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Promoting child development at sick-child visits: a controlled trial.
Ilgi Ozturk Ertem1, Gulsum Atay, Bahar Emine Bingoler
1Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Cebeci, Ankara 06100, Turkey. ertemilgi@yahoo.com
Pediatrics
|July 5, 2006
Summary
The Care for Development Intervention effectively supports caregivers in creating stimulating environments for young children during acute illness visits. This intervention improves child development outcomes without affecting medical treatment compliance or illness recovery.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Global Health
- Pediatric Care
Background:
- Healthcare systems in developing countries are crucial for reaching young children and influencing development.
- A gap exists in caregiver information for child development support between Western and developing nations.
- The World Health Organization and UNICEF developed the Care for Development Intervention to address this gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Care for Development Intervention.
- To assess the intervention's impact when delivered during acute minor illness visits for young children.
Main Methods:
- A sequentially conducted controlled trial was employed.
- Pediatricians delivered standard care (comparison) then standard care plus the intervention.
- Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) assessed outcomes at 1 month.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significantly higher optimal HOME scores (17.5% vs 6.2%) at 1 month.
- More families in the intervention group had homemade toys and reported reading to their children.
- Maternal education and child age >6 months were predictors of optimal HOME scores.
Conclusions:
- The Care for Development Intervention effectively enhances caregiver-child interaction and home environment stimulation.
- Healthcare professionals can utilize this intervention during routine acute illness visits.
- The intervention supports child development without compromising medical care outcomes.