View clinical trials related to Child Development.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a community-based early childhood development (ECD) program on children's physical and cognitive development. Under the program, targeted communities will be assigned a trained Child Development Agent (CDA) who will have four main tasks and responsibilities: 1) biweekly screening and management (including referral) of acute malnutrition in children; 2) encouragement of caregivers to utilize routine care services for children; 3) screening for symptoms of acute diseases including malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia and referral for diagnosis and treatment; and 4) organization and mentoring of biweekly caregiver meetings to discuss parenting and promote early childhood cognitive stimulation. The investigators will enroll at baseline around 600 children ages 6 - 12 months and their caregivers, and randomize them at the community-level to receive the ECD program or to remain in the control group. The study period will be one year. At end line, the investigators will collect important indicators of child physical and cognitive development to assess program impact. If the program shows both feasibility and impact, there is the potential to integrate program interventions into existing national community-based health initiatives. Amendment: the study period has been extended for a second year. After a five month gap when no intervention was provided, biweekly (i.e., fortnightly) community-based parenting groups were restarted in intervention clusters. In the second year of the intervention, CDAs no longer visit households.
In 2010, 7.6 million children under the age of five died worldwide and yet the causes of only 2.7% (0.205 million) of these deaths were medically certified. A thorough understanding of the causes of child mortality is necessary to guide research efforts aimed at tackling this important global health problem. Prospective birth cohort studies present an opportunity to examine the relationships between early-life exposures and multiple health and non-health related outcomes including death, illness, and socioeconomic factors. In this study, we will provide insight into the underlying causes of child mortality by collecting high-quality data on early-life exposures and health and non-health related outcomes in the first year of life.
Following an exploratory project, funded by Guys and St Thomas' Charity between September 2010- November 2011, of the first combined mental health screening and intervention project for <5 Children in Care (CiC) in the UK, the current study will expand this work by a) developing a feasibility study to assess both longer term interventions and outcomes for this group and b) extending the model to two further vulnerable groups of young children. The three groups of children aged 3 months to 3 years (<4's) in Southwark include: 1. Children who become newly looked after (CiC) 2. Children of parents referred to Parental Mental Health team (PMH) 3. Children on Child Protection (CP) Plans Parents will be invited to take part in the study if their children are eligible within the groups above. Informed consent will be obtained at the outset. Hypothesis; The investigators aim to implement a method of screening that will identify socioemotional and mental health needs in infants and young children, aged 0-3 years of age, across three high risk cohorts (Children in Care, children on a Child Protection Plan, children of parents with mental health difficulties). Is it feasible to deliver an early treatment intervention that positively impacts on the difficulties identified, by providing specific emotional, social and mental health support and advice to the child's current caregivers in relation to the child.
WHO has urged all developing countries to develop programmes to improve complementary-feeding (CF) practices because of their importance for optimal growth, development and health of infants and young children While supplementation programmes and/or highly-fortified "super-foods" have limited success in improving CF-practices in disadvantaged environments, population-specific food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG), based on locally-available foods and requires minimal changes to local food pattern, will enhance the chances of programme success. Our previous study was able to identify the need for, potential and finally develop FBDG for CF of 6-8mo and 9-11mo infants using combined linear-and-goal programming approach (LP approach). This research is therefore being made to support the next phase of the study i.e. to assess the efficacy of FBDG, for improving CF/dietary-practices and growth in <24mo children (window of opportunity). As growth and development is inter-related, home-based stimulation will be included in this trial to see the effect on child development. While studies have shown that stimulation at early age benefits children through their late adolescence; evidence from Indonesia is lacking. This study therefore aims to see the effect on growth and development of community trial using food-based dietary guideline and stimulation. It is expected that findings from this study will provide scientific evidence as the basis for program formulation.
The purpose of this study is to take images of the brain in order to see if long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) exposure during infancy influences brain structure and function in middle childhood.
A large number of children in developing countries lack access to known effective interventions. Almost 9 million die each year before reaching their fifth birthday, and over 200 million children who survive fail to achieve their full growth or developmental potential, trapping them in a cycle of continuing disadvantage. The goal of "SPRING", Sustainable Programme Incorporating Nutrition and Games, is to develop an innovative approach to close this access gap, in two of the worst affected countries India and Pakistan, using community based agents. Extensive formative research will be carried out to help ensure that the content and approach of the "SPRING" intervention is feasible, acceptable and appropriately targeted. Findings will be reviewed at an intervention development workshop with local and international stakeholders and experts, and the agreed intervention piloted with a few community based agents and their supervisors. Cluster randomised controlled trials will be carried out in each setting to evaluate the impact of "SPRING" on child growth, development and survival. The programme will include process and economic evaluations to provide information on the total cost of the intervention and its cost effectiveness, as well as development of a framework with lessons learned for implementing "SPRING" in other settings.
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to examine whether evidence-based home visiting programs enhanced by doula services have effects on positive parenting practices, breastfeeding, and child and maternal health outcomes.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a group intervention for primary health care dyads (two interacting people, in this case: mother-infant or caregiver-infant), which have been screened during pregnancy to be at psychosocial risk, has an impact on parental sensitivity.
The purpose of the current study involves the development, implementation and evaluation of a parenting program to target maternal well-being and child health, growth and development in Lira, Uganda. The current study aims to address maternal care within a parenting program as well as parenting practices emphasizing nutrition, hygiene, and psychosocial stimulation through peer-support, practice and problem-solving. Outcomes include child health, growth and development, maternal mental health, mother-child interactions, and maternal-spousal relations. We hypothesize that: 1. Children of parents who attend the parenting program will have better health, height and cognitive/language development at post-test, than children whose parents did not have the opportunity to attend parenting sessions. 2. Parents who attend the parenting program will have more knowledge about child development and provide more home stimulation, dietary diversity and preventive health practices than parents who do not have the opportunity to attend parenting sessions. 3. Mothers who attend the parenting program will have improved well-being compared to mothers who do not have the opportunity to attend parenting sessions.
The investigators' goal is to optimize the developmental outcomes of preterm infants by preventing depression and improving functioning among their mothers during the critical first year of life. The investigators are conducting a randomized controlled trial of a replicable, lay-delivered intervention - the basic approach of which is to use an empirically-supported, cognitive behavioral strategy to help mothers solve their unique daily problems and address some of the predictable challenges to parenting a preterm infant.