Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
A View of Their Own: Capturing the Egocentric View of Infants and Toddlers with Head-Mounted Cameras
Published on: October 5, 2018
Early intervention guidelines for infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay using traditional childcare practices
Tanochni Mohanty1, Mallikarjunaiah H S2, Umme Uzma M3
1Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal College of Health Professions, Bengaluru, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India tanochni.mohanty@manipal.edu.
Insights
Traditional Indian child-rearing practices align with early intervention (EI) principles. Videos were created from these practices to train community health workers, supporting early childhood development.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Public Health
- Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders are a growing concern in India, affecting approximately 1 in 8 children.
- The first 1000 days of life are critical for brain development and long-term outcomes.
- Global early intervention (EI) strategies emphasize caregiver involvement and enriched environments, but training for grassroots workers is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore traditional Indian child-rearing practices that align with evidence-based EI principles.
- To develop culturally relevant, easy-to-follow video resources for training grassroots health workers, specifically Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA).
Main Methods:
- Conducted 11 focus group discussions with 121 mothers and grandmothers across diverse Indian regions.
- Gathered insights into daily caregiving routines for infants under 1 year through open-ended prompts.
- Thematically analyzed transcribed conversations by infant age group (0-12 months) and developed EI videos based on recurring practices, validated by community and expert feedback.
Main Results:
- Identified common Indian practices like massage, floor play, lullabies, and face-to-face interaction as consistent with global EI principles.
- Developed video resources from these traditional practices were positively received by caregivers and experts.
- Videos were found to be clear, culturally relevant, and practically useful for training purposes.
Conclusions:
- Indian families inherently practice nurturing routines that foster early development.
- Documenting and disseminating these traditional practices through accessible videos bridges traditional wisdom with modern science.
- Empowering parents and ASHA workers with these resources can effectively support children's development within the home environment.
Background:
India is witnessing a growing concern around neurodevelopmental disorders, with nearly one in eight children potentially affected. The early years of life, especially the first 1000 days offer a crucial window to support brain development and positive long-term outcomes. Global early intervention (EI) strategies focus on caregiver involvement, enriched environments and learning through meaningful repetition. However, applying these approaches in everyday community settings remains challenging due to the need for specialised training which is inaccessible for grassroots-level workers. Interestingly, many traditional Indian caregiving practices echo these global principles, though they remain undocumented in scientific literature.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore traditional Indian child-rearing practices aligned with evidence-based EI and developing culturally rooted, easy-to-follow video resources to train grassroots-level workers (Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA)).
Methods:
We conducted 11 focus group discussions with 121 mothers and grandmothers from varied regions and cultural backgrounds across India. Using open-ended prompts, we gathered insights into daily caregiving routines for infants under 1 year of age. Conversations were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed by age group (0-3, 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12 months). Based on recurring patterns, a series of EI videos was created and validated through community and expert feedback.
Results:
Findings revealed that many common Indian practices-such as massage, floor play, lullabies and face-to-face interaction-align closely with global EI principles. The videos developed from these practices were well-received by caregivers and experts for their clarity, cultural relevance and practical usefulness.
Conclusions:
Indian families already practise many nurturing routines that support early development. By capturing these practices in simple, accessible videos, we can bridge traditional wisdom with modern science-empowering parents and ASHA workers to support children's development meaningfully in the home environment.
More Related Videos
07:09Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior
Published on: November 14, 2018
08:30Author Spotlight: Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in Fruit Flies — Genetic Models and Behavioral Tests
Published on: September 6, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I
Daycare centers
They provide several functions. Some facilities care for healthy newborns and children whose parents work, while others are medically focused and care for...
01:29Nursing Interventions II: Selecting and Classifying the Nursing Interventions
01:29Environmental Influences on Intelligence
01:21The Nativist Approach
01:19Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.