. The education intervention can be considered cost-effective compared with the current practice. The outcome of this study, including the cost analysis, health outcome, cost-effectiveness, and sensitivity analysis, can be useful to inform policymakers and stakeholders about effective resource allocation processes in Uganda and possibly other LMIC.

PEMBERIAN EDUKASI KEPADA IBU DALAM UPAYA PENCEGAHAN STUNTING PADA BALITA

A child's growth and development may be stunted, which is what we mean when we speak about the concept of stunting. Stunting can be caused by a number of factors, including malnutrition, recurrent illnesses, and/or a lack of psychosocial stimulation. Stunting is a significant problem for the general health of the population in countries of low and moderate income, which have high rates of malnutrition. There is a correlation between growth retardation and both physical and mental health problems, including an increased likelihood of being ill, worse cognitive function, and decreased levels of productivity in adulthood. Expanded opportunities for early childhood education and stimulation, improved access to nutrient-dense foods, increased availability of adequate health care, and promotion of suitable hygiene and sanitation practises are all essential components of an all-encompassing plan to combat stunting. Because of this, the parents of young children in the village of Melati Jaya, which is located in the Rt 001 Rw 001 Semendawai Timur District of the East Oku Regency, are getting counselling that is targeted at avoiding stunting. In order to carry out this action, education was made available in the form of counselling, and media was made available in the form of flyers. The educational events were effective, attracting favourable comments and engagement from the audience members who were the intended recipients of the content. It is clear from a comparison of the results of the pre-test and the post-test that the education provided was successful in raising the respondents' awareness of stunting.

Identification of traditional science-based games to improve early childhood development in Central Lombok District

Giving educational stimulation in early childhood can be given through games. Traditional science-based games make an important contribution to supporting children's development. This study aimed to identify traditional games in Central Lombok Regency that can be played in early childhood and how to play traditional games to improve children's development. This research is survey research conducted at Central Lombok Regency. This research uses observation data collection methods, interviews, and documentation. The subjects of this study were six community leaders or cultural leaders and five teachers. Data analysis used descriptive qualitative analysis. The results showed that there were 28 identified traditional games. After being reviewed and verified based on the criteria for tools and materials used: playground, gender, age of players, number of players, and how to play, 23 traditional games were obtained: fort, bekel, ciwe, cepun, do mi gift, merchandise, long dragon snakes, marbles, playing rope, pese-pese'an, temeong-meong, gobak sodor, trumpets, cingkaleng, manuk brackets, splashing, temong-meong, school stones, playing moon, cupring, segem, playing war and coffee. Traditional games use tools, do not use tools, and use poetry/songs. How to play traditional games each game has steps similar to each others. Based on these criteria, traditional games can indirectly improve child development such as cognitive, language, social-emotional, religious and moral values, physical-motor, and artistic.

Early child stimulation, linear growth and neurodevelopment in low birth weight infants

BackgroundChildren with low birth weight (LBW) are at risk of linear growth faltering and developmental deficits. Evidence suggests that early child stimulation and care reflected as responsive caregiving and opportunities for learning can promote development. The current analysis aimed to measure the extent to which linear growth and early child stimulation modify each other’s association with neurodevelopmental outcomes among LBW infants.MethodsThis is a secondary data analyses from a randomized controlled trial on the effect of community-initiated kangaroo mother care in LBW infants on their neurodevelopment at 12 months of corrected age. Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development was used to assess cognitive, motor and language scores. Stimulation at home was assessed by the Pediatric Review of Children’s Environmental Support and Stimulation (PROCESS) tool. PROCESS scores were categorized into three groups: < Mean-1SD (low stimulation); Mean ± 1 SD (moderate stimulation) and > mean + 1SD (high stimulation).ResultsA total of 516 infants were available for neurodevelopment assessments. Interactions were observed between length for age z-score (LAZ) and PROCESS score categories. In the low stimulation group, the adjusted regression coefficients for the association between LAZ and cognitive, motor and language scores were substantially higher than in the moderate and high stimulation group. Stimulation was positively associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in both stunted and non-stunted infants; however, the association was twice as strong in stunted than in non-stunted.ConclusionModerate to high quality stimulation may alleviate the risk of sub-optimal development in LBW infants with linear growth deficits.Clinical trial registrationThe primary trial whose data are analysed is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02631343).

PENERAPAN METODE MENEBALKAN GARIS PUTUS-PUTUS DALAM MENINGKATKAN KOORDINASI MATA DAN TANGAN ANAK USIA 4-5 TAHUN DI TK AISYIYAH BUSTANUL ATHFAL II PERUMNAS

Giving stimulation in early childhood is very important for optimizing children's development, including fine motor skills. It is important to optimize fine motor development stimulation because it will affect the child's readiness to maximize the movements of the wrist and fingers. This also affects the coordination of the child's eye and hand functions so that he can process the information he receives at the same time. This study aims to determine the improvement of the child's eye and hand coordination after applying the method of thickening the dotted line to children aged 4 to 5 years in community service research through service learning at TK Aisyiyah Bustanul Atfhal II Perumnas Makassar City with a total of 4 participants. children. In its application, it uses a dotted line patterned drawing paper instrument, an observation sheet, and an evaluation sheet for the implementation of the intervention. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of this research show that the application of thickening the dotted line is effective in improving children's hand and eye coordination in carrying out activities simultaneously. This study implies that the development of hand-eye coordination in stimulated children has different speeds.

The role of sociodemographic and psychosocial variables in early childhood development: A secondary data analysis of the 2014 and 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in the Dominican Republic.

The association between sociodemographic factors-poverty, lack of maternal schooling, being male at birth-, childhood developmental delay, and poor educational outcomes has been established in the Dominican Republic (DR). However, family moderating factors present or introduced to buffer sociodemographic factors effects on early childhood development (ECD) are still unknown. We conducted a secondary analysis of the DR's 2014 and 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. We had four study aims: 1) confirm the relationship between socioeconomic position (SP), parenting practices, and ECD; 2) determine if a sociodemographic model predicted ECD; 3) determine if a psychosocial model (family childrearing practices, discipline, and early childhood stimulation) predicted ECD above and beyond the sociodemographic model; 4) explore mothers' beliefs about physical punishment and its relationship with ECD and psychosocial variables. We found that both models predicted ECD significantly, but the psychosocial model explained more variance than the sociodemographic model (6.3% in 2014 and 4.4% in 2019). The most relevant sociodemographic predictors were SP (explaining 21.6% of ECD variance in 2014 and 18.6% in 2019) and mother's education (explaining 13.9% in 2014 and 14.1% in 2019). The most salient ECD psychosocial predictors were: negative discipline, number of children's books at home, stimulating activities at home, and attendance to an early childhood education program. The predicting weights of the independent variables were similar for both years. These results have multiple implications for social programs that aim to improve children's potential in contexts of poverty. Although the results show a protective effect of psychosocial factors, sustainable and large-scale interventions should not be limited to just buffering effects, but to solve the underlying problem, which is that poverty prevents children from reaching their developmental potential and exposes them to life-long greater risk for chronic disease. Addressing delays early in life can therefore contribute to achieving health equity.

Educational Parenting: Meningkatkan Peran Orangtua pada Perkembangan Sosioemosional Anak Usia Dini

Early childhood education has a very important role and position in a nation and becomes the basis for the next stage of development. Teachers have a role in children's education at school, and parents are responsible for children's growth and development at home. The problem that often arises is the mismatch between treatment in kindergarten by teachers, and treatment at home by parents, which makes child development less optimal. Educational Parenting program is considered as an effective program in providing understanding to parents about early childhood. Most of them use the lecture method, and it is still rare to use the role-play method as a learning tool for parents to understand early childhood with general material. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of educational parenting programs to increase parental understanding of early childhood socio-emotional development. The educational parenting program was held for a day, using 43 parents. The results show that this educational parenting program makes parents more comprehensive in their understanding of early childhood, including chronological age and cognitive, socio-emotional, and psychomotor development. The stimulation that parents can provide in socio-emotional development is in the form of communication skills, introducing emotions, and managing emotions in order to express them more precisely. During this program, parents were enthusiastic and expressed their desire to do parenting programs with the same model again. Thus it can be stated that educational parenting programs with the roleplay method for parents of early childhood can increase parental understanding of early childhood and appropriate stimulation for early childhood socio-emotional development.