Promote Child Development Research Articles

Promoting Child Development in a Universal Preschool System: A Field Experiment

This study tests an intervention that introduces a structured curriculum for five-year olds into the universal preschool context of Norway. We conduct a field experiment with 691 five-year-olds in 71 preschools and measure treatment impacts on children's development in mathematics, language and executive functioning. Compared to business as usual, the nine-month curriculum intervention has effects on child development at post-intervention and the effects persist one year following the end of the treatment. The effects are entirely driven by the preschool centers identified as low-quality at baseline, suggesting that a structured curriculum can reduce inequality in early childhood learning environments.

Ações de extensão universitária para translação do conhecimento sobre desenvolvimento infantil em creches: relato de experiência

To report the experience of students and teachers of a university extension project in the planning and performance of educational workshops on child development with educators of a day care center. Report of experience based on frameworks of The Irreducible Needs of Children and the Bioecological Theory of Human Development. The workshops included eight undergraduate students, two nursing professors from a public university and 24 educators from a day care center located in a region of high social vulnerability in São Paulo. The educational workshops promoted child development in the day care center and the following themes were addressed: child development fundamentals, developmental milestones in the personal and social areas, language, fine and gross motor coordination. Interactive dynamics, didactic games and media resources were used as pedagogical strategies. The educational workshops favored the transfer of knowledge on child development and irreducible needs of children. Extension activities provided a link between the university and the community through the sharing of knowledge among health and education professionals aimed at promoting child development.

Randomized control trial of an internet-based parenting intervention for mothers of infants

Early parenting home-visiting interventions have been found to be highly effective in promoting child development. Yet, there are many obstacles in the implementation of home-visiting programs, including travel and access to trained providers. Internet-based interventions can reach many parents of infants to overcome these barriers. The objective of this randomized control trial was to evaluate the impact of the Internet-adaptation of the Play and Learning Strategies (PALS) program, a preventive intervention program to strengthen effective parenting practices that promote early language, cognitive, and social development. Mothers in low-income environments (N = 164) of infants were randomized to either (a) an Internet-facilitated PALS parenting intervention or (b) an Internet-facilitated attention control condition. Measures included direct observations of maternal behavior with her infant, questionnaires about maternal functioning and parenting knowledge, and real-time program usage. Experimental participants demonstrated significantly greater increases in parenting knowledge and observed language-supportive parenting behaviors with a correlated positive change in infant language behaviors. Effects were pronounced when participants received a greater dosage of the intervention. Results suggest that the Internet-based translation of the PALS program is effective as a remotely delivered intervention for economically disadvantaged families to strengthen early parenting behaviors that promote infant social communication and child language development.

Maternal behavior as a risk factor for growth and development retardation in infant and toddlers up to 18 months

Background: early 18 months of life characterized by the most rapid growth and development and mainly affected by mother behavior and traits Objectives: to promote child development to improve the quality of life for our children in the future through assessment of child development in the first eighteen months of life, to identify factors affecting early childhood development. Subjects and Methods: cross section study takes infant from birth to 18 month, attending Family Unit at Kafr Mohamed Ismail, Fakous, Sharkia governorate. Sample size 140 infant, using structured growth and development sheet and structured mother’s interview. Result: The study found that male children retardation were 13.2%and female children retardation were 15.3%, artificially feed children were 100% retarded , low social class children were 100% retarded, children of illiterate mother 100% were retarded , Breast feeding, rapid response to child needs when crying, stimulating activities during feeding the child and giving different types of toys are factors having good impact on child development with significant difference. Conclusion: Program for early detection of developmental delay through screening of children attending PHC and family medicine units are important to assess development risk factor and Maternal stimulation for promoting early child development through better attachment and communication with infants.

Leadership in implementation of quality family-centred services in early childhood: an exploration of administrators’ perceptions, needs and realities

ABSTRACTThe term family-centred practices refer to a particular set of beliefs, principles, values, and practices for supporting and strengthening family capacity to enhance and promote child development and learning. Family-centred services in early childhood and early childhood special education programmes (EC/ECSE) can affect a wide range of outcomes. However, despite research documenting the potential benefits of family-centred services, full implementation in practice is difficult to achieve. In the United States, EC/ECSE administrators struggle with implementing quality family-centred services within an environment of limited resources and competing priorities. This paper provides results from an exploratory qualitative study that investigated the administrators’ perceptions, current practices and training needs, in family-centred services, and recommendations for administrators regarding implementation of quality family-centred service delivery in EC/ECSE settings.

Promotion of child development and health from the perinatal period: an approach from positive parenting

ABSTRACTThis article makes a review and reflection on parenting practices and child development in the perinatal period; the theoretical foundations and recent data in the field are exposed. Spanish and international research in this emerging area indicates that pregnancy, postpartum and early parenting are opportunities and unique spaces to develop competencies to create family contexts that promote healthy development. An exhaustive positive parenting proposal of early promotion of child development in the perinatal period is presented. This includes the promotion of: prenatal bond, couple's relationship, social support networks, the physical and mental health of the mother alongside with the support to make informed decisions about parenting and the development of parental knowledge of the intergenerational transmission of parenting patterns and of early childhood development. It is expected, that the proposal could be a tool in the future design of public intervention programmes with families.

Mother and Home Visitor Emotional Well-Being and Alignment on Goals for Home Visiting as Factors for Program Engagement

Objectives Family engagement in home visiting (HV), as indicated by length of enrollment, is a major challenge as most families do not stay enrolled for the intended duration prescribed by HV models. This study examined maternal and visitor emotional well-being as factors for maternal satisfaction with the program in addressing reasons for enrolling in HV and program engagement and the role of their working alliance with the visitor as a mediator of this. Methods Longitudinal data were collected from 148 mothers and 54 visitors in 21 HV programs. Mothers completed surveys shortly after enrolling and 6 months later to assess attributes of the working alliance with their visitor. Visitors completed a survey to assess work-related well-being. HV program data were used to measure engagement. Results Mothers enrolled for multiple, diverse reasons, most often to promote child development and parenting (96%). Mothers’ satisfaction with program efforts to address reasons for enrollment was highest for parenting (79%) and lowest for jobs and education (30%). Results of the mediational path model indicated that ratings of the visitor on goal alignment were positively associated with engagement. Maternal emotional availability and visitor work-related emotional exhaustion were negatively associated with engagement. Exploratory analyses suggested that ratings of the visitor on goal alignment were a stronger predictor of engagement for mothers with low emotional availability compared to other mothers. Conclusions for Practice Visitor alignment with mothers on goals and responsiveness to reasons for enrolling appear to be effective in promoting engagement. Individualizing services to reflect maternal goals and emotional capacity may be important strategies to address engagement challenges.

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF TEACHER COMPETENCIES

Significant changes in the society of the XXI century determine the changes in the education system. Nowadays the challenge of promoting child development is important. Teaching subjects does not give a generalised idea about nature, society and people in general. Teachers need new competences to move to logic of human development in education. The article analyses teacher’s communicative, self-cognition and cognitive management, methodological and organisational function that are united and contribute to the balanced development of pupils, therefore, in accordance with these functions, it is necessary to acquire the corresponding competences. By analysing theoretical literature, the article reveals the structure and content of these competencies.

Web-Based Parenting Support: Development of the COPING Confident Parenting Programme

Parents have the most significant impact on children’s development and the key parenting factors that promote child development and wellbeing are well known. Furthermore, many behavioural, social and emotional problems in children are associated with poor parenting practices. Parenting interventions that address parental skill deficits and teach positive parenting principles based on social learning theory are effective and are the recommended treatment for conduct disorder. Alongside the development of treatment programmes, universal parenting programmes have been developed; many present the same core parenting principles but their rationales vary from promoting children’s development to addressing common behavioural challenges and the evidence for these programmes is less well established. Most parents now have internet access and are making daily use of it, including seeking advice on parenting matters but that advice is often anecdotal and lacking evidence. In the meantime, a small number of web-based programmes, including parenting programmes have been developed and evaluated. This paper summarises the rationale for web-based universal programmes to support parents and briefly describes the history, content and a summary of the initial research on the COPING (confident parent internet guide) programme developed by the authors. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research directions.

O pediatra e a promoção do desenvolvimento infantil: otimizando a consulta

A Residência Pediátrica (RP) é uma revista eletrônica trimestral, em publicação contínua, da Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria (SBP), disponível em português e inglês, destinada aos médicos residentes de nossa especialidade, áreas afins e aos pediatras. O conteúdo da revista pode ser acessado livremente. A missão da RP é contribuir para a formação acadêmica dos residentes e incentivá-los a uma participação ativa na produção científica sobre temas pediátricos e relacionados à adolescência.

Parenting Stress and Maternal–Child Interactions Among Preschool Mothers From the Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional, Comparative Study

To promote child development, parenting stress, and maternal-child interactions among mothers of various nationalities must be understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate maternal-child interactions according to the mother's nationality among married immigrant mothers from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea. This study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Inclusion criteria were mothers who had children of preschool age. A total of 348 mothers were interviewed: 142 Korean mothers, 84 immigrant mothers from the Philippines, and 122 immigrant mothers from Vietnam. Parenting stress ( p < .001) and maternal-child interactions ( p = .023) differed according to the mother's nationality. By delineating the nurturing characteristics of each country, the results of this study can help immigrant mothers develop maternal-child relationships that aid culturally congruent adjustment to their new culture. The characteristics of maternal-child interactions according to the mother's nationality may inform parent education in multicultural societies.

Mothers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Young Children’s Development

This study examined how mothers' Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) relate to their children's developmental risk and assessed how the association is mediated through mothers' depressive symptoms and fair/poor health. Mothers of children aged between 4 months and 4 years were recruited from the emergency department of a children's hospital between March 2012 and June 2015 and interviewed about ACEs, mothers' depressive symptoms and health status, and children's developmental risk (screened via Parents' Evaluations of Developmental Status [PEDS]). Between August and November 2016 a Cochran-Armitage test assessed trend of PEDS by ACEs. Multinomial regression models examined differences in PEDS by ACEs severity. Mediation by mothers' depressive symptoms and self-rated health was also assessed. Of 1,293 mothers, 56.7% reported one or more ACEs. Mothers also reported developmental risk (20.4% overall): 120 (9.2%) reported one concern and 144 (11.2%) reported two or more concerns on the PEDS. Mothers who reported household substance use, mental illness, or an incarcerated household member during childhood were more likely to report at least one child developmental concern on the PEDS. After controlling for covariates, odds of one PEDS concern were 1.86 (95% CI=1.16, 3.00) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 2.21 (95% CI=1.26, 3.87) for ACEs four or more versus none. Adjusted odds of two or more concerns were 1.70 (95% CI=1.07, 2.72) for ACEs, one to three versus none, and 1.76 (95% CI=1.02, 3.05) for ACEs, four or more versus none. Mothers' depressive symptoms and self-rated health were potential mediators. Mothers' ACEs are significantly associated with their children's developmental risk. If replicated, findings suggest that addressing intergenerational trauma through focus on childhood adversity among young children's caregivers may promote child development.

School Sports Participation and Academic Achievement in Middle and High School

Objective: Previous research has found that physical activity has considerable potential to promote child development and, thus, should be of interest to social workers. An important gap in the literature regards the potential of school sports to increase academic outcomes. The goal of this cross-sectional analysis was to examine a partially mediated hypothesis linking school sports participation with academic achievement via positive body-weight image and global self-esteem. Method: Data are from a convenience sample of 3,186 students in the 6th to 9th grades from 14 schools in one North Carolina county. All measures were taken from the School Success Profile survey. Latent variable structural equation modeling was used with appropriate estimation methods for the nonnormal, ordinal, and clustered data. Results: The measurement model and structural models exhibited acceptable fit. Results indicate that school sports participation was significantly associated with academic achievement, positive body-image perceptions, and self-esteem. Overall, participation in school sports demonstrated a significant standardized effect (.225) on academic achievement. Comparison with an alternative model comprising only nonsports extracurricular-activity participation found that the school sports model was both distinct and preferred. Conclusions: Findings suggest that school sports may promote several outcomes of interest to social workers, and that social work research should further investigate the mechanisms underlying these relationships.

Emotion Understanding, Social Competence and School Achievement in Children from Primary School in Portugal.

This study analyzes the relationship between emotion understanding and school achievement in children of primary school, considering age, gender, fluid intelligence, mother’s educational level and social competence. In this study participated 406 children of primary school. The instruments used were the Test of Emotion Comprehension, Colored Progressive Matrices of Raven, Socially Action and Interpersonal Problem Solving Scale. The structural equation model showed the relationship between the emotion understanding and school performance depends on a mediator variable that in the context of the study was designated social competence. Age appear as an explanatory factor of the differences found, the mother’s educational level only predicts significantly social emotional competence, fluid intelligence is a predictor of emotion understanding, school achievement and social emotional competence. Regarding the influence of sex, emotional understanding does not emerge as a significant predictor of social emotional competence in girls or boys. Multiple relationships between the various factors associated with school achievement and social emotional competence are discussed as well as their implications in promoting child development and school success.

Promoting Play Participation and Parent Competence in Early Intervention: A Program Effectiveness Study

Abstract Date Presented 4/1/2017 Interventions implemented in early intervention need to result in outcomes that promote child development and build family capacity. This research illustrates a transdisciplinary community-based playgroup implemented to improve child playfulness, caregiver sense of competence, and participation. Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah Fabrizi Additional Authors and Speakers: Kristin Hubbell

The role of preschool quality in promoting child development: evidence from rural Indonesia

ABSTRACTThis article examines the relationship between preschool quality and children’s early development in a sample of over 7900 children enrolled in 578 preschools in rural Indonesia. Quality was measured by: (1) classroom observations using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R); (2) teacher characteristics; and (3) structural characteristics of preschools. Children’s development was measured using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The article proposes two methodological improvements to preschool quality studies. First, an instrumental variable approach is used to correct for measurement error. Second, ECERS-R is adjusted to the local context by contrasting items with Indonesia’s national preschool standards. Results show that observed classroom quality is a significant and meaningful positive predictor of children’s development once models correct for measurement error and apply a locally-adapted measure of classroom quality. In contrast, teacher characteristics and structural characteristics are not significant predictors of child development, while holding observed classroom quality constant.

Integrating the little talks intervention into Early Head Start: An experimental examination of implementation supports involving fidelity monitoring and performance feedback

Enriching home visiting services by incorporating scientifically-supported interventions is a means for improving their effectiveness in promoting child development. However, deliberate efforts to ensure that home visitors are fully knowledgeable and supported to implement interventions with parents of young children are necessary. In this experimental study, a randomly-assigned group of Early Head Start home visitors monitored the fidelity of their provision of a scientifically-based intervention, Little Talks, and the program's general child development services. On a bi-weekly basis, home visitors received performance feedback specific to their implementation of Little Talks and based upon the fidelity data. Findings demonstrated that home visitors showed immediate and consistent mastery of the Little Talks content, while the quality of their implementation, including their clinical decision-making and collaborative processes, improved to adequate levels over time. The Little Talks home visitors showed generalized improvements in their ability to obtain Parent Input while providing the program's typical child development services were detected. In fact, Little Talks home visitors' were superior in obtaining Parent Input relative to comparison home visitors. Further, parents for whom low-quality intervention implementation was observed discontinued their enrollment in home visiting prematurely, while high-quality implementation was associated with sustained enrollment. Limitations for this study are identified, leading to future directions for advancing home visitors' incorporation of evidence-based practices.

Transition to Kindergarten: Negative Associations between the Emotional Availability in Mother-Child Relationships and Elevated Cortisol Levels in Children with an Immigrant Background.

Background: The transition to child care is a challenging time in a child’s life and leads to elevated levels of cortisol. These elevations may be influenced by the quality of the mother–child relationship. However, remarkably little is known about cortisol production in response to the beginning of child care among children-at-risk such as children with an immigrant background. However, attending kindergarten or any other child day-care institution can for example have a compensating effect on potential language deficits thus improving the educational opportunities of these children.Method: Data of a subsample of N = 24 “hard-to-reach” mother–child dyads was collected in the context of the psychoanalytic early prevention project FIRST STEPS. The project focuses on the earliest integration of children with an immigrant background by supporting parenting capacities in the critical phase of migration and early parenthood. Children’s hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was assessed 1 week before (mean age = 38.77 months) and 3 months after kindergarten entry (mean age = 42.26 months). Hair analysis was conducted for both times of measurement, reflecting the first 3 months after kindergarten entry and 3 months prior. Furthermore, the emotional quality of the mother–child relationship was assessed with the help of the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS; Biringen, 2008) shortly before kindergarten entry when the children were about 3 years old (mean age = 37.2).Results and Conclusion: Children’s mean cumulated HCC was higher after kindergarten entry than before. The increase correlated negatively with several dimensions of the EAS. Repeated measures ANCOVA revealed that particularly responsive children and children who had experienced less intrusive mother–child relationships demonstrated lower elevations in HCC after kindergarten entry. Furthermore, a decreased EA score was found in all EA dimensions, besides the dimension “mother’s non-hostility,” indicating problematic EA within the mother–child relationships of the sample. The results suggest that children with an immigrant background who experience more emotional available mother–child relationships seem to regulate stress induced by kindergarten entry more effectively, indicated by lower cortisol elevations after entry. This implicates that supporting early mother–child relationships by intervention may have a positive effect on the children’s ability to regulate stress induced by kindergarten entry thus promoting child development.

Promoting child development through group-based parent support within a cash transfer program: Experimental effects on children's outcomes.

We examined effects on child development of a group-based parenting support program (Educación Inicial - EI) when combined with Mexico's conditional cash transfer (CCT) program (Prospera, originally Oportunidades and Progresa). This cluster-randomized trial included 204 communities (n = 1,113 children in final sample), stratified by community indigenous status, and assigned to receive either: (T0) CCT only; (T1) CCT plus availability of EI in the community; or (T2) T1 plus promotion of the EI program by the CCT program. Interviews were conducted with the mother or primary caregiver of each child at baseline (2008, children 0-18 months old), and at follow-up (2012, children 3-5 years old); the intervention began after baseline and continued for all eligible households. Cognitive development was assessed with the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (baseline) and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Development (follow-up); assessors were blinded to treatment. All analyses were intention to treat. There were significant effects on child development when EI received support and promotion from the CCT program (T₂ vs. T₀: General Cognitive Index, β = 3.90; 95% CI [0.51, 7.30], Verbal Score, β = 4.28; 95% CI [0.51, 8.05], and Memory Score, β = 4.14; 95% CI [0.62, 7.66]), effects equivalent to 0.26-0.29 SD. There were no significant benefits when the programs operated independently (T₁ vs. T₀). In stratified analyses, EI showed significant effects in indigenous communities only. We found consistent results in regressions controlling for covariates, with some reductions in magnitude of differences. Our findings suggest that group-based, parenting support programs can improve child outcomes within the context of a CCT, but only when the 2 programs are integrated and mutually supportive. (PsycINFO Database Record

Delivering integrated child development care in Pakistan: protocol for a clustered randomised trial.

BackgroundEarly childhood developmental delay is associated with significant disadvantage in adult life. In Pakistan, high prevalence of developmental delay is associated with poverty, under-nutrition, and maternal depression.AimTo assess the effectiveness of an early child development counselling intervention delivered at private GP clinics, in poor urban communities.Design & settingA clustered randomised trial in Pakistan.MethodThe intervention was developed following a period of formative research, and in consultation with local experts. A total of 2112 mother–child pairs will be recruited at 32 clinics, from within the locality (cluster); 16 clinics per arm. A primary care counselling intervention (promoting child development, nutrition, and maternal mental health) will be delivered at 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 9 months of the child’s age. Monitoring, assessment, and treatment will also be performed at quarterly visits in intervention clinics. Primary outcome is the developmental delay at 12 months (ASQ-3 scores). Secondary outcomes are stunting rate, and maternal depression (PHQ-9 score). In addition, a process evaluation and costing study will be conducted.DiscussionThis trial will be the first to assess an early child development intervention, delivered in private GP clinics for poor urban communities in Pakistan. If found to be effective, this public–private model may offer a more sustainable, and feasible option for populations in poor urban settings, where private GP clinics are the most accessible provider of primary health care. There is scope for scale-up at provincial level, should the intervention be effective.Trial registrationThe trial has been registered with the Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN48032200.