According to the World Health Organization, many of the health conditions and mental health issues which adults face can be traced back to their early childhood years. UNICEF also maintains that early childhood development is the most critical period of an individual’s lifetime. During those first years, a child’s environment can significantly impact her cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. There are several different factors which can affect a child’s early childhood development.
Nutrition
Developmental delays can occur when children do not achieve expected milestones. As part of the Bright Futures Initiative, the American Academy of Pediatrics underscores that children need to consume an adequate number of total daily calories along with the right nutrients for proper growth and development. Iron deficiency anemia, a health condition common among children from low-income families, can have negative effects on a child’s growth. Health care professionals use height and weight measurements and body mass index as tools to assess a child’s nutrition and growth status.
Family Risk Factors
The National Center for Children in Poverty points out that children need a positive and supportive environment in which to learn and grow. However, children exposed to domestic violence at a young age are more likely than other children the same age to have behavioral problems. Research shows that family risk factors, such as living in an abusive home, and insecure maternal attachments can affect a child’s social and emotional development. Not developing an emotional bond with a consistent and loving caregiver can negatively impact a child’s emotional and cognitive development. A child’s relationship with parents, siblings and other caregivers also affects the development of social and language skills.
Play
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that young children need cognitive stimulation which includes plenty of opportunities for imaginative free play to develop as physically and mentally healthy individuals. Children also need emotional support from adults. Play is essential to a child’s overall early childhood development for a number of reasons. For one, play allows a child to interact with parents on an emotional level. It also helps a child to develop both socially and physically. Structured play is a way to increase a child’s physical activity and develop his fine motor skills. Pediatricians advise parents to limit a child’s exposure to television, videos and computer games to only one or two hours during the day. This will leave more time for more active, creative playtime.
References
- World Health Organization: Early child development
- National Center for Children in Poverty: Social-emotional Development in Early Childhood
- Bright Futures: Early Childhood Nutrition
- UNICEF: Why Early Childhood Development?
- American Academy of Pediatrics: The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds
