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A systematic review and meta-analysis of early childhood intervention programs for developmental difficulties in

Sapna V Kumar1, Shweta Narayan1, Palash Kumar Malo2

  • 1Junior Research Fellow, ICMR Project, Department of Clinical Psychology.

Asian Journal of Psychiatry
|March 1, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Early intervention programs show significant positive effects for young children with developmental difficulties in low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review highlights the need for expanded access to these crucial services.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Global Health
  • Intervention Science

Background:

  • Early identification of developmental difficulties is crucial for effective prevention and treatment in young children.
  • Early intervention services are significantly less accessible in Low- and Middle-Income (LAMI) countries compared to high-income nations.
  • Limited evidence exists on the efficacy of early childhood intervention programs for developmental issues in LAMI settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze the evidence for early childhood intervention programs targeting developmental difficulties in children under five years old in LAMI countries.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of original studies published between 2010 and 2019.
  • Studies focused on developmental difficulties (delays and deviances) in children under five, employed randomized research designs, and were conducted in LAMI countries.
  • Searches were conducted across multiple databases (ProQuest, PubMed, Ovid, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar) following PRISMA guidelines; quality assessment and statistical synthesis were performed.

Main Results:

  • Fourteen publications were identified from 2697 initial records for the systematic review.
  • Four studies met the criteria for meta-analysis, covering interventions in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.
  • The meta-analysis provided considerable evidence supporting the positive effects of early developmental intervention programs.

Conclusions:

  • This systematic review offers evidence supporting the implementation and expansion of early childhood intervention programs in LAMI countries.
  • The findings underscore the importance of these programs for addressing developmental difficulties in young children within resource-limited settings.
  • Implications for policy and practice in early childhood programs are discussed.

Keywords:
0–5 yearsDevelopmental delaysDevelopmental difficultiesEarly childhood interventionsEarly developmental interventionLAMI countries

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