A study performed over sixteen-years and published in the British Medical Journal Online First, finds that early psychosocial stimulation has better long term benefits for stunted children’s emotional outcomes and attention that nutritional supplementation.
In the study, researchers set out to determine whether dietary supplementation or psychosocial stimulation given to stunted children early in life had any long term benefits for their psychosocial functioning in late adolescence.
In 1986-7, they identified 129 stunted children (age 9-24 months) living in poor neighbourhoods of Kingston, Jamaica. Children were assigned to one of four groups: control (no intervention), supplementation with 1 kg milk based formula each week, stimulation (weekly play sessions with mother and child), or both, for two years.
In 2002-3, 103 adolescents aged 17-18 years were re-examined to assess their psychosocial functioning (self esteem, anxiety, depression, and antisocial behaviour).
Those who had received stimulation reported less anxiety, less depression, and higher self esteem, and parents reported fewer attention problems. Supplementation had no significant effect.
Psychosocial stimulation in early childhood had sustained benefits for the psychosocial functioning of stunted children, say the authors. The next challenge is to develop interventions that can meet the needs of the enormous number of stunted children, they conclude.
Click here to view full paper: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/july/stuntedchildren.pdf
Source: British Medical Journal
Related News Articles
- Brain Stimulation May Improve Memory
- Brain Dysfunction With Hysteria
- Family Counseling When Chronic Illness
- Signs of Childhood Depression May Surprise
- New Approach for Parkinson’s: Early Surgical Implant
- What Is Antisocial Personality Disorder?
- Can Masturbation Help Me Learn to Orgasm?
- Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder
- Growth and Change Through the College Years
- Deeper Experiences with Imagery
