Effect of Low Linear Growth and Caregiving with Poor Psychosocial Aspects on Cognitive Development of Toddlers

The purpose of this study was to analyze effect of linear growth and psychosocial aspects of caregiving on cognitive development of toddlers. Methods: Longitudinal studies were carried out from pregnancy to three years old children in Bogor. The collected data included body height, nutritional status based on height by age index, morbidity, aspects of caregiving, and cognitive development of three years old children. Linear growth data is obtained from anthropometric measurements of height at birth, age six months, and twelve months measured using a length measuring instrument body with a precision level of 0.10 cm. Caregiving of psychosocial aspect divided by some characteristics, such as learning stimulation, language stimulation, academic stimulation, modelling, warmth and acceptance, caregiving variation, punishment & acceptance and physical environment. Cognitive development measurement was divided into two categories, namely delay and appropriate to age. Multiple logistic regression was applied to analyze the effects. Toddlers who were born stunted and continued to be stunted until they were three years old had lower cognitive development than stunted newborns that were able to achieve normal height at three years old. In addition, children who experience caregiving with poor psychosocial aspects had lower cognitive development than those with good caregiving. This study highlighted the importance efforts to improve nutritional status of children as well as providing good care for them.