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CDC Kerala--The Untold Story
M K C Nair1,2, Leena Mundapalliyil Leela3,4, Babu George4
1Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India. cdcmkc@gmail.com.
Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|March 19, 2016
Summary
This study details the 25-year development of Child Development Centre (CDC) Kerala, establishing a link between childhood disability, low birth weight, adolescent nutrition, and adult lifestyle diseases. Early stimulation interventions were proven effective for high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Public Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- The Child Development Centre (CDC) Kerala has evolved over 25 years from a research project into a national training center.
- Established a significant conceptual framework linking childhood disability, low birth weight, adolescent nutrition, and adult lifestyle diseases.
- The center's work spans clinical child development, adolescent care, and premarital counseling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the lifetime experience in conceptualizing and developing the Child Development Centre (CDC) Kerala.
- To highlight the major contribution of CDC Kerala in establishing a conceptual framework for developmental and health outcomes.
- To document the process of institution building for child and adolescent development services.
Main Methods:
- Initiated with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess early stimulation's impact on high-risk infants.
- Longitudinal follow-up of the same cohort at multiple developmental stages (1-2, 5, 13, 16, 19, and 24 years).
- Systematic development and presentation of CDC Kerala's work across clinical child development, adolescent care, and premarital counseling.
Main Results:
- The randomized controlled trial (RCT) provided conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of early stimulation in improving neurodevelopmental status in high-risk infants.
- Long-term follow-up confirmed the lasting impact of early interventions and established links between early life factors and later health outcomes.
- CDC Kerala successfully transitioned into a national training center, demonstrating effective institution building.
Conclusions:
- Early stimulation is a proven effective intervention for improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk infants.
- A strong correlation exists between childhood disability, low birth weight, adolescent nutrition, and the onset of adult lifestyle diseases.
- The development of CDC Kerala exemplifies successful institution building for comprehensive child and adolescent care and training.