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Determinants of Early Child Development.
1Department of Neonatology, University Multidisciplinary Hospital "MEDICA Ruse" Ltd, Ruse, Bulgaria.
Sage Open Pediatrics
|July 9, 2026
Summary
Longer breastfeeding benefits child development in communication, fine motor, and problem-solving skills. Prenatal factors like tobacco exposure negatively impact these areas, highlighting distinct influences on early development.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Early childhood development is influenced by a complex interplay of biological, prenatal, nutritional, and social factors.
- Limited evidence exists on the domain-specific associations of these factors with developmental outcomes in Eastern Europe.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between biological, prenatal, nutritional, and social factors and developmental outcomes measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3).
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 167 Bulgarian children aged 14-42 months.
- Parents completed ASQ-3 questionnaires and a survey on family and prenatal characteristics.
- Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine predictors for each ASQ-3 domain.
Main Results:
- Longer breastfeeding duration positively correlated with communication, fine motor, and problem-solving skills.
- Prenatal tobacco exposure was linked to lower scores in communication, fine motor, and problem-solving domains.
- Communication outcomes were also associated with residential setting and bilingualism; no predictors were found for gross motor development.
Conclusions:
- Different domains of early child development exhibit unique relationships with prenatal, nutritional, and social factors.
- These findings underscore the importance of considering multifaceted influences on child development in diverse populations.
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