Abstract
To develop to their full potential, all children need to receive nurturing care. This means that, starting in pregnancy, they are raised in a stable environment that is sensitive to their health and nutritional needs, with protection from threats, opportunities for early learning, and interactions that are responsive, emotionally supportive, and developmentally stimulating. Nurturing care ensures the foundations are laid early in life for an individual to survive and thrive. Yet, at least 250 million children younger than 5 years worldwide are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential, having major implications for their health, education, productivity and well-being along the life course. Primary health care services provide a platform for universal support to all families and children, and an entry point for early identification and interventions for families and children with additional needs. Healthcare providers, including pediatricians, are uniquely well placed to watch and learn about the strengths and vulnerabilities of a family and a child, open the dialogue about the child’s development, and support caregivers in providing their children nurturing care. Evidence shows that when caregivers are supported to provide all components of nurturing care, starting from pregnancy, children have a better chance to unlock their developmental potential, even when faced with adversities. This paper outlines how the Nurturing Care Framework and its five strategic actions guide multi-sectoral policies, interventions and services. It articulates the important role the health sector can play in supporting young children’s development in the early years.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
United Nations. Global Strategy for Women’s Children’s and Adolescents Health. United Nations; 2016.
Richter LM, Daelmans B, Lombardi J, et al. Investing in the foundation of sustainable development: Pathways to scale up for early childhood development. Lancet. 2017;389:103–18.
Britto PR, Lye SJ, Proulx K, et al. Nurturing care: Promoting early childhood development. Lancet. 2017;389:91–102.
Lu C, Cuartas J, Fink G, et al. Inequalities in early childhood care and development in low/middle-income countries: 2010–2018. BMJ Global Health. 2020;5:e002314.
World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Bank Group. Nurturing care for early childhood development: A framework for helping children survive and thrive to transform health and human potential. World Health Organization; 2018.
Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. Nurturing care for early childhood development. Accessed April 01, 2021. Available from: https://www.nurturing-care.org
Trude AC, Richter LM, R Behrman JR, et al. Effects of responsive caregiving and learning opportunities during preschool ages on the association of early adversities and adolescent human capital: An analysis of birth cohorts in two middle-income countries. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2021;5:37–46.
Gertler P, Heckman J, Pinto R, et al. Labor market returns to an early childhood stimulation intervention in Jamaica. Science. 2014;344: 998–1001.
World Health Organization. Nurturing care handbook. Draft for consultation. Accessed April 01, 2021. Available from: https://nurturing-care.org/handbook/
United Nations. Policy Brief: The Impact of Covid-19 on Children. United Nations; 2020.
Funding
Funding: None
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Contributors: BD: conceived the manuscript and developed the first draft; BD, SM: revised sections of the manuscript. All authors approved the final version of manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests: None stated.
Additional information
Note: The authors are staff members of the World Health Organization. The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this paper and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the World Health Organization.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Daelmans, B., Manji, S.A. & Raina, N. Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development: Global Perspective and Guidance. Indian Pediatr 58 (Suppl 1), 11–15 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-021-2349-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-021-2349-5