A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, shows that caregiving programs are five times more effective than nutrition programs in supporting smarter, not just taller, children in low- and middle-income countries.
The , published in the journal The Lancet Global Health, examined 75 early intervention programs and their effects on children鈥檚 growth and brain development. Researchers have known adequate nutrition during pregnancy and childhood improve both conditions. But children growing up in poverty face a variety of risk factors that could govern growth and development differently.
鈥淥ur study found that we can鈥檛 just focus on nutrition. Other aspects of nurturing care are just as, if not more important in supporting healthy brains,鈥 said lead author Elizabeth Prado, assistant professor of nutrition at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis.
Prado says interventions that promote caregiving and learning, such as parents playing games, singing songs and telling stories with their children, have far bigger effects on children鈥檚 cognitive skills, language skills and motor development.
鈥淲e knew that nurturing care was important but were struck by how big its benefits were compared to nutrition and growth,鈥 added Leila Larson, a lead collaborator from the University of Melbourne.
Investing in caregiving and learning
Global health programs typically focus on preventing stunting, when children are not growing in height the way they should for their age. Stunted growth has also been associated with lower than average school achievement and cognitive scores.
鈥淭he association has been influential in prioritizing a global agenda to promote nutrition and growth,鈥 said senior author Anuraj Shankar, with the Center for Tropical Medicine and Global Health at Oxford University. 鈥淗owever, our true goal isn鈥檛 just for children to grow taller but for them to fulfill their developmental potential. The study shows that won鈥檛 happen unless we target caregiving to nurture thriving individuals and communities.鈥
Globally, an estimated 156 million children younger than 5 years have stunted growth and an estimated 250 million are at risk of not fulfilling their developmental potential.
Media Resources
Elizabeth Prado, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis Department of Nutrition, 301-697-9542, elprado@ucdavis.edu
Amy Quinton, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis News and Media Relations, 530-752-9843, amquinton@ucdavis.edu
Karen Nikos-Rose, 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis News and Media Relations, 530-219-5472, kmnikos@ucdavis.edu
Anuraj Shankar, Center for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford University, 617-955-6724, anuraj.shankar@ndm.ox.ac.uk