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Caretakers, child care practices, and growth failure in highland Ecuador
J P Stansbury1, W R Leonard, K M DeWalt
1Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, USA. jstansbu@ufl.edu
Insights
Child sibling caretaking shows no direct link to growth failure in Ecuador. However, peer care can worsen health for already ill children, suggesting community day care as a better option.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Child and sibling caretaking are often linked to child health problems.
- High rates of chronic undernutrition (stunting >75%, underweight ~25%) exist in highland Ecuador.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between peer caretaking and child growth failure in highland Ecuador.
- To explore the nuances of sibling caretaking in a high-poverty, undernourished population.
Main Methods:
- Structured observations of 28 children.
- Analysis of growth indices (stunting, underweight).
- Qualitative data collection to understand specific case complications.
Main Results:
- No statistical association found between peer caretaking and child growth indices.
- Qualitative data revealed peer care can complicate health for already compromised children.
- Dietary inadequacy and rural poverty appear more significant risk factors than caretaker type.
Conclusions:
- Peer caretaking's impact on child growth is ambiguous and context-dependent.
- Community day care may offer a safer alternative in settings with high undernutrition and poverty.
- Addressing underlying factors like nutrition and poverty is crucial for child health.
Abstract:
Problems for child health have been attributed to child and sibling caretaking. Nevertheless, our data from highland Ecuador suggest an ambiguous relationship between growth failure and the practice of peer care. In a region where levels of chronic undernutrition as measured by stunting exceed 75 percent and fully one-quarter of children under five are underweight, analysis of structured observations of a sample of 28 children reveals no statistical association between growth indices and the practice of older children caring for younger children. Qualitative data, however, indicate that the practice can be a complication in specific cases where children already suffer compromised health. While the advantages or disadvantages associated with particular caretakers appear secondary to the risks attending inadequate diets or the broader environment of rural poverty, the potential for difficulties to emerge from peer care suggests that community day care provides a valuable alternative in this context.