scholarly journals Environmental factors and psychomotor development in children up to the age of 3

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 61-68
Author(s):  
Joanna Owsianowska ◽  
Marta Wawrzynów ◽  
Sylwia Wieder-Huszla ◽  
Paulina Zabielska ◽  
Artur Kotwas ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Chemical compounds and other pollutants found in the environment have a well-documented, adverse effect on the life and health of individuals. Those who are most vulnerable to toxic effects include prospective parents, pregnant women, foetuses, and young children. In Poland, both the prevention and early detection of developmental abnormalities is insufficient. The objective of the study was to analyse how the pre- and postnatal development of a child is affected by toxicants the mother has been exposed to. Materials and methods The study was conducted in the form of a diagnostic survey. The degree of toxic exposure was assessed based on Wawrzynów’s questionnaire, the Mothers’ Toxic Exposure Assessment Questionnaire’ (Kwestionariusz Oceny Narażenia Matek Dzieci na Toksyny – KONT-15). The evaluation of child development was based on the following psychometric tools: the Munich Functional Developmental Diagnostics (MFDD), the Speech (MM-speech) and Reflex (MM-reflexes) Development Questionnaire, IRMIK (Inwentarz Rozwoju Mowy i Komunikacji) – the Polish adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates Communication Development Inventories (CDI), and the Child Development (RD-18) questionnaire, also designed by Wawrzynów. Results The study included 102 mothers of children up to 3 years of age. Most of the surveyed mothers indicated large urban agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants as their current place of residence. The study demonstrated that a substantial majority of the mothers had come into contact with toxicants. A statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between developmental delays in children and high exposure to toxins in mothers. There was no statistically significant relationship between maternal exposure to toxins and delays in the development of speech and reflexes. Conclusions Environmental pollutants found primarily in air, food, medication, and everyday items, exert a negative influence on childhood development. A high maternal exposure to toxins contributes to developmental delays in speech and reflexes in children. Delays in speech and communication development were observed more frequently in children who were older. Developmental delays in children were more common among younger children.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Noorlaila Yunus ◽  
Cairul Azwa Azimi

Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) has been widely studied across the boarders especially in the western countries. This workplace voluntary behaviour is associated with many predictors that may bring whether major, minor or negative influence towards the engagement of employees’ OCB. Basically, this study is focusing on motivation as the predictor or independent variable that influence employees’ engagement on the OCB (altruism, conscientiousness, courtesy, civic virtue and sportsmanship) behaviour. Herzberg’s motivator factor (achievement, advancement, recognition and growth) has been chosen as the independent variable. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed conveniently to respondents. With 125 questionnaires returned, researcher was able to analyze the data based on the research questions and hypotheses developed. The findings showed moderate and weak, significant relationship between the variable excluding the relationship between independent variable and civic virtue and sportsmanship. Thus, Herzberg’s motivator factor was not a predictor to civic virtue and sportsmanship behaviour. However for the strongest predictor; achievement, growth and growth are strongly predicts the altruism, conscientiousness and courtesy behaviour respectively. However, with the absence of relationship between independent variable and civic virtue as well as sportsmanship, therefore the strongest predictor cannot be determined as the value recorded was below the criterion.


Author(s):  
Onwaba Makanjana ◽  
Ashika Naicker

Despite the numerous efforts to improve the nutritional status of children, a high prevalence of malnutrition still exists in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the nutritional status of children attending Early Child Development centres in South Africa. In this baseline study, we randomly selected two Early Child Development centres comprising 116 children aged 24–60 months, separated into two cohorts, of 24–47 months and 48–60 months. Dietary intake was measured through the 24 hDR and analysed using Food Finder software. The food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the food variety and food group diversity scores. Anthropometric measurements were taken and the WHO Anthro software was used to convert it to nutritional data indices. Blood samples were collected through dried blood spot cards in order to determine serum retinol and haemoglobin levels and they were assessed using WHO indicators. The findings showed that participants between 24 and 47 months had a high mean energy intake (4906.2 kJ and 4997.9 kJ for girls and boys, respectively). For the 48–60 months age group, energy intake was lower than the EER (5936.4 kJ and 5621.2 kJ; p = 0.038). There was low fruit and vegetable consumption (24–47 months; 63.8 g and 69.5 g (p = 0.037), 48–60 months; 68.3 g and 74.4 g (p = 0.038) and the top five foods consumed were carbohydrate rich foods for girls and boys, respectively. Stunting was noted in 7% and 20% (48–60 months) (p = 0.012) and overweight in 8% and 17% (24–47 months) and 17% and 13% (48–60 months) (p = 0.041) in girls and boys, respectively. Low serum retinol levels (<0.070 µmol/L) were found in 9.1% of boys (24–47 months), and 8% and 7.4% of girls and boys (48–60 months), respectively. Low haemoglobin levels (<11.0 g/dL) were found in 50.0% and 30.4% (24–47 months) and 8.6% and 39.3% (48–60 months) of girls and boys, respectively. Malnutrition, despite many national and provincial initiatives, still exists in Early Childhood Development centres in South Africa, calling for the application of contextualized nutrition interventions to suit resource-poor settings.


Toxics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nozomi Tatsuta ◽  
Kunihiko Nakai ◽  
Mineshi Sakamoto ◽  
Katsuyuki Murata ◽  
Hiroshi Satoh

Seafood is an important component in a healthy diet and may contain methylmercury or other contaminants. It is important to recognize the risks and benefits of consuming seafood. A longitudinal prospective birth cohort study has been conducted to clarify the effects of neurotoxicants on child development—the Tohoku Study of Child Development (TSCD) in Japan. TSCD comprises two cohorts; a polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) cohort (urban area) and a methylmercury cohort (coastal area). Our previous results from the coastal area showed prenatal methylmercury exposure affected psychomotor development in 18-month-olds, and boys appear to be more vulnerable to the exposure than girls. In this report, we have added the urban area cohort and we reanalyzed the impact of prenatal exposure to methylmercury, which gave the same results as before. These findings suggest prenatal exposure to low levels methylmercury may have adverse effects on child development, especially in boys.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-212
Author(s):  
Andrea Diem ◽  
Stefan C. Wolter

Introduction: This study examines the influence of major fluctuations in the number of students enrolling at university on the probability of dropout or a switch to a different course of study. Findings from the US show that a pronounced increase in student numbers leads to more dropouts. Materials and methods: This article provides an analysis of this relationship for the first time outside the US and for an entire university system. We use administrative data for all the students who started studying at Swiss universities between 1980 and 2001. Results: The results suggest a significant relationship between positive cohort growth and the probability of dropout. A reduction in student numbers, on the other hand, does not increase the probability of persistence. Discussion: Despite the negative influence of a big cohort on the probability of persistence, no statistically significant relationship exists, by contrast, between the change in student numbers and the probability of a student switching to a different course of study.


Author(s):  
Marcia Olhaberry ◽  
María José León ◽  
Catalina Sieverson ◽  
Marta Escobar ◽  
Daniela Iribarren ◽  
...  

Relationships with primary caregivers provide the context for early childhood development, and evaluating those relationships during the early years can detect difficulties that may influence future mental health. Video feedback is a valuable intervention tool in early childhood, both for family relationships and child development. An intervention was implemented using this technique, focused on mother-father-child triads that were experiencing difficulties in social-emotional development. Participants were 80 mother-fatherinfant triads (experimental group, EG=40, control group, CG=40), with children between 1 and 3 years old. Socio-emotional difficulties decreased significantly in the children who received the intervention (Wilks λ=0.930, F (1, 78)=5.907; P=.017). There was also an increase in psychomotor development in communication (Wilks λ=0.948, F (1, 78) =4.284; P=.042) and fine motor skills (Wilks λ=0.875, F (1, 78)=11.185; P=.001) in children in the EG compared with children in the CG.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47
Author(s):  
Clair Scrine ◽  
Brad Farrant ◽  
Carol Michie ◽  
Carrington Shepherd ◽  
Michael Wright

AbstractThere is a paucity of published information about conceptions of Aboriginal child rearing and development among urban dwelling Nyoongar/Aboriginal people in Australia. We detail the unique findings from an Aboriginal early child development research project with a specific focus on the Nyoongar/Aboriginal community of Perth, Western Australia. This research significantly expands the understanding of a shared system of beliefs and values among Nyoongar people that differ in important ways from those of the broader Australian (Western) society. Consistent with the findings of research with other Aboriginal groups in Australia, and internationally, our work challenges assumptions underpinning a range of early childhood development policies and highlights the implications of cultural biases and misunderstandings among non-Aboriginal professionals in child and family services, education and other settings.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 226-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda ◽  
Eric A. Storch ◽  
Robert Nelson ◽  
Claudia Evans-Baltodano

Evidence of successful models for promoting early childhood development and for effectively addressing developmental delays is available, yet the adoption of evidence-based strategies is limited in low-income countries. Nicaragua, a low-income country on the Central American isthmus, faces policy-, organizational-, and community-level obstacles which prevent families from receiving the benefits of early child development programs as well as other necessary services for children at risk of or with developmental delays. Failing to address developmental delays in a timely manner leads to detrimental social and economic consequences for families and society at large. In this article, we examine existing information on early childhood development in Nicaragua and discuss some programmatic implications for the recognition and early intervention of developmental delays in Nicaragua.


Author(s):  
Samuel Berlinski ◽  
Marcos Vera-Hernández

A set of policies is at the center of the agenda on early childhood development: parenting programs, childcare regulation and subsidies, cash and in-kind transfers, and parental leave policies. Incentives are embedded in these policies, and households react to them differently. They also have varying effects on child development, both in developed and developing countries. We have learned much about the impact of these policies in the past 20 years. We know that parenting programs can enhance child development, that centre based care might increase female labor force participation and child development, that parental leave policies beyond three months don’t cause improvement in children outcomes, and that the effects of transfers depend much on their design. In this review, we focus on the incentives embedded in these policies, and how they interact with the context and decision makers to understand the heterogeneity of effects and the mechanisms through which these policies work. We conclude by identifying areas of future research.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Pia R. Britto ◽  
Suna Hanöz-Penney ◽  
Liliana Angelica Ponguta ◽  
Diane Sunar ◽  
Ghassan Issa ◽  
...  

Abstract This article provides an overview of selected ongoing international efforts that have been inspired by Edward Zigler's vision to improve programs and policies for young children and families in the United States. The efforts presented are in close alignment with three strategies articulated by Edward Zigler: (a) conduct research that will inform policy advocacy; (b) design, implement, and revise quality early childhood development (ECD) programs; and (c) invest in building the next generation of scholars and advocates in child development. The intergenerational legacy left by Edward Zigler has had an impact on young children not only in the United States, but also across the globe. More needs to be done. We need to work together with a full commitment to ensure the optimal development of each child.


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