Developmental potential in the first 5 years for children in developing countries

Abstract

SummaryMany children younger than 5 years in developing countries are exposed to multiple risks, including poverty, malnutrition, poor health, and unstimulating home environments, which detrimentally affect their cognitive, motor, and social-emotional development. There are few national statistics on the development of young children in developing countries. We therefore identified two factors with available worldwide data—the prevalence of early childhood stunting and the number of people living in absolute poverty—to use as indicators of poor development. We show that both indicators are closely associated with poor cognitive and educational performance in children and use them to estimate that over 200 million children under 5 years are not fulfilling their developmental potential. Most of these children live in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. These disadvantaged children are likely to do poorly in school and subsequently have low incomes, high fertility, and provide poor care for their children, thus contributing to the intergenerational transmission of poverty.

The impact of an integrated community-based micronutrient and health programme on stunting in Malawian preschool children

“…Stunting, which primarily affects children in their second year of life (2)(3)(4) , is a result of chronic inadequate intake of energy and nutrients, as well as frequent infections (1) .…”

“…Consequently, stunted children tend to have poor school enrolment, retention and progress, as well as low literacy, numeracy and general knowledge (1,9) . Later in life, such disadvantages may increase vulnerability to poverty, thereby sustaining an inter-generational cycle of social and economic deprivation.…”

The potential role of optical biopsy in the study and diagnosis of environmental enteric dysfunction

“…It is now thought that EED is an important component of the link between poor environmental conditions and reduced height, and a cause of the limited success of nutritional interventions in overcoming this growth deficit in many populations 11 . Although stunting in itself is not particularly harmful to the individual, it is a highly visible manifestation of the effect of EED, and correlates with a much wider range of poor socio economic outcomes, including poor performance in education, reduced income in adulthood and increased fertility 1,[11][12][13] . Earlier diagnosis of EED, even in infants or very young children, could enable targeted interventions.…”

Social Conditions and Urban Health Inequities: Realities, Challenges and Opportunities to Transform the Urban Landscape through Research and Action

“…5,[13][14][15] Higher educational attainment improves health both directly and indirectly through provision of access to better work and economic conditions, social-psychological resources, and information management that allows disadvantaged individuals to make better choices and achieve healthier lifestyles. 16 In general, socially disadvantaged, marginalized groups experience many barriers to quality education.…”