Promoting Early Child Development With Interventions in Health and Nutrition: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of health and nutrition interventions, including strategies to reduce iron deficiency anemia in infancy, on child development outcomes.
Results Summary
The study found that strategies to reduce iron deficiency anemia in infancy were beneficial, though few interventions had direct measures of child development. Iron-related interventions were among those showing positive effects on child health and development.
Population
Infants at risk of iron deficiency anemia.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
food and micronutrient supplementation for mothers | decrease | small for gestational age | mothers | - | reduced the risk of | #1 |
food and micronutrient supplementation for mothers | decrease | iodine deficiency | mothers | - | reduced the risk of | #2 |
strategies to reduce iron deficiency anemia | decrease | iron deficiency anemia | infancy | - | reduced | #3 |
early neonatal care (appropriate resuscitation, delayed cord clamping, and Kangaroo Mother Care) | neutral | - | neonates | - | benefit | #4 |
antenatal corticosteroids | decrease | developmental delay | imminent preterm birth | risk ratio 0.49, 95% confidence interval 0.24 to 1.00 | reduced risk of | #5 |
magnesium sulfate | decrease | gross motor dysfunction | imminent preterm birth | risk ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.85 | reduced risk of | #6 |
CONTEXT: Although effective health and nutrition interventions for reducing child mortality and morbidity exist, direct evidence of effects on cognitive, motor, and psychosocial development is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To review existing evidence for health and nutrition interventions affecting direct measures of (and pathways to) early child development. DATA SOURCES: Reviews and recent overviews of interventions across the continuum of care and component studies. STUDY SELECTION: We selected systematic reviews detailing the effectiveness of health or nutrition interventions that have plausible links to child development and/or contain direct measures of cognitive, motor, and psychosocial development. DATA EXTRACTION: A team of reviewers independently extracted data and assessed their quality. RESULTS: Sixty systematic reviews contained the outcomes of interest. Various interventions reduced morbidity and improved child growth, but few had direct measures of child development. Of particular benefit were food and micronutrient supplementation for mothers to reduce the risk of small for gestational age and iodine deficiency, strategies to reduce iron deficiency anemia in infancy, and early neonatal care (appropriate resuscitation, delayed cord clamping, and Kangaroo Mother Care). Neuroprotective interventions for imminent preterm birth showed the largest effect sizes (antenatal corticosteroids for developmental delay: risk ratio 0.49, 95% confidence interval 0.24 to 1.00; magnesium sulfate for gross motor dysfunction: risk ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.44 to 0.85). LIMITATIONS: Given the focus on high-quality studies captured in leading systematic reviews, only effects reported within studies included in systematic reviews were captured. CONCLUSIONS: These findings should guide the prioritization and scale-up of interventions within critical periods of early infancy and childhood, and encourage research into their implementation at scale.