Is something better than nothing? An evaluation of early childhood programs in Cambodia.

This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of home-based, community-based, and state-run early childhood programs across Cambodia. A total of 880 five-year-olds (55% girls) from 6 rural provinces in Cambodia attending State Preschools, Community Preschools, Home-Based Programs, or no programs were assessed twice using the Cambodian Developmental Assessment Test. Controlling for baseline differences, children who participated in any early childhood programs performed significantly better in posttest than those of children who did not participate in any programs.

Strategies for reducing inequalities and improving developmental outcomes for young children in low-income and middle-income countries.

This report is the second in a Series on early child development in low-income and middle-income countries and assesses the effectiveness of early child development interventions, such as parenting support and preschool enrolment. The evidence reviewed suggests that early child development can be improved through these interventions, with effects greater for programmes of higher quality and for the most vulnerable children. Other promising interventions for the promotion of early child development include children's educational media, interventions with children at high risk, and combining the promotion of early child development with conditional cash transfer programmes.

Responsive feeding: implications for policy and program implementation.

In this article, we examine responsive feeding as a nutrition intervention, with an emphasis on the development and incorporation of responsive feeding into policies and programs over the last 2 decades and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of responsive feeding interventions. A review of policy documents from international agencies and high-income countries reveals that responsive feeding has been incorporated into nutrition policies. Official guidelines from international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and professional organizations often include best practice recommendations for responsive feeding.

INCAP studies of malnutrition and cognitive behavior.

The Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) has made major contributions to the study of the effects of malnutrition on learning. This report summarizes work on the relationship of nutrition to children's learning and development from the 1960's through 1998. The Oriente Longitudinal Study examined the effects of two types of supplementation for mothers and young children on their growth and development (an energy-only drink compared with a protein-energy drink) using a quasi-experimental design.

Maternal mental health: program and policy implications.

Despite increasing evidence of the seriousness of maternal depression, the number of individuals affected, and the impact of maternal depression on infant growth and development, maternal mental health has not become a component of the primary health care system in many parts of the world. The impact appears to be greatest in South Asia, possibly among low-income families. Some interventions, such as increases in social support or the education of mothers about responsive caregiving, appear to be effective in reducing maternal distress.

The effect of poverty on child development and educational outcomes.

Poverty affects a child's development and educational outcomes beginning in the earliest years of life, both directly and indirectly through mediated, moderated, and transactional processes. School readiness, or the child's ability to use and profit from school, has been recognized as playing a unique role in escape from poverty in the United States and increasingly in developing countries. It is a critical element but needs to be supported by many other components of a poverty-alleviation strategy, such as improved opportunity structures and empowerment of families.

Strategies to avoid the loss of developmental potential in more than 200 million children in the developing world.

This paper is the third in the Child Development Series. The first paper showed that more than 200 million children under 5 years of age in developing countries do not reach their developmental potential. The second paper identified four well-documented risks: stunting, iodine deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia, and inadequate cognitive stimulation, plus four potential risks based on epidemiological evidence: maternal depression, violence exposure, environmental contamination, and malaria.

Infant feeding styles: barriers and opportunities for good nutrition in India.

India has the lion's share of malnourished children in the world. Poverty and social exclusion contribute to this rate of malnutrition, but care practices also play a role. Breastfeeding is rarely exclusive, sanitation tends to be limited, complementary feeding often begins late, and the quantities are small.