Early Childhood Outcomes Research Articles

Maternal depressive symptom trajectories from preconception through postpartum: Associations with offspring developmental outcomes in early childhood

BackgroundTwo theoretical frameworks, the cumulative stress and match-mismatch model, propose that patterns of maternal depressive symptoms over early periods of offspring development predict outcomes in opposing ways. Studies have yet to test these theories across the preconception, prenatal, and early postnatal period. Study 1 identified trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms from preconception to postpartum. Study 2 examined associations of these trajectories with offspring developmental outcomes in early childhood. MethodsIn Study 1, women (n = 362) enrolled in a longitudinal study were assessed prior to conception and through a subsequent pregnancy and postpartum. In Study 2, a subsample of 125 mother-child pairs completed home visits in early childhood. Mothers reported on child temperament at age 4. Children completed assessments of executive function at age 5. ResultsFour trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms were identified: low-stable, increasing, decreasing, persistent. In controlled analyses, children of women with decreasing symptoms were lower in maternal ratings of effortful control at age four (β = −0.24, p = .003). Children of women with increasing symptoms scored lower on an inhibitory control task at age five (β = −0.35, p = .001). ConclusionsChanges in maternal depressive symptoms, but not stable symptoms, were associated with lower maternal ratings of effortful control and poorer performance on an inhibitory control task. Results are consistent with the match-mismatch model. Assessment of preconception depressive symptoms in women and changes in symptoms may be beneficial for early intervention for women and children.

Pre- and Postnatal Vitamin D Status and Allergy Outcomes in Early Childhood

The dramatic increase in the prevalence of allergic disease in recent decades reflects environmental and behavioural changes that have altered patterns of early immune development. The very early onset of allergic diseases points to the specific vulnerability of the developing immune system to environmental changes and the development of primary intervention strategies is crucial to address this unparalleled burden. Vitamin D is known to have immunomodulatory functions. While allergic disease is multifactorial, associations with reduced sunlight exposure have led to the hypothesis that suboptimal vitamin D levels during critical early periods may be one possible explanation. Interventions to improve vitamin D status, especially in early life, may be the key to allergic disease prevention.

Toward improved measurement of infant bone conduction auditory brainstem responses

Newborn hearing screening has led to improved detection and treatment of hearing loss (HL) in infants and young children, supporting improved communication outcomes in early childhood and beyond. However, current screening protocols are not equally sensitive to all forms of HL, limiting diagnostic accuracy and, ultimately, identification of appropriate treatment options. Correspondingly, treatment outcomes in children with HL remain quite variable. One fundamental and persistent challenge is the assessment of bone conduction hearing, which is essential to differentiate conductive versus sensorineural pathology. Whereas hearing via air conduction can be effectively assessed using the auditory brainstem response (ABR), a noninvasive electrophysiologic measure, bone conduction ABR measurements suffer from comparatively poor signal quality (including significant stimulus artifact), transducer acoustic output limitations, and generally lower test-retest reliability. Here we evaluated the prospective benefits of measuring infant bone conduction ABRs using a modified bone conduction transducer designed to reduce stimulus artifact and thereby improve measurement quality. Measurements obtained using a standard bone conduction transducer were compared on several dimensions to measurements obtained using the modified transducer. Improved bone conduction measurement tools are expected to support improved detection and classification of conductive and mixed HL, leading to improved treatment outcomes for this important patient population.

Changes in Cognitive Outcomes in Early Childhood: The Role of Family Income and Volatility.

Associations between family income and child developmental outcomes are well documented. However, family income is not static but changes over time. Although this volatility represents income shocks that are likely to affect children’s lives, very few studies have so far examined its effect on early cognitive development. This study investigated associations between family income, volatility, and changes in cognitive outcomes in early childhood and examined whether these associations are dependent on a family’s overall income position. Data for the study spanned five waves of the Growing Up in Scotland longitudinal survey (N = 3,621). Findings indicate that income volatility was more prevalent among disadvantaged sociodemographic groups. In addition to average income, short-term volatility was associated with changes in child cognitive outcomes from ages 3 to 5. While upward volatility was associated with gains in expressive vocabulary, downward and fluctuating volatility were associated with declines in child problem-solving abilities. The association between volatility and changes in cognitive outcomes was similar for both children living in poverty and those from medium–high-income households. Our results suggest that policies aiming to cushion all families from negative income shocks, boost family income to ensure stability, and take low-income families out of poverty will have a significant impact on children’s cognitive development. Additionally, a more nuanced conceptualization of income is needed to understand its multidimensional impact on developmental outcomes.

Neuroimaging of structural and functional connectivity in preterm infants with intraventricular hemorrhage

Preterm infants with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) are known to have some of the worst neurodevelopmental outcomes in all of neonatal medicine, with a growing body of evidence relating these outcomes to underlying disruptions in brain structure and function. This review begins by summarizing state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques delineating structural and functional connectivity (diffusion and resting state functional MRI) and their application in infants with IVH, including unique technical challenges and emerging methods. We then review studies of altered structural and functional connectivity, highlighting the role of IVH severity and location. We subsequently detail investigations linking structural and functional findings in infancy to later outcomes in early childhood. We conclude with future directions including methodologic considerations for prospective and potentially interventional studies designed to mitigate disruptions to underlying structural and functional connections and improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in this high-risk population.

Effects of cognitive control strategies on coding learning outcomes in early childhood

Coding learning involves cognitive control ability that enables children to coordinate behaviors according to internally maintained goals. However, such ability is still developing during early childhood and cannot reach maturity at least until late adolescence. This study aimed to test whether integrating cognitive control strategies into online and offline coding courses could benefit coding learning in early childhood. The results of Study 1 indicated that performance monitoring strategy did not improve coding learning outcome, which might be due to the lack of explicit instruction and social interactions. Then, during the offline coding courses in Study 2, we intentionally taught young children to use planning, monitoring, and reflection strategies based on games and collaboration. The results indicated that these strategies promoted the learning of highly-abstract coding skills. Therefore, the cognitive control strategies that are age-appropriately designed and integrated can exert positive effect on learning coding skills in early childhood.

Ontogeny of circulating lipid metabolism in pregnancy and early childhood - a longitudinal population study.

There is mounting evidence that in utero and early life exposures may predispose an individual to metabolic disorders in later life; and dysregulation of lipid metabolism is critical in such outcomes. However, there is limited knowledge about lipid metabolism and factors causing lipid dysregulation in early life that could result in adverse health outcomes in later life. We studied the effect of antenatal factors such as gestational age, birth weight, and mode of birth on lipid metabolism at birth; changes in the circulating lipidome in the first 4 years of life and the effect of breastfeeding in the first year of life. From this study, we aim to generate a framework for deeper understanding into factors effecting lipid metabolism in early life, to provide early interventions for those at risk of developing metabolic disorders including cardiovascular diseases. We performed comprehensive lipid profiling of 1074 mother-child dyads in the Barwon Infant Study (BIS), a population-based pre-birth cohort and measured 776 distinct lipid features across 39 lipid classes using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). We measured lipids in 1032 maternal serum samples at 28 weeks' gestation, 893 cord serum samples at birth, 793, 735, and 511 plasma samples at 6, 12 months, and 4 years, respectively. Cord serum was enriched with long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), and corresponding cholesteryl esters relative to the maternal serum. We performed regression analyses to investigate the associations of cord serum lipid species with antenatal factors: gestational age, birth weight, mode of birth and duration of labour. The lipidome differed between mother and newborn and changed markedly with increasing child's age. Alkenylphosphatidylethanolamine species containing LC-PUFAs increased with child's age, whereas the corresponding lysophospholipids and triglycerides decreased. Majority of the cord serum lipids were strongly associated with gestational age and birth weight, with most lipids showing opposing associations. Each mode of birth showed an independent association with cord serum lipids. Breastfeeding had a significant impact on the plasma lipidome in the first year of life, with up to 17-fold increases in a few species of alkyldiaclylglycerols at 6 months of age. This study sheds light on lipid metabolism in infancy and early childhood and provide a framework to define the relationship between lipid metabolism and health outcomes in early childhood. This work was supported by the A*STAR-NHMRC joint call funding (1711624031).

Neonatal and Early Childhood Outcomes Following Maternal Anesthesia for Cesarean Section: A Population-based Cohort Study

(Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2021;46:482–489. Epub April 8, 2021) The US Food and Drug Administration has previously warned that exposure to anesthetic medications during the third trimester of pregnancy or in children <3 years could affect children’s neurological development. While the literature (studies with n=310 to n=997) supports a single brief exposure to general anesthesia (GA) does not impair learning or behavior, there is no consensus regarding the long-range effects of anesthesia exposure on the fetus. Further, with the ubiquity of cesarean delivery (CD), the question of optimal mode of anesthesia for the fetus remains unclear. General anesthesia for CD may be used in situations of maternal or fetal compromise or in low-income settings where there is a lack of training in regional methods. With a global increase of CD, it is critical that anesthesia decisions be informed by better understanding of the short and long-term childhood effects following fetal exposure to GA. The aim of the study was to determine associations of exposure to spinal, epidural or GA on neonatal and childhood development outcomes during the first 1000 days of life.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes following Preterm Birth and the Association with Postmenstrual Age at Discharge.

This study aimed to (1) define the prevalence of motor, cognitive, and language delays in preterm infants born <32 weeks estimated gestational age (EGA); and (2) identify the relationship between the timing of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and neurodevelopmental outcome in early childhood. This retrospective study of 172 preterm infants born <32 weeks EGA and hospitalized in a level-IV NICU captured medical factors, including timing of discharge, from the NICU stay. Standardized developmental testing at 1 to 2 years corrected age was conducted in the newborn follow-up clinic. At 1 to 2 years corrected age, the sample had an average Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) cognitive composite score of 91.5 ± 17.4, language composite score of 84.5 ± 17.3, and motor composite score of 88.9 ± 18.4. Lower EGA at birth, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, and oxygen requirement for >28 days were independently associated with higher postmenstrual age (PMA) at NICU discharge. Higher PMA at discharge was associated with poorer cognitive outcome [p < 0.001, β = -1.1 (-1.6, -0.7)], poorer language outcome [p = 0.049, β = -0.5 (-0.9, -0.003)], and poorer motor outcome [p <0.001, β = -1.0 (-1.5, -0.5)]. For every additional week of hospitalization, scores were an average of 1.1 points lower in cognitive, 1.0 point lower in motor, and 0.5 points lower in language domains of the Bayley-III assessment. Poorer cognitive, language, and motor outcomes were associated with longer hospitalization, even after controlling for medical risk factors known to be associated with poorer outcome. This provides further evidence for the potential role of the environment in impacting developmental outcomes of infants hospitalized in the NICU. · There are high rates of developmental impairment among preterm infants born <32 weeks at 1 year to 2 years.. · The longer the infant is exposed to the NICU environment, the higher the risk of neurodevelopmental challenges.. · These findings provide increased motivation for optimizing the early NICU environment..

Screen time and developmental health: results from an early childhood study in Canada

BackgroundResearch has shown that longer hours of screen time are negatively associated with children’s healthy development. Whereas most research has focused on school-age children, less is known about this association in early childhood. To fill this gap, we examined the association between screen time and developmental health in preschool-aged children.MethodsThis study draws from a data linkage on children (N = 2983; Mean age = 5.2, SD = 0.3 years, 51% male) in British Columbia (BC), Canada, who entered Kindergarten in public elementary schools in 2019. Parent reports on children’s screen time, health behaviors, demographics, and family income collected upon kindergarten entry (09/2019), were linked to teacher reports on children’s developmental health, collected halfway through the school year (02/2020). Screen time was assessed with the Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. Developmental vulnerability versus developmental health in five domains (physical, social, emotional, language and cognition, and communication skills) was measured with the Early Development Instrument.ResultsLogistic regression analyses using generalized estimating equation showed that children with more than one hour of daily screen time were more likely to be vulnerable in all five developmental health domains: physical health and wellbeing (odds ratio [OR] =1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99 - 2.0; p=0.058), social competence (OR=1.60; 95% CI, 1.16 – 2.2; p=0.004), emotional maturity (OR=1.29; 95% CI, 0.96 - 1.73; p=0.097), language and cognitive development (OR=1.81; 95% CI, 1.19 - 2.74; p=0.006) and communication skills (OR=1.60; 95% CI, 1.1 – 2.34; p=0.015) compared to children reporting up to one hour of screen time/day. An interaction effect between income and screen time on developmental health outcomes was non-significant. Results were adjusted for child demographics, family income, and other health behaviors.ConclusionsDaily screen time that exceeds the recommended one-hour limit for young children, as suggested by the Canadian 24-h Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth (Tremblay et al. BMC Public Health. 17:874, 2017; Tremblay J Physical Activity Health. 17:92–5, 2020) is negatively associated with developmental health outcomes in early childhood. Screen-based activities should thus be limited for young children. Future research needs to examine the underlying mechanisms through which screen time is linked to developmental vulnerabilities.

Pengelompokkan Tingkat Pemahaman Guru PAUD Terhadap Pembelajaran Berbasis STEAM Menggunakan Metode X-Means Clustering

In the era of the industrial revolution 4.0, quantity is not a measure of achieving early childhood outcomes, but how teachers create quality resource based inventions. To form creative and adaptive resources for technology, the teacher must changes the facilities, infrastructure and learning reconstruction. Learning that is prepared to welcome children to face the 21st century is learning based on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). STEAM is used to consider the interconnected essence of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics disciplines and their significance in the long-term academic performance of children. Responding to STEAM-based learning that PAUD teachers need to incorporate in cultivating the creativity of children, it is important to know the degree to which PAUD teachers understand STEAM-based learning. This research discusses the use of the X-Means clustering algorithm as one of the data mining algorithms in grouping data on the level of comprehensions of PAUD teachers on STEAM-based learning. This research discusses the use of the X-Means Clustering algorithm as one of the data mining algorithms in grouping data on the level of comprehensions of PAUD teachers on STEAM-based learning.

The First 4 Years - Outcome of Children Identified by Newborn Screening for CF in Germany.

Newborn screening (NBS) has been shown to improve cystic fibrosis (CF) disease course and has been widely implemented worldwide. This monocentric study compared children diagnosed by NBS vs. a cohort preceding the implementation of NBS in Germany in 2016 to evaluate ascribed benefits of NBS. We compared all children with confirmed CF diagnosis (n=19, "NBS group") out of all children presenting with positive NBS at our center after implementation of NBS (n=100) to children diagnosed with CF at our center within 4 years before NBS implementation (n=29, "pre-NBS group") for outcomes of anthropometry, gastrointestinal and pulmonary disease manifestations and respiratory microbiology. Children diagnosed by NBS had a lower incidence of initial difficulty to thrive (15 vs. 41%) and showed higher mean z-scores for Body-Mass-Index (BMI), weight and length at diagnosis and during study period. Children in the pre-NBS group displayed higher proportions of oxygen-dependent pulmonary exacerbations (10 vs. 0%). They show a significantly lower amount of normal bacterial flora (p=0.005) along with a significantly higher number of throat swab cultures positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p=0.0154) in the first year of life. Yet, pulmonary imaging did not reveal less pulmonary morbidity in the NBS group. Our results confirm that NBS for CF leads to earlier diagnosis and improves nutritional outcomes in early childhood. Although trajectories of structural lung damage at early age were unaffected by NBS, NBS positive CF patients at preschool age displayed less pulmonary exacerbations and pathological bacteria in throat swabs.

Associations of conflict and migration on childhood cognitive development in Ethiopia: Evidence from a longitudinal study.

Migration has substantial consequences on the wellness of affected households, thereby exposing children to circumstances that are detrimental for healthy cognitive development. This study evaluates the relationship between conflict and migration during conception or early childhood and childhood cognitive development outcomes among families in Ethiopia. We hypothesized that migration is associated with worse cognitive development outcomes among children and that this association is mediated by educational disparities and caregiver psychological distress. The study used longitudinal data of children enrolled in the Young Lives Study (YLS) conducted in Ethiopia during 2002 (age 1), 2006-2007 (age 5), and 2009-2010 (age 8). We used multivariate linear and logistic regression to analyze the association between migration on cognitive development during middle childhood. Household migration and caregiver psychological distress were measured during round 1, type of education was measured at round 2, and cognitive development was measured at round 3. Results of the multivariate regression analysis showed that migrant children achieved lower scores on a test of verbal intelligence after controlling for sex, ethnicity, religion, and caregiver distress (β: -8.09; 95% CI: -15.33, -0.85). Results of the mediation analysis show that the type of schooling that children attended, but not caregiver psychological distress, mediated the association between migration and cognitive development. Migrant children were more likely to attend private schools, which buffered the association between migration and lower cognitive development. This study suggests that migration is a key determinant of childhood cognitive development among migrated populations. More research is needed to build the evidence base to support interventions for this growing, underserved population.

Screen Time as a Mechanism Through Which Cumulative Risk is Related to Child Socioemotional and Developmental Outcomes in Early Childhood.

Socio-demographic risks are associated with higher child screen time and higher screen time is associated with poor socioemotional and developmental health. Existing studies have not examined children's screen time as a mechanism through which distal risks may be associated with child outcomes. In the current study, we examined whether two proximal factors, screen time and parenting quality, mediate the relation between distal cumulative risk and child outcomes. Participants (N = 1992) were drawn from a birth cohort of mothers and their children (81% white; 46% female). Mothers reported on cumulative risk factors (maternal income, education, depression, stress, marital status, housing instability, unemployment, and maternal history of childhood adversity) during the prenatal period. Parenting quality (ineffective/hostile, positive interactions) and children's screen time (hours/week) were assessed when children were three years of age. Child socioemotional (internalizing and externalizing problems) and developmental (achievement of developmental milestones) outcomes were measured at five years of age. Path analysis revealed indirect effects from cumulative risk to internalizing symptoms and achievement of developmental milestones via screen time. Indirect effects were observed from cumulative risk to internalizing and externalizing behavior via hostile parenting behavior. Over and above the effects of parenting, screen time may be a factor that links structural forms of social disadvantage during the prenatal period to child socioemotional and developmental outcomes. Due to modest effect sizes of screen time, it remains the case that child socioemotional and developmental health should be conceptualized within the context of distal cumulative risk factors such as caregiver psychological and material resources.

Autonomic profiles and self-regulation outcomes in early childhood.

This study examined autonomic profiles in preschoolers (N=278, age=4.7 years) and their relations to self-regulation outcomes concurrently and one year later, in kindergarten. Children's sympathetic (preejection period [PEP]) and parasympathetic activity (respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA]) were measured at rest and during cognitive and emotional tasks. Three self-regulatory competencies were assessed: executive functions, emotion regulation and behavioral regulation. Executive functioning was measured at ages 4 and 5 using laboratory tasks designed to assess updating/working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Emotion regulation was observed during emotionally distressing tasks in the laboratory, both at ages 4 and 5. Behavioral regulation and emotional reactivity were assessed via teacher ratings in kindergarten, at age 5. Latent profile analysis yielded four autonomic profiles: moderate parasympathetic inhibition (45%), reciprocal sympathetic activation (26%), coinhibition (25%), and high sympathetic activation (7%). The reciprocal sympathetic activation group showed better executive functioning in preschool and kindergarten, particularly compared to the high sympathetic activation group. The moderate parasympathetic inhibition group showed lower emotional reactivity and better behavioral regulation in kindergarten, compared to the other three groups. Findings suggest that autonomic profiles meaningfully associate with self-regulation outcomes in early childhood, such that certain profiles relate to better self-regulation than others.

Impact of Key Nutrients on Brain and Executive Function Development in Infants and Toddlers: A Narrative Review

Executive function skills are an essential aspect of cognition and are influenced in early life by multiple factors. One of the significant factors that influence brain development is nutrition, which plays a specific role in the brain’s developmental processes and functioning from fetal to adult age. Infants in their early life rely on breastmilk for nutrition. Knowledge of the composition of breast milk and the biochemical composition of the brain has led to the identification of critical nutrients needed for the brain’s growth, development, and functioning. Key nutrients for brain development are those that, when deficient during the precise, sensitive periods of early brain development, could have long-term adverse effects on brain functioning. This narrative review highlights the importance of some key nutrients in early brain development and executive functions, including cognitive performances in infants and toddlers. Lipids are crucial for brain development. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) and sphingomyelin are the key ingredients to influence cognitive performance potentially. Early development of executive function precursors in infants and toddlers is an essential foundation for executive functions outcomes in early childhood or adulthood. Evidence suggests that specific nutrients such as phospholipids, including sphingomyelin and LC-PUFAs (docosahexaenoic acid), are essential for developing higher-level cognitive functions.

Outcomes of ureteroscopy for management of stone disease in early and late childhood over a 15-year period.

Although paediatric ureteroscopy is widely performed, there is still a lack of data and outcomes in early childhood. In this two-centre study, we compared the outcomes of ureteroscopy for stone disease management in early and late childhood and provide outcomes for the same. Data was retrospectively collected on consecutive patients from two tertiary paediatric endo-urology European centres over a 15-year period (2006-2021). Patients were split into two groups, namely, early childhood (age ⩽ 9 years) and late childhood (age 9 to ⩽16 years). Outcomes including stone-free rate (SFR) and complications were compared between these two groups. A total of 148 patients underwent 184 procedures (1.2 procedure/patient) during the study period (66 in early childhood and 82 in late childhood). The mean age in early and late childhood groups were 5.6 and 13.3 years, and a male: female ratio of 1.6:1 and 1.1:1, respectively. The SFR and complications in early and late childhood groups were 87.8% and 90.2% (p = 0.64) and 5.7% and 4.1%, respectively. Paediatric ureteroscopy and laser stone fragmentation achieves good results in both early and late childhood with comparable SFRs, although the complications and need for second procedure were marginally higher in the early childhood group. Our study would set up a new benchmark for patient counselling in future, and perhaps this needs to be reflected in the paediatric urolithiasis guidelines.

Network analysis of infant brain functional connectivity using spectral EEG

Currently MRI is the primary method used to calculate brain connectivity in sleeping infants. In this study, we analysed functional connectivity in infants through event-related potentials (ERP) calculated using electroencephalogram (EEG). Time locked EEG is cheaper than MRI and provides temporally precise brain response. Each electrode of the EEG acquisition cap used for recording the EEG signals served as a node in the derived connectivity network. Finally, we have calculated connectivity network measures like characteristic path length (CPL), global efficiency (GE), and average clustering coefficient (ACC) for each infant. Both term and pre-term infant's resting state connectivity was characterised by a dense cluster between central and centro-parietal locations. However, the tactile network in term infants displayed lateralisation to the centro-parietal locations overlaying the somatosensory cortex, while the pre-term's tactile network was dense between frontal and central locations. Overall, the tactile network CPL decreased, while GE and ACC increased with higher gestational age at birth, indicating increased efficiency. This is the first study demonstrating differences between tactile functional connectivity in term and pre-term infants using EEG. We suggest that network measures like CPL, GE and ACC may be used as biomarkers of tactile-dependent functional outcomes in early childhood.

Parenting and maternal reported child sleep problems in infancy predict school-age aggression and inattention

ObjectiveTo examine caregiving predictors of maternal reported sleep problems and child behavioral and cognitive outcomes in early childhood. DesignA prospective longitudinal study from 6 to 84 months of age. SettingLab visits, assessments, and questionnaires conducted with a community-based sample. ParticipantsOne hundred sixty-four African American and White children, their mothers, and teachers. MeasurementParenting behavior was measured during a free-play task at 6 months of age, maternal-report of child sleep problems was completed at 6 timepoints, and teacher report of child aggression and attention was collected in kindergarten and second grade. ResultsLatent growth curve modeling revealed that maternal reported sleep problems decreased in children from 18 to 84 months and harsh-intrusive parenting at 6 months predicted sleep problems at 18 months. Maternal reported sleep problems at 18 months predicted aggressive behaviors in kindergarten and second grade. ConclusionParenting at 6 months of age exerts an influence on sleep quality at 18 months which is associated with aggressive behavior in early childhood.

Teaching STEM through play: conditions created by the conceptual PlayWorld model for early childhood teachers

ABSTRACT While evolving societal needs have created a demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) outcomes in early childhood, research indicates a deficit view on early childhood teachers’ ability to teach STEM. Existing teaching models are primarily developed from school-based research, conflicting with the early childhood philosophy of play. This paper examines the conditions created by the Conceptual PlayWorld model for early childhood teachers, to understand if and how this model can shift teachers’ motive orientations towards increased STEM engagement in play-based settings. The educational experiment involved a professional development workshop, followed by implementation of the model across two early childhood settings. Interview responses of four teachers regarding their experience of STEM engagement through this model are reported. The findings of the study highlight how this model can create the conditions for a positive shift in the motive orientations of early childhood teachers towards the possibility of re-engaging with the intentional teaching of STEM, while also increasing their confidence and competence. Findings suggest that as a play-based STEM teaching model for play-based settings, this model takes a positive step towards engaging young children with STEM, enabling teachers to meet the societal demand of increased STEM outcomes in early childhood.