The Changing Family and Child Development

Studying the motor sphere of preschool children with mental development delay

Children's development is multifactorial. Although there have been several studies exploring the association of children's development with maternal, child, and environmental factors, we are unaware of any study that assessed those factors in children whose mothers were enrolled in a social safety net programme in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with disadvantaged children's cognitive, language, and motor development at age 6-16 months in deprived settings of urban Bangladesh and to identify relative importance of these factors of children's development. We also explored if there were any gender differences in child development. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a deprived setting of urban Bangladesh. Bayley III was used for assessing children's cognitive, language, and motor development. Multivariable linear regression model was used to find the factors associated with children's development, and dominance analysis was used to explore the relative importance of the factors. Out of the total 599 mother-child dyads, 303 (50.58%) were girls. The factors associated with children's development were length-for-age Z-score (cognitive: B = 1.21 [95% CI = 0.31, 2.11], P = 0.008; language: 1.67 [0.79, 2.55] P < 0.001; motor: 2.15 [1.01, 3.29] P < 0.001) and home environment (cognitive: 0.58 [0.27, 0.89] P < 0.001; language: 0.59 [0.27, 0.92], P < 0.001; motor: 0.44 [0.09, 0.79] P = 0.013). Girls had higher cognitive (1.90 [0.17, 3.6], P = 0.031) and language (2.53 [0.55, 4.51], P = 0.013) development compared with boys. Families with a higher number of under five children within the households had lower language (-1.57 [-2.78, -0.36], P = 0.011) development. Violence against the mother and the families' food security status were not associated with the children's development. Children's length-for-age Z-score (27%) and home stimulation environment (23%) were the most important factors of cognitive development. Children's nutritional status and home environment are important factors for disadvantaged children's development in deprived urban settings of Bangladesh. Both early child development-focussed parenting and nutrition interventions should be considered when designing child development programmes in urban settings in low- and middle-income countries.

Background As policymakers and advocates across the United States look to early childhood educators to improve children's cognitive development so they enter elementary school ready to learn, debates have emerged over what types of practices these educators should be engaged in to achieve this goal. Historically, the field of early childhood education has advocated for teachers to employ developmentally appropriate practices to ready young children for school success. Yet, empirically, the quantitative studies that have examined the impact of these practices on children's cognitive development have produced mixed results. Absent from these debates are qualitative research studies exploring this topic. Purpose of Study To address this issue, this article presents findings from a qualitative metasynthesis that studied whether teachers and/or administrators were engaging in developmentally appropriate practices, and if so, how such practices might influence children's cognitive development. Research Design This qualitative metasynthesis used a template analysis to code 12 peer-reviewed qualitative studies that were based on original research, took place in the United States, and involved practicing teachers and administrators who worked in early childhood settings (birth through Grade 3). Findings The findings appear to demonstrate a positive influence of teachers’ developmentally appropriate practices on children's cognitive development and a negative influence from practices that contrast with this construct. These findings also reveal the need to continue to refine the conception of these practices as well as additional research that examines the influence of such practices on children's development. Conclusion It appears that developmentally appropriate practices can positively influence children's cognitive development. Still, it is uncertain as to what these benefits mean in terms of student outcomes, which has become a fundamental issue for publicly funded early education programs. This metasynthesis points to the need for further research that uses a range of measures to examine the influence of developmentally appropriate practices on children rather than teachers. Such work should pay attention to children's cognitive development as well as attend to children's cultural backgrounds. By doing so, it could help inform the fields of early and elementary school education about the impact of developmentally appropriate practices on children's development so that educators across both contexts can provide instructional practices that ready young children for school success.

Limited longitudinal research has been conducted on the impact of neglect on children's health and well-being. There is a need to consider the impact of specific subtypes of neglect on children's functioning. In addition, there is interest in examining the cumulative effect of experiencing >1 subtype of neglect. To examine the individual and cumulative relationships among physical, psychological, and environmental neglect and children's behavior and development at age 3, and the impact on changes in children's behavior and development between ages 3 and 5. One hundred thirty-six children and their primary caregivers participating in a prospective longitudinal study of children's development and maltreatment were assessed when the children were aged 3 and 5 years. The children were recruited from primary care clinics because of failure to thrive, risk for human immunodeficiency virus, or as a comparison group. Evaluations were conducted in laboratory and home settings using observations, maternal self-report, and standardized testing of the children. Scores on physical, psychological, and environmental neglect were combined into a Cumulative Neglect Index. Regression analyses were run to examine the association of specific subtypes of neglect and of cumulative neglect with children's functioning at age 3, controlling for group, sociodemographic risk, and maternal depression. The analyses were repeated examining the impact on child outcomes at age 5, controlling for the above 3 variables as well as the children's cognitive development and behavior at age 3. Of the subtypes of neglect at age 3, only psychological neglect was significantly associated with increased internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at age 3; the Cumulative Neglect Index was associated with internalizing problems. None of the neglect subtypes or cumulative neglect were predictive of changes in children's behavior and development between ages 3 and 5. Cognitive development of the entire sample was impaired at age 5, averaging 0.85 standard deviations below the norm, and their average externalizing behavior score was significantly problematic with an average of 0.60 standard deviations above the norm. In the context of poverty where many preschool children have poor cognitive development and increased behavior problems, psychological neglect is significantly related to reported behavior problems. Children who experienced multiple types of neglect had increased internalizing problems. Neglect did not explain changes in children's behavior or development between ages 3 and 5. There is a need for pediatricians to identify and address child neglect, particularly psychological neglect, as early as possible. Pediatricians should also screen for maternal depression.

To investigate the status of pubertal development in children born with assisted reproductive technology (ART). A retrospective analysis was performed on the pubertal development data of children born with ART in Peking University Third Hospital from 1994 to 2003 (ART group). The data in the cross-sectional study "Reports on the Physical Fitness and Health Research of Chinese School Students in 2010" were used as a control. The age at menarche and the age at spermarche were compared between the two groups. The status of pubertal development in the overweight and obese children in the ART group was evaluated to investigate the correlation between pubertal development and body mass index (BMI). A total of 200 children born with ART were enrolled in this study, and 72 of them (41 males and 31 females) completed the survey (response rate=36.0%). In the ART group, the mean age at spermarche and the mean age at menarche were 13.9 years (95%CI: 13.7-14.3 years) and 12.2 years (95%CI: 11.8-12.6 years), respectively. There were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the ART and control groups (P>0.05). In the ART group, there were no significant differences in the age at spermarche and the age at menarche between the overweight and obese children and the normal weight children (P>0.05). There were also no significant differences in overweight rate and obesity rate between the children in the ART group and the adolescents in Beijing (P>0.05). In the ART group, there was no significant correlation between the age at spermarche or menarche and BMI (P>0.05). No delayed or precocious puberty is observed in children born with ART. This is consistent with the normal control data. And there is no significant correlation between pubertal development and BMI in children born with ART.

Introduction: Insight into the mother's knowledge of the importance of the first 1000 days of life and child growth and development is very important because child development is related to maternal stimulation. In preliminary studies, it was found that most children experienced delays in motor, cognitive, language, and socio-emotional. If the mother's knowledge of the first 1000 days of life is lacking, it will cause the growth and development of the child to be less than optimal. Objectives: To find out the relationship between the mother's knowledge about the importance of the first 1000 days of life with the child's growth and development. Method: Analytical research of correlation with cross sectional correlation approach. A sample of 50 respondents from a total population of 100 respondents was taken by purposive sampling technique. This research instrument uses questionnaire sheets. This study used the Spearmen Rank correlation statistical test. Result: The results of the mother's knowledge of the importance of the first 1000 days of life with child growth and development obtained a value of Sig-value = 0.351. This means according to the Spearmen Rank test if the value of Sig-value = &gt;0.050 then this study proved that there is no relationship between maternal knowledge about the importance of the first 1000 days of life with child growth and development. Conclusion: There is no relationship between the mother's knowledge about the importance of the first 1000 days of life and the child's growth and development.

Early childhood is a period very sensitive to the environment. This period is referred as the golden age of children's development, the window of opportunity, and the critical time. Appropriate stimulus and good nutrition during this time is important for the child's growth and development in the future. One alternative to develop child's potential is the early childhood education, among which is the playgroup. This study was an observational analytic study with a retrospective cohort design. The study was conducted from April to June 2013. The data were collected using prescreening developmental questionnaires and observation. Sample consisted of 23 kindergarten children from playgroup whose mothers worked and control groups consisted of 23 kindergarten children not from playgroup whose mothers worked. The results of this study were presented descriptively. All kindergarten children not from playgroup had normal development, while from those not from the playgroup, 10 (43.5%) had abnormal development. However, this difference only applied to the sample and could not be generalized because the result of inferential statistical showed that playgroup had no effect on the development of children with p = 0.998. In conclusion, Playgroup does not affect child's development. However, children attending playgroup has potential to undergo normal development than those not attending playgroup. To analyze the influence of playgroup, it is suggested to undertake further study on the influence of play group on the development of pre-kindergarten.

Introduction Bedsharing is a common practice worldwide except in Western societies where it is more controversial. The advantages and disadvantages of bedsharing on child health, safety, and development have been widely debated. This study examines the potential consequences of bedsharing on sleep and child development. Methods The systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and the University librarian advisor. Height electronic data base were searched with no limit on date. To be selected, studies must include only regular practice of bedsharing, have been conducted with children sharing the bed with their parents before the age of three, use an observational design, and present results on sleep quality or duration. The effect of bedsharing was assessed with six outcome measures: sleep quality, sleep duration, attachment quality, autonomy and independence, cognitive skills, as well as emotional and behavioural problems. Due to high heterogeneity in the measures used between studies, a narrative synthesis was done. Studies’ quality was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network framework. Results A total of 28 publications were included, 17 of which were cross-sectional and 11 prospective studies. The studies were carried out between 1989 and 2017 in 25 countries. Sample sizes range from 41 to 55,831 participants aged from 6-week to 18-year old. Samples presented an equivalent amount of boys and girls. 16 studies reported data only on sleep, 7 only on child development, and 5 on both. The quality of the studies was considered low and moderate. For sleep, studies have shown a significant increase in the number of nocturnal awakenings among children who share the parental bed. Evidence of an association between bedsharing and other sleep parameters (difficulty falling asleep, resistance to bedtime, and sleep duration) is inconclusive. Regarding child development, only three studies found a positive impact on autonomy, cognitive skills, and anxiety. The absence of significant results in the remaining studies suggests that bedsharing is not a determining factor in child development. Conclusion The heterogeneity between studies and the quality of available data prevents definitive conclusions about the effects of regular bedsharing on sleep and child development. Support No financial support

Patrice Lee Engle

Strengthening the professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers is crucial for improving the quality of kindergarten education and promoting children's development. In order to explore the impact of the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers and kindergarten language education activities quality on children's language development, a study was conducted. A total of 1,584 children from 90 kindergartens in 5 provinces in China were randomly selected as research participants. Utilizing an independent sample t-test and correlation analysis (with SPSS 26.0 as the tool), the study analyzed the disparities in the professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers of different types, kindergarten language education activities quality, and the children's language developmental levels, as well as the interrelationships among these factors. A multilevel structural equation model (using MPLUS 8.3 as the tool) was employed to analyze the mediating role that the kindergarten language education activities quality plays between the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers and children's language development levels. The results indicate that children in public kindergartens demonstrate significantly higher language development levels than those in private kindergartens. A positive correlation exists between the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers, kindergarten language education activities quality and children's language development levels. Furthermore, kindergarten language education activities quality shows partial mediating effects on the relationship between them. These findings highlight the need to enhance the quality of education in private kindergartens, reduce the disparities in language development levels between private and public kindergartens, and reinforce the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers to provide effective support for children's language development. Ultimately, the study suggests concentrating on the organization and implementation of kindergarten language education activities as a means of evaluating the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers.

Early childhood (0–6 years) is a critical period during which children's brain development occurs rapidly, reaching approximately 80% of adult capacity by the age of 3 years. This development is greatly influenced by stimulation from an early age, both cognitively, language, social-emotional, and motoric. Early stimulation has been proven to play a major role in maximizing children's development potential, preventing delays, and increasing readiness to enter primary education. Children receiving regular stimulation have higher cognitive development scores and a lower risk of delays. This research aims to determine the relationship between parental knowledge and attitudes and the behavior of stimulating children's growth and development at Posyandu Rindu Sejahtera, East Penfui Village. This research uses a quantitative design with a correlational analytical approach. The population in this study were all parents who had children aged 0–5 years and were registered as active participants at Posyandu Rindu Sejahtera, as many as 52 people, with a total population sample. Data analysis uses univariate analysis to describe the frequency distribution of each variable, and bivariate analysis using the Chi-Square test. The results of the research show that there is a significant relationship between parental knowledge and attitudes and the behavior of stimulating children's growth and development.

Good physical and mental health, achievements in school and work, and the ability to empathize with and help other people have their roots in early childhood. Experiences in the first years of life shape what we become—physically, emotionally, and socially. Evidence-based strategies to promote children's development are available and can be feasibly integrated into health, nutrition, education, social, and child protection programs. Three areas are critical foundations for healthy child development: stable, responsive, and nurturing caregiving with opportunities to learn; safe, supportive physical environments; and appropriate nutrition. A stable and engaged family environment in which parents show interest and encourage their child's development and learning is the most important of the foundations. Such supportive human relationships promote and protect a child's physical and mental health, behavior, and learning across his or her lifetime.1 Today, the global community is charting the agenda for sustainable development beyond 2015. It is facing the challenge of responding to a rapidly changing environment in which the proportion of young people making up the world's population is growing quickly, in particular in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, in which basic literacy and numeracy skills are no longer sufficient to compete in an ever faster evolving workplace, and in which a good education is paramount for self-realization and life satisfaction.2 It is against this background that, now more than ever, every individual should have the right to attain their full development potential. Good health and education are critical ingredients for individuals to progress and for societies to reduce inequities. In this regard, the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health singled out investment in early child development as a powerful equalizer.3 In the past decades, considerable progress has been made toward Millennium Development Goal 4 on reducing child mortality. The number of deaths among children younger than 5 years has declined from 12 million in 1990 to 6.6 million in 2012, a reduction of almost 50%. Nevertheless, about a quarter of all children under five, or 162 million children, are stunted, 56% of them living in Asia and 36% in Africa.4 Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sexual violence, domestic violence, and escalating rates of substance use are a reality for too many families. Evidence suggests that close to a third of all children under five, or 200 million children, do not attain their full development capacity. The health sector has a unique responsibility, because it has the greatest reach to children and their families during critical time periods that affect child development. The first window of opportunity is during pregnancy, birth, and in early childhood, the first 1000 days, when essential interventions for health, nutrition, and psychosocial development have a great impact. The second window of opportunity is during adolescence, an ideal time to help young people prepare for future parenthood and facilitate their access to effective preconception care. WHO is committed to early child development through an approach that binds together many areas of the organization: reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health; nutrition; mental health and substance abuse management; violence and injury prevention; environmental health; and social determinants of health. The intervention that weaves as a red thread through all these initiatives is Care for Development.5 Care for Development strengthens caregiver–child interactions and helps families be sensitive to children's needs and respond appropriately. Through simple activities, such as play and communication, it promotes children's growth and development and helps reduce mental stress and illness, particularly in women. As messages and counseling activities are fully aligned to those for infant and young child feeding, the Care for Development intervention can be fully integrated in nutrition and health interventions, making the critical link for healthy growth and development. While we have the means to make a difference, this volume of Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences clearly illustrates that much more has to be learned about effective implementation models, their cost and impact. The multisectoral factors that influence child development need to be better addressed and documented through synergy of programs and policies. The foundations for early child development that can be built through the health sector need to be sustained in preschool and primary education, and complemented with additional measures, such as cash transfers and social protection safety nets, in particular for those who are most deprived. More is needed to stimulate multisectoral partnerships and investment in large-scale, national programs that integrate critical elements for early child development, in particular in low-income and middle-income countries. The time is right for action. Global leaders are committing to the goals of A Promise Renewed, with the aim to end preventable neonatal and child deaths by 2035.6 Global action plans have been developed for reaching every mother, every newborn,7 and every child8 with essential interventions and quality health care. These provide a revitalized and strong programmatic foundation for integrated health, nutrition, and development interventions. As WHO, we intend to fully capitalize on these opportunities and work with member states and partners to ensure that every child has the best possible opportunity to realize its full development potential.

Excellent motor development is that the improvement of children's movements that use little muscles or solely bound body elements. Hidayat (2005) said that the development of preschool age children includes aspects of gross and excellent motor skills, language and social adaptation. The development of this aspect can be stimulated, one of which is the use of Educational Game Tools. The purpose of this research was to establish the effectiveness of using educational games to stimulate excellent motor development in preschool children at TKIT Bunayya Lhokseumawe.&#x0D; The method used in this research is Semi Experiment with a population of 152 TKIT Bunayya students. The sampling technique used is the Arbitrary Testing technique, with a total of 20 respondents who were given stimulation at the time of information collection. The data collection was carried out on 27 to 31 August 2018. The information from this study was processed using the dependent t-test of educational game variables and fine motor development in preschool children.&#x0D; The results showed that the use of educational games was effective in stimulating fine motor development in preschool children with p-esteem = 0.000 &lt; (0.05). It is recommended to use educational game tools to stimulate motor development in children according to their developmental age. For other researchers, it is better to use other game tools to stimulate development and can develop this research with a large number of samples and have a control group.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the quality of the kindergarten environment created on the development of children in the areas of health, language, social, science and art. The study was designed using a quantitative approach with a sample of 368 kindergarten teachers in Lanzhou, China, who taught children between the ages of 3 and 6 years. The sample for this study was selected through random sampling and the research instruments were a child development assessment form and a questionnaire to assess the quality of the environment created. The results of the study show a positive correlation between the quality of the kindergarten environment creation and the impact on the development of young children. In order to promote the holistic development of preschool children, we conclude the study with the following educational recommendations: kindergarten educators should focus on the quality of kindergarten environment creation and raise awareness of environment creation. Establish a physical and spiritual environment that is suitable for the development of young children. Children should have full contact with the quality of their kindergarten environment during their kindergarten life and learning. In doing different types of activities, children will develop more fully in the areas of health, language, social, science and art. Educators need to make use of a variety of materials in the kindergarten environment and also intervene when children are playing to create a quality and prepared environment for children. In future research, it is recommended that mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) be used, including interviews or observations, to give more depth to the study and to give a true picture of the impact of the quality of the environment on children's development.

The purpose of the study was to find out how the behavior development of elementary school children in Puguh Village, Boja District, used smartphones with high intensity during the pandemic. This type of research is qualitative research. The method used is the interview method, and the questionnaire method (questionnaire). The data analysis technique used is to analyze research data, with qualitative analysis to determine the development of children's behavior using smartphones with high intensity during the pandemic. The results showed that the behavioral development of elementary school children in Puguh Village, Boja District who used smartphones with high intensity during the pandemic period was not good, as well as the moral development of children because children had poor manners when talking to older people. In the development of religion, children often delay worship activities. Social development, children spend a lot of time at home playing with smartphones so that their interaction with the community is reduced. Emotional development, children become irritable and emotional. Based on the results of the research and discussion, it was concluded that the use of smartphones with high intensity during the pandemic had a negative impact on the behavioral development of elementary school children.