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Diarrhea, stimulation and growth predict neurodevelopment in young North Indian children

Ingrid Kvestad1, Sunita Taneja2, Mari Hysing3

  • 1Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Uni Research Health, Bergen, Norway.

Plos One
|April 1, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Early child stimulation and nutrition are crucial for neurodevelopment in low-income countries. Diarrhea also negatively impacts cognitive development in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Global Health

Background:

  • Infants and young children in low to middle-income countries face significant risks to neurodevelopment.
  • Multiple factors, including infections, nutrition, and learning environments, contribute to these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify key predictors of neurodevelopment in young children from North India.
  • To investigate the roles of stimulation, learning opportunities, growth, and illness burden (respiratory infections, diarrhea) as predictors.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study involving 422 North Indian children aged 6 to 30 months over six months.
  • Weekly visits for illness assessment and biweekly assessments for childhood illnesses.
  • Neurodevelopment assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3rd ed. (ASQ-3) at study conclusion.

Main Results:

  • Predictors explained 30.5% of the variation in ASQ-3 scores.
  • Stimulation and learning opportunities were the strongest predictors, explaining 25.1% of the variation.
  • Positive associations were found between height-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores and ASQ-3 scores; days with diarrhea showed a negative association.

Conclusions:

  • Early childhood stimulation and adequate nutrition are vital for optimal child development.
  • Diarrhea emerges as an additional risk factor for adverse neurodevelopment in vulnerable populations.
Abstract

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